Grab your paddle!

Riverfront Park in Downtown Nashville is the starting point for the 4th Annual Nashville Dragon Boat Race and Water Festival. The date is Saturday, August 14, 2010.

The race and festival raise awareness and earns money for the Cumberland River Compact and the Tennessee Scenic Rivers Association. If you kayak or canoe in Tennessee, you’re probably familiar with the great work that these two associations do in the way of conservation and making our river accessible to people to enjoy.

Register your team early to save on fees. Last year there were 38 teams registered to race – so don’t lose your spot, register today!

Dragon Boat Racing is a great team-building experience. Even if you’ve never raced before, this may be the event to consider. Competitive yes, but also a great experience whether you’re racing with friends, family or any group of people. Dragon Boat racing differs from other team sports in that no one person on the team is more important than another. Winning a Dragon Boat race hinges on how well a team works together at paddling in sync at the same time, and how well each paddler perfects the stroke technique. The popularity of Dragon Boat racing has exploded, with an estimated 50 million people participating in the sport around the world annually.

If you’re not a racer, feel free to volunteer or just attend the event. There will be music, art, food and lots of vendors. Watching the race from the downtown banks of the Cumberland River is an exciting way to spend a summer afternoon.

Some info for racers:

• The dragon boat race course is a 250-meter run roughly between the Shelby Street walking bridge and the Woodland Street bridge. Your team will be outfitted with paddles, personal flotation devices, and a Dragon Boat.
• You’ll be racing in a four-boat heat in river water with the current.
• Start and finish lines are marked with buoys. The lanes are not marked but the course is straight.

Find out more about the Nashville Dragon Boat Race and Water Festival, visit our Races and Events Page.

If You Go…Let Us Know! Click here to send us a note about the Nashville Dragon Boat Race and Water Festival and we may publish your report right here on BornToPaddle.com!

Looking for paddling locations in your state?

Search our places to paddle page for places to kayak or canoe for flatwater or whitewater.  Kayaking and canoeing paddling locations are listed by U.S. State

Kayak Connecticut’s Norwalk Islands on July 30: Third Annual Norwalk Islands Kayaker Jamboree.

This sounds like a great paddling event for kayakers and canoers from Connecticut, Long Island, New York and New Jersey – plus anyone who wants a fantastic East Coast paddling experience.

Event organizers say this will be the world biggest gathering of Kayakers to ever take place on the Norwalk Islands. And welcome groups as well as any paddler to join the event.

And it’s more than just paddling: The Jamboree will last all weekend with overnight camping available or just come out and paddle for the day. Organizers encourage that you paddle in pods of three or more. Check the weather and tide, and always be aware of the boat traffic. Always paddle safe.

RSVP is required. Get more info on the event here: http://www.meetup.com/StamfordKayakGroup/messages/boards/forum/1235990/ You’ll also find more information about put-in / take-out and paddle course options, event fees, kayak rentals if you need that, plus more info about the group itself if you’re not familiar with them.

A bit about Norwalk Islands, Connecticut Canoe and Kayak Trail:

The Trail affords paddlers to discover some of the wonders of Long Island Sound. Islands along the trail include Sheffield, Shea, and Grassy Islands. There’s a convenient boat launch at Calf Pasture Beach.

How’d it get there? The Norwalk Islands like much of the that area, are a remnants of glacial terminal moraine – rocks which were deposited at the southernmost edge of the ice sheet that covered Connecticut 17,000 years ago. The coastline of Grassy Island is mostly gravel and fine sand and provides sheltered landing areas. Shea Islands shoreline, by contrast, is strewn with rocks and boulders. Both islands are owned by the City of Norwalk and are open to the public. Overnight camping is allowed with a permit.

Sheffield Island, the largest in the group, is part of the Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge. It is closed most of the year to protect the many birds that nest along its rocky shore, and has become a regular wintering ground for harbor seals. The Sheffield Island Lighthouse is maintained and operated seasonally as a museum by the Norwalk Seaport Association.

The Jamboree and associated weekend of paddling sounds like an awesome paddling experience. If You Go…Let Us Know! Click here to send us a note about the Norwalk Islands Kayaker Jamboree and we may publish your report right here on BornToPaddle.com!

For more information on kayak and canoe events, please check our BornToPaddle.com Kayak & Canoe – Races & Events Calendar pages.

Looking for paddling locations in your state?

Search our places to paddle page for places to kayak or canoe for flatwater or whitewater.  Kayaking and canoeing paddling locations are listed by U.S. State