Today we’d like to introduce you to Andrea Liskay.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Andrea. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
The San Diego Dragon Boat Team started back in 1983. We are a 501 (c ) (3) Non-Profit Corporation that promotes the sport of dragon boat paddling here in the San Diego area. We are located on Fiesta Island, next to the Boy Scout Facility. We are a diverse group of paddlers that love being on the water and like getting a great workout as well. We continue to participate in many local, regional and international dragon boat races all over the world.
The sport of dragon boat paddling is one of the fastest growing sports worldwide and is being considered as a possible Olympic sports category for the next scheduled summer Olympics.
Dragon Boat paddling is a sport for all ages and abilities and is a lot of fun. We paddle Sunday mornings and certain weekdays. It’s a great way to make new friends and embrace the camaraderie we all share as a team. You can check us out on SDDBT.org and sddragonboatrace.com for more information about San Diego Dragon Boat Team.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
We began to host our own race about eight (8) years ago, which was a very scary time. We needed to make enough revenue to cover our initial expenses and to hopefully break even, which we did. Each year we have hosted our race, we learn something new and apply it toward our future successes. It’s been a long process, but we have maintained the course and have become a popular dragon boat race destination. Since we have been very successful in the last couple of years, we were able to purchase eight (8) brand new 20-man boats for future races.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about San Diego Dragon Boat Team – what should we know
The San Diego Dragon Boat Team is an organization that paddles in dragon boat year round. We meet up most Sunday mornings, and a couple of times during the week, to practice paddling techniques and to improve our overall fitness and endurance.
The San Diego Dragon Boat Team hosts an annual international dragon boat race on Mission Bay. The event is held south of the San Diego Hilton Resort. This event draws thousands of paddlers and spectators to the San Diego area every year and has experienced an increase in attendance with each passing year. This is a two-day event and is scheduled to take place this year on September 29th & 30th, 2018. It’s free to watch and we encourage everyone to come and see what dragon boating is all about.
Last year, we were chosen to host the 2017 Pacific Dragon Boat Association’s (“PDBA”), Club Crew Regional Qualifiers for all of the West Coast dragon boat teams that wanted to compete in, and to win a berth to participate in the 11th International Dragon Boat Federation (“IDBF”), Club Crew World Championships, to be held in Szeged, Hungary, July 17th-22nd, 2018. This was a very successful event for us and we’d like to wish all of those West Coast teams heading to Hungary this summer to race much success in bringing home the GOLD!
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
The San Diego Dragon Boat Team has an Executive Board that meets on a regular basis to determine the direction of the team and how best to use our resources. The Executive Board has had many, many paddlers over the years that have volunteered their time and have contributed to the success of the San Diego Dragon Boat Team.
There are seven (7) Executive Board positions that change out every two (2) years. Here are the current Executive Board members and their corresponding positions:
-President – Andrea Liskay
-Vice President, Internal Affairs – Karen Jewel
-Vice President, External Affairs – Lisa Minerd
-Treasurer – Sylvia Likos
-Assistant Treasurer – Sam Cainap
-Secretary – Althea Han
-Head Coach – Steve Jewel
Pricing:
- Annual General Membership Dues – $200
- $200 includes the use of our equipment, coaching, voting privileges and covers two (2) regional race fees.
- For those living outside of the San Diego County – Annual Associate Membership Dues $75
- $75 includes the use of our equipment only.
- Active Military Discount – $150
- Active Student Discount – $50
Contact Info:
- Address: 1750 Fiesta Island Rd., San Diego, CA 92109 (Fiesta Island)
- Website: SDDBT.org and www.sddragonboatrace.com
- Email: SanDiegoDragonBoatTeam@gmail.com
- Instagram: Instagram #SDDBT
- Facebook: Facebook.com/SDDBT
- Twitter: @SDDBR
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