Dragon boats a hit with paddlers, spectators alike

Given that thousands of people spent the day on the grounds of Flathead Lake Lodge for the first Montana Dragon Boat Festival on Saturday, owner Doug Averill and his staff expected to be faced with an overwhelming cleanup job.

Instead, he said it was hard to tell a major public event had just occurred.

“We couldn’t hardly pick up a gum wrapper,” he said. “The place was immaculate, people were very respectful of the property.

“That really surprised us; we expected more like a setting after the fair. It was very encouraging and a real compliment to the valley.”

The dragon boat event presented the Flathead Valley at its best in many ways, but it also gave a tremendous amount back to the valley.

Estimates from the Kalispell Convention and Visitors Bureau are that the event generated at least half a million dollars for the local economy, given a 4,000-plus guess at attendance numbers.

Proceeds from the event went to Save A Sister, which promotes breast cancer awareness in the Flathead Valley.

Diane Medler, director of the visitors bureau, said that she received countless positive responses to the event, with many affirming remarks on the event Facebook page.

Twenty of the 56 teams were from out of the area, and Medler said she heard “an overwhelming positive response from the teams who traveled here.”

“They were so enamored of Flathead Lake and the Flathead Lake Lodge and the friendliness of the people in Montana,” she said. “One of the teams from Lethbridge said they’ll be back next year and they’ll be bringing other teams.”

With at least 20 people on each of the out-of-town teams, that meant 400 visitors at the very least, though most were probably accompanied by friends and family, staying in hotels and eating in area restaurants.

“That’s a significant impact for our lodging properties,” Medler said.

Kim Morisaki, head of business development and special projects for Montana West Economic Development, said her organization is hoping for long-term results from the dragon boats.

“Though the main impact of the event is that it really benefits hotels and restaurants, which we support 100 percent, we’re hoping that some out-of-town visitors will also see the area as a potential place for business expansion.”

Though the event was at Flathead Lake Lodge, none of the dragon-boat related guests stayed there, since the property was full of visitors attending a Dartmouth University convention.

Averill said the Dartmouth group was sent to Glacier Park for the day, though, and he donated the use of his property.

It was worth it, he said, for what it brought to the area.

“One was a benefit to the philanthropy groups, and two was the huge benefit to the team-building effort in the valley,” he said. “The people of the Flathead Valley came together and worked together, enjoyed each other and had a festive celebration for a good cause. Coordination was terrific among all the volunteer groups.”

One detail that threw Averill and his staff a little was the early-morning enthusiasm of so many spectators and dragon-boat crew members. At first there was a bottleneck in the parking — he estimated that at least 1,800 people arrived by 8:30 in the morning.

“We had no idea there would be that many people so early,” he said. “We were ready at 7:30, but not at 6:30. Dragon boaters evidently get an early start.”

They also stay out late, given the crowd for the night’s Dragon Bash party at the Red Lion Hotel Kalispell. Out of the 544 tickets available for the party, which included dinner and drinks from local beverage producers, 525 were sold in advance.

The cost of the tickets went to pay for the event itself, while fundraisers for Save A Sister included a basket raffle and silent auction.

Ticketholders also were treated to a concert with Trevor Panczak and Rough Stock, a country band from Alberta.

“The minute he started the concert, the dance floor was packed,” said Donna Townley, chairwoman of the committee for the Dragon Bash. “The concert was supposed to end at 12:30, but he didn’t finish until after 1 in the morning.”

The Dragon Bash was a good indication of the Canadian support for the entire event, with 200 of the party tickets going to Canadians.

Business reporter Heidi Gaiser may be reached at 758-4439 or by email at hgaiser@dailyinterlake.com.