Pensacola Dragon Boat Festival 2018

September 8, 2018 - I was in my first dragon boat race this year. Dragon boat races are a worldwide sporting event. A narrow boat of paddlers (not rowers) plus a steerer and a drummer race about 300 meters from start to finish. It is a fun and highly competitive sport; plus, the money raised goes to great area kid-focused charities: Gulf Coast Kids House and Junior Achievement of Northwest Florida. After having been in one in Pensacola, I am already looking forward to next year's race and even looking at traveling to be in other races around the country (or maybe even as close as Mobile or Biloxi).


Northeast Pensacola Sertoma organizes the races in Pensacola and this was their 5th year hosting the event. Roy Ridgeway, one of the race organizers, and his wife, Susan, (Owners of JRC Realty) begged and begged us (Chris Mull from the Purple Parrot Tiki Bar and myself) to get a boat together to represent Perdido Key. We were very reluctant as it seemed a daunting task to organize twenty paddlers for a race all the way on the other side of downtown Pensacola (and it is a daunting task), but we eventually gave in and signed up for a boat - the Perdido Key Fireball Breathing Dragons (it took us a long time to agree on that name and it changed many times along the way, thus causing a little bit of confusion). Chris and I had two-thirds of the sign-up fee and Judy Davis from the Perdido Key Sports Bar agreed to be the third. The three of us launched the Perdido Key Dragon Boat. Many thanks also to our many other donors. A few are mentioned on this page. All are listed on our Thanks to Our Many Gracious Donors page.

Thanks Judy, Jennifer, Stephanie & Wayne!

Thanks Chris & Tracy!

Thanks Tim & Cindy Parker!The Can Man at Containers, Inc.

Thanks Roy! Thanks Susan!

Thanks Don & Vicki Rider at AvalonHR!

Thanks to Peggy Butler
at Main Street Properties

Thanks to Maureen & Mike Turner-Mason
at Artworks Studio & Gallery

We had two dragon meets out on Perdido Key (one during a hurricane), a captains meeting, two practice sessions the week of the actual race (ignoring county health department warnings about contaminated water from the hurricane), setup our tents on the night before the races and raced three times on race day. We had a blast! Yes, it was tiring; and yes, it was a LOT of work; but we all enjoyed it and nobody died (Yaaaa!).

Here's the story and maybe putting it here online will help us organize ourselves better next year or may even help you with your team. Happy Dragon Boat Racing!

Page 2 - Captains Meeting and Dragon Meets

Pensacola Dragon Boat Races 2019

Page 1 - Pensacola Dragon Boat Festival 2019
Page 2 - Captains Meeting and Dragon Meets
Page 3 - Dragon Boat Practice Races and Camp Setup
Page 4 - Dragon Boat Race Day
Page 5 - Pensacola Dragon Boat Pictures
Page 6 - Thank You to Everyone Who Donated
Page 7 - Thank You to Our Dragons

Dragon Boat Team Supplies and Party Ideas

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