Central Lake in Olympia Village Eastport & Lake Sumpter Landing
This Boat Rocks! (TBR) is the largest co-ed team in the Grand Masters Dragon Boat Club (GMDBC). On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays you will find Villagers rhythmically paddling the sparkling waters on beautiful Central Lake and Lake Sumpter.
Susan Chicoine founded TBR in June of 2012 and was the heartbeat of the boat for many years. “We teach them the commands and techniques, but this group is all about exercise and fun,” said Susan. Groups like the Leathernecks got on board and were soon dominating competitions far and wide, including those against much younger paddlers. Dragon boating in The Villages is not reserved only for the well seasoned; it is also open to beginners. For one group, the orange T-shirt says it all, “This Boat Rocks!“
WARNING! After one trip in the boat, you might be hooked!!
We look forward to being out on the water enjoying the camaraderie of our fellow paddlers. The atmosphere is friendly and encouraging. We are also a social club and enjoy many other events throughout the year. Many long-term friendships have been made at the dock.
Central Lake is now open for beginner dragon boat paddling instruction. You must have a valid Village ID and may sign up for 3 training sessions with This Boat Rocks coaching staff. Each session will include 15 minutes of on-land instruction followed by 35-45 minutes of on-water paddling and coaching. Sessions are held twice weekly on Wednesdays and Fridays from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. We suggest you sign up for consecutive practice dates to receive the best benefit from your instruction. After the 3 free training sessions, participants can choose to continue with This Boat Rocks team as a fun exercise team, building towards moving on to a competitive team once they have gained more experience with the paddle stroke and have built endurance, or you can contact any of the other teams listed on our Grand Masters Dragon Boat Club website to request a tryout.
Once someone has contacted you to confirm your scheduled date(s) of practice, please arrive no later than 9:00 a.m. on your first day so that we may check your waivers that you bring with you as they need to be filled out and signed prior to coming. These waivers are available below for download. Please wear comfortable clothes, shoes that can get wet, bring your Village ID, have a bottle of water and the name and phone number of an emergency contact if you don’t have a wearable ID like a Road ID band.
Beginner classes will be limited to 10 people. First come, first served. After that you will be placed on a waitlist.
Before you show up to the boat dock download, print and sign the following waivers and bring them with you:
