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Hong Kong has a worldwide reputation for  staging exciting dragon boat races.  
Most people have heard of the Stanley International Dragon Boat Festival, which takes place  annually on the day of the Tuen Ng Festival.
However, there is a whole season  of races  for those interested in participating. 
 Beginners can get involved by joining a registered dragon boat racing club, signing up for their employer's corporate team or by attending one of the training courses run by the Hong Kong Dragon Boat Racing Association (HKDBA, www.hkdba.com.hk).  
 'A lot of people who have attended the Stanley  race  as a spectator have thought that it would be a pretty  cool thing to do,' explains Nicholas Hodges, captain of the men's  team at Buzz Dragon Boat Society (www.buzzdragon.com).  
 'We find  most people wanting to join  are more interested in getting fit and being part of a team. 
'It also offers immediate and long-lasting friendships and the chance to race in locations  you may not otherwise get the [opportunity] to go. 
'We have off-season boot camp training which is designed to build the general fitness of the paddlers, and build upper, lower and core strength. 
'We spend a lot of time at the start of the season working on paddling technique. Then we put it all together on the boat with two training sessions per week on the water.'  
Eddie McDougall, social secretary at Buzz, adds that  clubs have different goals during the racing season. 
Some aim to maintain a high level of competitiveness and others  take a more social approach,  or just prepare for one or two races during the season. 
He advises people looking for a club to join to decide on the balance between racing and social activities they are looking for. 
'It looks easy to the naked eye, but it is more technical and physically demanding than a lot of people think. However, it is a great way to spend your summer, as well as experience a bit more of Chinese culture,' McDougall explains.
People wanting to learn the basic skills of the sport before joining a club can enrol in a training course offered by the HKDBA. 
The association runs elementary (one day), intermediate (11/2 days) and advanced (two days) courses. 
All courses take place at the HKDBA's training centre in Shek Mun and are run by registered coaches.  
Courses cover the basic equipment used, safety issues, correct posture and basic paddling skills. 'With the aid of our dragon boat paddling machines, they can practise the foundation skills on land before the real trial in water,' explains Mike Au, administrative assistant at the association.
Elementary courses cost HK$100, intermediate HK$200 and the advanced course  is HK$400. The next  round of courses starts in July.



Get fit, have fun in a dragon boat