Challenges issued for dragon boat race

Interest in Montana’s first dragon boat race — planned Sept. 8 on Flathead Lake— is heating up, with several local businesses and institutions issuing team challenges.

 Glacier Bank, Flathead Valley Community College and Flathead Community Foundation have their teams ready to go and are challenging others throughout the Northwest to sign up to race against them in the Montana Dragon Boat Festival.

“For us inlanders the festival is a unique opportunity to participate in a sport not normally accessible to Montanans, and it has great potential to have significant economic impact on the community and businesses in the Flathead Valley,” said James Ness, senior vice president at Glacier Bank, which is also a sponsor of the festival.

Ness said if enough banks, credit unions or other financial institutions sign up for the race, the event organizers will run a special race just for the group.

Flathead Valley Community College is issuing a similar challenge to colleges and universities throughout the Northwest with its dragon boat festival sponsorship. Student organizations, athletic clubs and teams and alumni groups are encouraged to form a team and sign up for the race.

“There is nothing like a little college rivalry to get people motivated,” said Chris Parson, director of the Small Business Development Center at FVCC.

Title sponsor of the Montana Dragon Boat Festival, the Flathead Community Foundation, also encourages local and regional participation in the event among the network of Flathead Valley nonprofits.

The foundation’s mission is to connect donors with their philanthropic interests for the present and permanent benefit of the community. In addition to a portion of every boat registration going to the breast cancer awareness initiative Save A Sister, the foundation also asks teams to rally behind the nonprofit of their choice and raise additional money in pledges to support their causes.

All teams will race in the Hong Kong-style, 46-foot dragon boats. Each boat holds a team of 20 paddlers, a drummer and a steerer. All ages, abilities and physiques are welcome, which makes the competition hinge upon teamwork and paddling style rather than brute strength.

To help organize the event, the Kalispell Convention and Visitor Bureau has partnered with Dynamic Dragon Boat Racing LLC, which produces dragon boat festivals throughout the country. The company supplies the boats and gear, leads the safety and training sessions and manages the races. Participants will have an opportunity to practice in the boats the two days prior to the event.

Teams can register for the Montana Dragon Boat Festival at http://www.montanadragonboat.com.