I need to finish the line ups

The day got off to a brilliant start for BAD 3 who competed against some very strong opponents in the first heat.  BAD 3 gave the teams in this competitive bracket everything they could handle.  Jorge Cruz, Calvin Ly, Dennis Nguyen, and Steven Umali powered the way for BAD 3 who matched their opponents stroke for stroke throughout the race.  Unfortunately for BAD 3, technique fell off in the second half of the race and they were unable to keep up with their more seasoned adversaries.  Despite the rough patch at the half way point, BAD 3 was able to regroup behind the inspired racing of Elisha McIntosh, Robell Opilas, and Daniel Alarcon.  The end result was a very respectable fourth place finish in the first heat.

For the semi final, BAD 3 brought in its heavy hitters Minh Lam, Jesse Sarmineto, Kenny Quach, Devin Gibbs, Vinny Flores, and Shaun Vidal.  The start was an impressive one as BAD 3 vaulted past the competition on its way to a very comfortable lead at the half way point.  Once again, the half way mark was a sticking point for BAD 3 as they would let Ripple Effect back in the race.  "I had to do a lot of steering because the left side had so much more power than the right side," said BAD 3's steersperson Achim Karger.  The imbalance was most likely caused by yours truly paddling on the left.  With Ripple Effect back in the race it was a classic knock down drag out fight to the finish for first place.  BAD 3 women Jennie Anes, Karla Jiminez, Esmeralda Bajo, and Cathy Nath would not be denied.  Despite its issues BAD 3 would hang on for a startling first place finish in the semi final by just four tenths of a second over Ripple Effect.

The stage was now set for what would become the greatest race ever for most of the paddlers on BAD 3.  Those on BAD 3 knew that they had their work cut out for them as they would have to face the same Ripple team that nearly knocked them off in the semi final.  With the addition of Kevin Dinh, the BAD 3 roster was now set to do some serious damage in the final.  Behind the skills of up and coming steersperson Achim Karger, BAD 3 was perfectly lined up for its start.  BAD 3 shot out of the start line like a bullet with butterfly wings.  The savage like spectacle of a start was fueled by the power of BAD 3's strokes Richelle Torcuator and Kim Thach along with engine room power houses Henry Phan, Nick Linville, Adrian Reyes and Francis Cunanan.  The ferocious start staked BAD 3 to a very impressive lead.  This time, instead of faltering at the half way mark, BAD 3 and IHS superstars Janine Andres and Cynthia Ngo, along with the inspirational calls of drummer Candace Lee, helped BAD 3 swamp the other crews in its wake.  BAD 3 would then glide across the finish line seven seconds ahead of the next crew to cross the line.

The seven second victory, a veritable eternity in dragon boat racing where most races are decided by mere fractions of a second, was one in which all of its participants will never forget. 

Notes

• A big reason for BAD 3's success can be attributed to the fact that while most teams were making their 2009 dragon boat debut, Redwood Shores marked the third race of the season for most of the kids who paddled.  The kids began the season at the Arizona Dragon Boat Festival and also competed at the Lake Merced Youth Race, proving the old mantra true that nothing helps a team improve more than actual race experience.

• Achim Karger, who steered in Arizona, also raced in the corporate division for Mayo Synchronicity, a team comprised of doctors and nurses from a medical clinic.  Karger's presence on that team proved to be the difference as they would win every single race in which they participated.  The five wins in a row culminated in a gold medal for Team Mayo and BAD's Achim Karger at the Arizona Dragon Boat Festival. 

• It may seem a little inauspicious that there is a big article on the kids featured on this website and not a whole lot on the World Championships.  Unfortunately I wasn't able to go to Penang and to write an article that would do justice to those who went to Penang would take hours of interviews and looking up rosters and race times; these are hours that I don't really have since I teach full time, coach the kids, and raise a one year old at home.  So I apologize for the lack of exposure and assure you that I would write more if I had more time.

-JH

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