Ahead of Asian Festival, dragon boats take over Scioto River
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Ahead of the Asian Festival happening next weekend in Columbus, teams of 21 people competed in dragon boat racing Sunday on the Scioto River.
Participants formed teams with their workplaces and organizations and raced all day long up and down the river.
All 20 teams got a chance to compete, and if you won, you moved on to the next race until just one team was left at the end of the day.
Organizers said the first dragon boat race was held over ten years ago in Columbus and all the racers had fun while also learning about Asian culture.
Each team consisted of 20 paddlers and one drummer to keep them at a steady pace.
“Synchronization is going to get your trophy, so for synchronization, that’s why they say, ‘One, two, three, four, drum, drum, drum,’” said Yung-Chen Lu, founder of the Asian Festival. “That’s the way to make the boats faster.”
The dragon boat race is a preview of the Asian Festival, happening May 27 and 28 at Franklin Park.