US Airways - January 2013 - (Page 82)

Celebrate San Francisco Art. Culture. Entertainment. # Dragon boaters on the San Francisco Bay Bay Watch T BY DAVID ARMSTRONG Dragon boating makes a colorful splash in the San Francisco Bay. hirty years ago, few people outside Asia had ever heard of dragon boating, which originated in southern China some 2,000 years ago. Times have changed. These days, it’s growing fast and going global. “You can ﬁnd it everywhere: the United States, Canada, Australia, Europe, Africa,” says Linda Cheu, director of the Kaiser Permanente San Francisco International Dragon Boat Festival, one of the city’s most popular yearly celebrations. The nonproﬁt California Dragon Boat Association (CDBA) will stage the 18th annual festival on September 14–15 at Treasure Island, in San Francisco Bay. “It’s the largest competitive festival in the United States,” Cheu says, “and it is truly international. Last year, we had 130 teams, including [ones] from Canada and Europe.” For the unfamiliar, dragon boats are long, slender, colorfully decorated vessels powered by 20 paddlers and urged on by a steersperson and an onboard drummer. The bow is shaped like a dragon’s head, the stern like a dragon’s tail. Some people race competitively, others just for fun, and both young people and seniors, men and women, take part. The San Francisco festival, a beneﬁt for the CDBA’s youth program and the nonproﬁt Self-Help for the Elderly, is a family-friendly event with international foods, kids’ activites, music, and dance in addition to the races. Indeed, the all-in community spirit is central to the experience and to dragon boating. “It is helpful to be athletic,” Cheu says. “It is helpful to be strong. But the most important thing is teamwork.” SFdragonboat.com PHOTOS COURTESY OF CDBA 82 JANUARY 2013 usairwaysmag.com http://www.SFdragonboat.com http://www.usairwaysmag.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of US Airways - January 2013

US Airways - January 2013
Table of Contents
CEO Letter
From the Editor
Did You Know?
Making It Happen
Hot Spots: Fantasy Trips
Hub Crawl: Boston Logan International Airport
Wine & Dine: Martinis
Adventure: Scotland Golf
Adventure: Skiing Whistler Blackcomb
Great Escapes: Quintero Golf Club
Gear Up: Pet Gifts
Travel Feature: Aruba — Little Island, Big Presence
US Airways Vacations
Celebrate San Francisco
The Cactus League
Must Read: Because I Said So!
Great Dates
Puzzles
Readers Resource Index
Your US Airways Guide
Video Entertainment
Audio Entertainment
U.S. and Caribbean Service Map
International Service Map
Airport Terminal Maps
US Airways Fleet/Customs & Immigration
Passenger Info/Contact US Airways
US Airways MarketPlace®
Window or Aisle?

US Airways - January 2013