Sproat Lake: One Lake, Two Teams, Plenty of Heat
It was a scorcher at Sproat Lake Provincial Park as 20 teams from across the island gathered for the annual regatta hosted by the West Coast Dragon Boat Society. With 300m heats, sun-soaked skies, and a whole lot of spirit, this one-day festival brought together seasoned paddlers, first-timers and even one “mystery boat” of mixed paddlers tossed together for the fun of it (spoiler: they did great and had fun doing it!).
Both Sea Dragons and Sync or Swim made the trip to compete, and both teams delivered standout performances and brought the heat.
Sea Dragons
The Sea Dragons brought strength and steady focus to one of their favourite annual races at Sproat Lake. After a solid opening heat of 1:41.74, they gained momentum with each race, shaving seconds off their time to clock 1:39.80 in the second heat and 1:39.49 in the third, finishing with a cumulative time of 5:00.72.
That consistency earned them 1st place in the Silver Division and 12th overall making a huge accomplishment and a proud moment for this evolving team. With Mary Clarke making her debut as drummer and Rick Page steering for the first time in a race, it was a regatta full of milestones. Several new paddlers got their first taste of race-day adrenaline, while returning members showed just how far they’ve come.
Sync or Swim
After a memorable outing at the Super Sprints in Victoria (complete with a collision and a steer overboard) Sync or Swim came to Sproat Lake with a bit of a chip on their shoulder and something to prove. And prove it they did. The team leaned into everything they’ve trained for, and it showed.
They opened with a time of 1:26.27 in the first heat, followed by a strong 1:28.50 in the second. By the third race, they dug deep and powered through to finish with a 1:27.62, leaving them with a cumulative time of 4:22.39, the fastest of the day for the women and second fastest time overall. That time secured them 1st place in the Women’s Division, marking their second consecutive first place finish at this event.
Massive thanks to Coach Lesley Lambert and Steer Vince Lambert, who kept the crew aligned, sharp, and laughing through it all. From redemption arc to gold-medal glory, it was a race day to remember.
Huge thanks to the West Coast Dragon Boat Society for another beautiful, well-run event, and to every team that showed up, cheered each other on, and made it such a positive day on the water.
