A Weekend of Firsts in Penticton
How sweet it is! Silver medal in the Diamond A in Penticton.
What an unforgettable weekend in Penticton!
For a new club like Inlet Spirit, and for many of our paddlers, the Penticton Dragon Boat Festival was a first. And there were certainly a lot of firsts to celebrate.
For Jeff and Michelle, it was their first dragon boat race event. For Niki, it was her first time taking on the role of drummer at a race event. And for Niki, Victor, Braidey, Cameron, Jeff, Michelle and Cristina, it was the first time they had ever earned a dragon boat medal.
It was a weekend filled with new experiences, great racing and plenty of memories for our team.
Racing on Beautiful Skaha Lake
We experienced the full range of what the Okanagan could deliver over the weekend.
Saturday on beautiful Skaha Lake was absolutely idyllic, providing near-perfect conditions for racing. Our mixed crew made the most of the day, opening the festival with a second-place finish in 2:14.02.
The crew returned to the water in the afternoon and once again crossed the finish line in second place, posting a time of 2:18.45.
With two strong results under our belts, the team was looking forward to seeing what Sunday would bring.
Digging Deep in the Semifinal
Sunday brought a very different set of conditions. Rain and strong winds moved into the region, creating challenging conditions on Skaha Lake.
Despite the weather, our mixed crew stayed focused and dug deep in their semifinal. The team powered to a first-place finish in 2:15.99, putting Inlet Spirit in a strong position heading into the finals.
We were excited to see what we could do in the final, but as the weather continued to deteriorate, the remainder of the event was cancelled.
Based on our semifinal performance and the official event results, Inlet Spirit finished with silver in the Diamond A Division.
For a club competing at one of its first major regattas, it was an exciting result and a great reflection of the work our paddlers have put in throughout the season.
Heading out for a race on Skaha Lake
A Weekend of Firsts
While the silver medal was certainly a highlight, some of the most memorable moments of the weekend came from seeing our paddlers experience their first race event and first medals.
Congratulations to Niki, Victor, Braidey, Cameron, Jeff, Michelle and Cristina on earning your first-ever dragon boat medals. We hope they are the first of many.
And congratulations to Jeff and Michelle on completing their first race event, and to Niki on taking on the drum for the first time in competition.
These milestones are what make building a new club so rewarding. Every race brings new experiences, new challenges and new memories for our team.
Thank You, Coach Denise
A huge thank you to our coach, Denise, for getting us race ready and helping the team prepare for the competition.
Your guidance, encouragement and commitment throughout the season have played an important role in helping Inlet Spirit grow together as a team.
We also want to congratulate the Penticton organizers and the many volunteers who worked hard to put together a fantastic event. Despite the difficult weather on Sunday, the festival gave our team an opportunity to race, learn and enjoy a great weekend on Skaha Lake.
One More Race to Go
With Penticton now in the books, our focus turns to the final event of the season: the Oddball Fall Classic on September 26.
One more race. One more opportunity to put everything we've learned this season into the boat.
What a weekend. What a team. What a collection of firsts.
See you at the Oddball Fall Classic!