EVENTS

Dragon-boat festival breathes fire on Tempe Town Lake

Betty Reid
The Republic | azcentral.com

When Lana Walther hears the drum, she hears the heartbeat of the dragon. When she dips her paddle in the water, she feels the muscle of the dragon.

The analogy comes from a 4,000-year-old story of a popular Chinese poet who drowned himself and became a dragon, said Walther, a coach for the Arizona Dragon Riders, one of about 80 teams competing in this weekend's Arizona Dragon Boat Festival on Tempe Town Lake.

"When we paddle, we listen to the heartbeat of the dragon," Walther said. "You paddle the boat at the same time. The timing is together. You feel the power of the dragon lurching beneath the water."

Last week, the Arizona Dragon Riders practiced for the 12th annual festival, which will include teams from around the country. The timed competition includes a 500-meter race, a 5,000-meter race and 250-meter sprint.

"It's very busy," said Stacey Dyer, festival director. "We'll have food trucks and vendors, and then on the grassy hill, that's where all of the teams will set up. There are 80 teams. And then, this grassy area right here is where spectators will sit."

Walther, a Honeywell engineer, has been part of the festival since 2007.

She coaches the Dragon Riders and a team of students from North High School in Phoenix. The coach gives the same message to the students and her 40-member team, of which 20 will climb into each dragon boat at the festival.

"If you watch baseball or basketball, there is always a very important player, or VIP," Walther said. "On the water, on the dragon boat, there is no VIP. Everybody paddles. This is a team sport."

Arizona Dragon Boat Festival

When: 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, March 28-29.

Where: SRP Marina, north shore of Tempe Town Lake (take Gilbert Drive west from Scottsdale Road).

Admission: Free.

Details: azdba.com/festival.