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Dragon Boat Training: Moving Beyond the Ergo(Metrics)

expalDragon boat teams competing at the IDBF World Championships in Brandenburg, Germany, 2025, showcasing a vibrant, competitive event with multiple crews racing in the water.
Sharyn O’Halloran
 
A Growing International Sport

Dragon boating has developed from a traditional festival into a competitive worldwide sport. The Recent 17th International Dragon Boat Federation (IDBF) Championships (Brandenburg, Germany, 2025) and significant regional events confirm its growth:

      • The recent world championships were the largest IDBF event ever. Nearly 4,000 athletes representing 33 countries across 1,288 crews were supported by 700 participants.

      • Record-breaking participation led organizers to expand the race program, with entries nearly double those of the 2023 championships.

      • Regional enthusiasm reinforces global interest. Hong Kong’s international races attract over 4,500 athletes across 190 teams. Canada’s festivals see more than 200 crews and attract over 75,000 spectators.

        These milestones underscore that dragon boating is a fast-growing, culturally rich, competitive sport gaining traction worldwide.

    Who’s in the Boat?

    Unlike many popular sports, dragon boating attracts older athletes—especially those transitioning from rowing, swimming, triathlon, or other endurance sports. Its inclusive team spirit provides community and competition without requiring early specialization.

    Event / Region Participation Highlights
    2025 IDBF World Championships (Germany) 4,000 athletes, 1,288 crews, 33 countries, designated senior categories
    Hong Kong International Races Over 4,500 athletes, 190 teams
    Vancouver (Canadian Festival) 200+ crews, 75,000+ spectators

    While detailed demographics are not routinely published, secondary sources show that dragon boating is an inclusive sport. Globally, participation is estimated at about 60% men and 40% women, with athletes ranging from teens to their 80s. In Brandenburg, Germany, the International Dragon Boat Federation (IDBF) recognized several racing categories for older athletes. These include “Senior A” (40+), “Senior B” (50+), and “Senior C” (60+), ensuring older athletes are structurally included in competition. This framework confirms dragon boating as a rare multi-generational, mixed-gender sport where participation extends across age and gender.

    Uneven Training Across Clubs

    Despite its rapid expansion, dragon boating still lacks standardized training protocols. Some clubs emphasize structured conditioning, technical drills, and periodization; others rely on shortcuts based on tradition or convenience. For example, some teams rigidly enforce a single-stroke method, ignoring crew composition or racing circumstances. On the ground, this often means training is limited to water sessions alone, without strength and endurance work. The result is a narrow focus on form repetition and seat time, rather than the balanced athletic development needed to raise performance standards.

    One of the most common shortcuts is using ergometers (Ergs) for time trials and testing. While ergometers provide measurable outputs and consistency, their role in crew selection and athlete assessment remains controversial. As Dragon Analytics’ Mark Fogliani pointed out, erg performance does not reliably translate to on-water performance because paddling is a closed-chain movement (the paddle is fixed). In contrast, the erg work is open-chain (the paddler is fixed). The article warns that “however ‘good’ you get on the ergo, this will have no direct translation to how fast you are on the water other than from a fitness and base technique perspective.”

    Closed vs. Open-Chain Movements in Dragon Boat Paddling

    This mismatch raises questions about the erg’s fitness for purpose. On-water paddling is a closed-chain movement, like a pull-up, where the body moves against a fixed point. Meanwhile, erg training is an open-chain exercise, like a lat pulldown, where the paddle or handle moves toward the body. This discrepancy means erg performance often fails to accurately predict efficiency and speed on the water. The diagram below illustrates this point. 

    This difference in movement pattern — closed-chain on the water versus open-chain on the erg — means the muscles are recruited in opposite directions. This is why erg scores do not readily translate into observed boat speed or efficiency.

    Training on an ergometer can also distort stroke mechanics. Ergs reward artificially long strokes, boosting scores but reinforcing habits that do not translate to real-time stroke efficiency. Unfortunately, the intensive erg training required to achieve competitive scores is linked with a higher risk of injuries, particularly in the lower back, knees, and hips. 

    Furthermore, unlike the ethos of inclusivity the IDBF has sought to establish, the erg favors taller and larger paddlers, at the expense of lighter ones, who can use their mass to generate greater power. As I will discuss in my next blog post, this bias toward size and mass can be a handicap.  All else being equal, smaller paddlers produce greater speed and efficiency than larger paddlers, especially over longer distances.  Below is a summary of the common statements on using erg scores to evaluate performance.

     

    Claim Evidence Supporting Claim
    Erg scores do not equate to on-water efficiency/power Ergs = open-chain, paddling = closed-chain → different recruitment; machine stroke mechanics differ; oartec.com
    Erg technique is misaligned with boat performance Ergs reward long strokes that don’t exist in real paddling; dragonboat.house
    Injury risk (hips, knees, low back) Rowing studies: erg use strongly linked to low-back, knee, and hip pain and overuse injuries (activesafe.ca, bjsm.bmj.com)
    Bias toward taller/heavier athletes Taller = longer stroke, heavier = more absolute power; widely acknowledged in rowing/erg contexts.
    Useful training/testing tool in moderation Ergs enable off-water training, consistent fitness comparisons, and data collection for conditioning.

    Conclusion: Finding Alter `Ergo(Metrics)’

    To help dragon boating develop as a sport, we can consider a balanced, comprehensive training approach:

      • Strength and weight training to build physical resilience and prevent injuries.
      • Endurance exercises (like running, cycling, swimming) for race stamina and cardiovascular health.
      • Dragon Boat O-1s or small boats for refining individual techniques on the water.
      • Resistance training in boats (drag paddles, bungee resistance, section paddling, and seat work) to mimic load conditions in water.
      • On-water time trials can be conducted thoughtfully to reduce environmental variability.
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      💡 For a deeper look at the community and teamwork that make dragon boating unique, see the TEDx talk “Dragon Boating: More Than Just a Sport”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37LIZU4RVTo&t=234s

      References

        The Invisible Life of Addie Larue — Being Seen When None Remember

        by VE Schwab

        The Invisible Life of Addie Larue, a book about a woman no one remembers, is a book you won’t forget.  The tale traverses lifetimes and places and speaks to the heart’s wishes.  It is a story of a woman’s struggle to be seen in a world where she is never remembered and unvalued.  

        When a young girl deals with a stranger to leave her small village and be as if she never existed, the consequences are not as Addie would have hoped.  The phrase careful what you wish for because you may get it, rings true to this story.  In exchange for gaining her wish, the stranger requests her companionship.  Addie refuses.

        What unfolds is a young woman making her way in a world where she is friendless, has no home, and everyone she knows is gone.  Throughout it all, Addie does what it takes to survive.  

        The most profound part of Addie’s journey is not the degrading situations she endures but that no one ever remembers her.  History never remembers Addie; her life is without purpose or impact.  The book’s triumph is that despite her invisibility, Addie finds a way to be seen.  

        Sharyn O’Halloran 

        Supermoon Lunar Eclipse: Why So Rare?

        -Morgan O’Halloran 

        On Sunday, September 27, 2015 at 10:10 am EDT, there is going to be the first supermoon lunar eclipse since 1982! And it’s going to be the last supermoon lunar eclipse until 2033!  Why?

        A supermoon is when a full moon happens at the same time that the moon reaches its closest point on its orbit around the earth. This occurs because, as some of you might know, the moon’s orbit is not perfectly round; it is an ellipse.

        What does this mean?  Well, it means that on Sunday the moon is going to appear 14% bigger than usual!  And yes, I know that 14% doesn’t sound like a lot but trust me, it is.

        The reason that supermoon lunar eclipses are so rare is because supermoons on their own are very rare but the fact that a supermoon is happening during a lunar eclipse is amazing! A lunar eclipse is when the sun, earth and moon align.  In fact, there is less that a 1/100 chance a supermoon lunar eclipse happens!  A rare event indeed!

        So grab your binoculars, telescopes and extra-large magnifying glasses, and say “Hi” to the supermoon!

        Permanent link: http://wp.me/p1Tsjm-1J

         

        Voting Rights Act Summary: Supreme Court Decision

        SHELBY COUNTY, ALABAMA v. HOLDER, ATTORNEY GENERAL, ET AL.

        On June 25, 2013, the Supreme Court ruled Section 4 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 unconstitutional in the landmark case Shelby County, Alabama v Holder, Attorney General et al. The act in question set forth 1) the federal right to preclearance of states’ voting practices in order to prevent race-based discrimination and 2) the standards used to determine which states and districts such power applied to. Section 5 set forth the former, Section 4 the latter. Eliminating Section 4—and therefore its coverage provisions—makes Section 5 preclearance provisions mute; without grounds for who preclearance applies to, the power itself is meaningless.

        However, the Supreme Court’s ruling did not strip the Voting Rights Act of all federal preclearance power. Section 2 remained, stating that “no qualifications or prerequisite to voting… shall be imposed or applied by any state or political subdivision to deny or abridge the right of any citizen of the United States to vote on account of race or color.”

        Two major factors change as Section 2, not Section 5, becomes the source to challenge race-based discrimination in elections. The first is a shift in the burden of proof. Under Section 5 preclearance provisions, those who seek to change election laws must show that neither the intent nor effect of the change discriminates against minority voters. Under Section 2, minorities will have to show that the impact of the law discriminates against minorities. The second factor is a change in the status quo. Under Section 5 rules, the existing law remains in effect until the DOJ approves the proposed changes. Under Section 2, the new law goes becomes law and opponents must seek to overturn it by showing discretionary effect.  Both factors point in the same direction: the ruling makes it harder for minorities defend their voting rights through the courts. 

        Voting Rights Published Work

        Voting Rights Published Work

        1) “Do Majority-Minority Districts Maximize Substantive Black Representation in Congress?” Coauthored with Charles Cameron and David Epstein. American Political Science Review 90: 794-812, 1996.

        2) “Measuring the Electoral and Policy Impact of Majority-Minority Voting Districts.” Coauthored with David Epstein. American Journal of Political Science 43 (April): 367-95, 1999.

        3) “A Social Science Approach to Race, Redistricting, and Representation.” Co-authored with David Epstein. American Political Science Review 93 (March): 187-91, 1999.

        4) “The Electoral Impact of Majority-Minority Districts,” in Continuity and Change in House Elections. Edited by David Brady, John Cogan, and Morris Fiorina. Co-authored with David Epstein. Stanford, Ca.: Stanford University Press, 2000.

        5) “Trends in Substantive and Descriptive Minority Representation, 1974–2000,” in The Future of the Voting Rights Act. Edited by David Epstein, Rodolfo de la Garza, Sharyn O’Halloran and Richard Pildes. Co-authored with David Epstein. New York: Russell Sage Foundation Press, 2006.

        6) “Gerrymanders as Tradeoffs: The Co-Evolution of Social Scientific and Legal Approaches to Racial Redistricting,” In Designing Democratic Government. Edited by Margaret Levi, James Johnson, Jack Knight and Susan Stokes. Co-authored with David Epstein. New York: Russell Sage Foundation Press, 2008.

        7) “A Strategic Dominance Argument for Retaining Section 5 of the VRA.” Co-authored with David Epstein. Election Law Journal 5 (3): 283-292, 2006.

        8) “A Strategic Dominance Argument for Retaining Section 5 of the VRA.” Co-authored with David Epstein. Election Law Journal 5 (3): 283-292, 2006.

        9) “Estimating the Impact of Redistricting on Minority Substantive Representation” Co-authored with David Epstein, Michael Herron, and David Park. Journal of Law, Economics & Organization, 23:499-518, 2007.

        10) “Does the New VRA Section 5 Overrule Georgia v. Ashcroft?” Co-authored with David Epstein. NYU Annual Survey of American Law 63:619: 631-59, 2008.

        11) The Future of the Voting Rights Act. Co-edited with David Epstein, Rodolfo de la Garza and Richard Pildes. New York: Russell Sage Foundation, 2006.