With two weeks until the big race, many of Nanaimo’s dragon boat teams are getting close to peak paddling form.
Valhalla Pure Outfitters Nanaimo Paddlefest was held Saturday at Maffeo Sutton Park. The ninth annual event is a tune-up each year for the Save-On-Foods Nanaimo Dragon Boat Festival.
At Paddlefest, local teams took advantage of their knowledge of Nanaimo harbour and won most of the finals.
Blu By U won the mixed blue A division and the Bastion Dragons and the Aquaholics raced to a photo-finish tie in the mixed blue B final. Chix with Stix won the women’s A final, Stroke of Luck won the women’s B final and Angels Abreast were the winners of the women’s C final. Vancouver Island University’s Ancient Mariners won the mixed red A division and the Spirit Point Dragons won the mixed red B division.
The Save-On-Foods Nanaimo Dragon Boat Festival will be held July 8-10.