By November, when dark and cold descend upon the city, and every bit of time on the water has been eked out, we go into the gym. Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday the team engages in the paddle erg for technique and cardio, circuit training for core strength, and free weights.
To commemorate the end of a great paddling season the Paddlefish traditionally have an anything goes paddle. The mastermind of the event this year was our coach, Bob Robinson-Dassel. We had two light boats but heavy competition.
The Paddlefish Annual Team Dinner was held at Alexander’s Bistro on October 30, 2013. This is traditionally when we elect the new steering committee, enjoy good food, and just generally have a fun time. A light hearted roast added to the event and helped us appreciate the good fortune of finding such a great group.
The Pittsburgh Paddlefish competed at Mercer County Dragon Boat Regatta on September 14, 2013. We have always enjoyed the Mercer race and this year was no exception.
The Paddlefish participated at the National Harbor Regatta in Washington DC on August 24th, 2013. This was the first time the team attended this race.
“You should have seen Paddlefish in that 2000m final! I totally thought Paddlefish might get overtaken in that battle – there were so many strong teams. And ALL with full boats. And no offense to my dear P-fish, the competition was on average a few decades younger. =)
You can usually find the Paddlefish on the Allegheny River, but we occasionally foray into the Ohio and Monongahela. When we are not in the dragon boat, you can find us out in the outrigger canoes.
The Paddlefish competed in the Baltimore Dragon Boat Festival on June 22, 2013. The race was well attended with nineteen teams. We had four races in all and snagged the gold in our category.
The Paddlefish attended Space Coast Dragon Boat Camp from April 7-13, 2013. We were 18 strong and developed a new set of paddling skills with the excellent coaching of Tim Schaus.