From Beginner to Competitive
Women's and mixed Intermediate Teams
Calgary Dragon Ladies and Calgary Fire Dragons
Team Mandate: Develop a love for the sport through teamwork, practices, festival and social events. Specifically for paddlers who are interested in paddling to compete in local festivals and enjoy being active while increasing fitness through the sport of dragon boat racing.
Criteria:
- Season runs May to September
- Paddle fees mandatory and paid by April 15th annually
- Practice once per week on water- paddlers encouraged to attend a minimum of 60% of the on-water practices:
- Calgary Dragon Ladies (womens) Monday 6pm to 7:15pm
- Calgary Fire Dragons (mixed) Thursday 7:15 to 8:30pm
- Ladies can participate in both mixed and womens teams
- All new paddlers will start on BASE mixed or women’s and be moved at the coach’s discretion to higher level teams
- No fitness or strength testing requirements
- Access to the annual Darwin Lee Paddling Camp
- Access to EMF fitness program
- Team social events throughout the year
- Fantastic team gear
- Festivals
- Local festivals (Lethbridge, Calgary and Sylvan Ice Festival)
- Everyone paddles
- Festivals not mandatory but attendance is strongly encouraged – best way to showcase your paddling and celebrate all the hard work in practice!
Women's and mixed Competitive Teams
Calgary Warrior Dragons and Calgary flying Dragons
Criteria:
- Team Selection at the discretion of the coaching team
- Season runs May to April annually
- Paddle fees mandatory and paid by April 15th annually
- On water dragon boat practice (May to October)
- Calgary Warrior Dragons (womens) Monday 7:15pm to 8:30pm
- Calgary Flying Dragons (mixed) Thursday 6pm to 7:15pm
- Calgary Flying Dragons (mixed) Sunday 10:30am to 12pm
- OC 6 small boat training – Sunday afternoons schedule TBD
- Indoor Tank Paddling (Leduc Boat Club) not mandatory but strongly encouraged
- Dr Lee Miller Paddle Fitness program (mandatory)
- Erg and Fitness (strength and core) run at EMF Fitness year round
- Annual fitness and technical testing
- Technical paddler video review
- Darwin Lee Paddle Camp in May 2026 (mandatory)
- Mexico Paddle Camp April 2027
- Team social events throughout the year
- Fantastic team gear
- Festivals (attendance at 3 of the 4 is mandatory)
- Lethbridge June
- Parkland July
- Calgary August
- Edmonton August
- Australia Pan Pacific Master Games November 2026
- Sylvan Lake Ice Festival February
