There weren’t many spectators this year, but Sunday’s rain did not dampen the spirit of the racers and volunteers who showed up for the Dragon on the Lake Races presented by the Orion Art Center.
“It was really a great day,” said Rob Cavanagh, race director and among the dedicated volunteers supporting the event held during the annual end-of-summer festival that also includes an art fair, live music and family-friendly activities.
“Every team showed up despite the rain,” Cavanagh added. “It says a lot about their dedication and enthusiasm for the race.”
Dragon on the Lake, besides being a great team builder, serves as a fundraiser for the art center and its efforts to nurture artistic spirit through art classes, camps, scholarships, exhibits and special events.
Giving it their all are several members of Team Oxford Bank,which was competing in their second race. (Gina Joseph, for The Oakland Press)
This is the seventeenth year of the Dragon Boat Races in Lake Orion, which gets its inspiration from the century old legend of a ferocious dragon spotted on Lake Orion.
“The year was 1894 when lake dwellers were reportedly terrorized by a monster that grew in size with each new sighting, from 18 to an enormous 80 feet long,” according to Dragononthelake.com. “The ‘Lake Orion Review’ even reported an encounter from one Mrs. Vincent Brown who fought off the beast while on a fishing excursion with her 2 nieces. Some suspect it was all just a prank played by the two mischievous Miller boys who lived in a lakefront home on South Broadway. A newspaper in Detroit suggested residents “start drinking more well water.”
Whatever the reason the story survived and became the origin for the race.
A drum team from the community entertained spectators who weathered the rain that fell Sunday during the 17th Annual Dragon on the Lake Dragon Boat Races. (Gina Joseph, for The Oakland Press)
It also helps that the sports teams in Lake Orion are known as the Dragons. And so, each summer dragon boats replace the savage monster on the lake.
Such is the origin for Michigan’s dragon boat races, which is really just starting to catch on.
In other parts of the world — where dragon boat races are held — its likely roots – as ritual, entertainment, memorial and even military exercise – date back thousands of years, according to History.com.
“During China’s Dragon Boat Festival, or Duanwu Jie as it’s called, teams of rowers compete in long, narrow canoe-like vessels carved to look like serpents while revelers eat sticky-rice balls known as zongzi. It’s a vibrant spectacle celebrated throughout China and, increasingly, in competitive events around the globe.”
Oxford Bank’s Dragon Boat Race team member Erik Gojcaj of Clarkston dons a pair of sunglasses before the team’s race on Sunday. (Gina Joseph, for The Oakland Press)
It is also believed that early forms of dragon boat racing may have started as rites to ensure a good harvest, perhaps by ending drought conditions.
“Beginning as early as the Shang dynasty (1600–1046 B.C.), write Lihui Yang and Deming An in “Handbook of Chinese Mythology,” communities performed rain-invoking ceremonies devoted to the dragon—one of Chinese culture’s most important mythical creatures, believed to govern rain, rivers and seas,” according to History.com.
In all cases once people see it – they’re hooked and either become spectators or racers.
No sand pails and floats. Sunday’s Dragon on the Lake Dragon Boat Races brought people, paddles and dragons to the shores of Lake Orion. (Gina Joseph, for The Oakland Press)
“The first race had six teams,” said Cavanagh, who saw his first dragon boat race while in Europe. “Just prior to COVID we had 27 teams.”
The weekend races also include a competition for high school students that grows every year. Cavanagh said while most of them are local or from Oakland County he’s hoping the enthusiasm for the event will attract high school teams from other counties including Macomb, St. Clair and Wayne counties.
Here are the winners of this year’s Dragon on the Lake high school competition.
First Place: Lake Orion Varsity Football team with a time of 1:22:11
Second Place: Orion Oxford Varsity Hockey, time of 1:27:53
Third Place: Clarkston Girls Swim and Dive, 1:31:01
Sunday’s competitions also included 13 teams made up of men and women representing businesses, schools, nonprofits, communities and churches.
Among the teams favored to win the coveted Dragon Boat Trophy and returning to defend their title as champions for the fourth year in a row was OMG: On a Mission from God.
However, this year they were outdone by two dragon boats on fire.
“It was an absolute, incredible finish,” Cavanagh said of the final heat that included the top three teams: OMG, Mystic Cove Lakefront Town Home and Dragon Down Breast Cancer (whose team members wore pink tutus. “Mystic Cove edged out Dragon Down by 0.18 seconds to become the new reigning champions.
Cavanagh said the energy displayed by the rowers was contagious and kept everyone involved, all of whom were soaked to the skin by the end of the day, excited about the event.
“I was coordinator and boat captain for this wonderful event,” said Matt DeFinis, senior marketing specialist for Oxford Bank, noting it was a great opportunity to represent the bank and connect with the communities they serve. “As a bank with more than 142 years of history, being part of an event that has such deep roots in one of our communities is especially meaningful.”
It also serves as a fun event aside from work.
“I always appreciate the opportunity to spend time with my teammates outside of the office and get to know them better,” said DeFinish, whose team of 14 rowers did not finish first but made a great showing against other boats fielding teams of 20.
“This year was especially fun, because we had 3 amazing free agents join the Oxford Team,” DeFinis added. “Overall, for me, the event is all about making connections, both with our team and with the people we serve every day.
Holly Nicosia concurred.
“The Dragon Boat races are such a special part of Dragon on the Lake because they really bring our community together,” said the executive director of the Orion Art Center. “Seeing businesses, organizations, families, friends and our high school teams out on the water cheering each other on is always one of my favorite parts of the weekend.”
Also awarded during the day were: Best Race Team Costume: Blazing Paddles, which wore the coolest t-shirts; Best Drummer was the team member from OMG and the team showing the most spirit was Dragon Down Breast Cancer, whose team also came seconds away from winning it all.