How to Register a TEAM for the Dutchess Dragon Race

team pink purple
Photo by Doug Nobiletti
  1. Choose a team captain. This is not necessarily the most experienced or most athletic member of the group, just a person good at organizing and handling the details. Our race company, 22Dragons, does all the instruction and coaching and race planning. The designated captain completes the registration, submits a team roster, arranges to pay the registration fee, schedules a practice week slot, prepare a “team bio,” gets all team members to complete an WAIVER FORM2019, and get ready to paddle! On Race Day, there will be a mandatory team captain meeting in the morning before races start that will review and explain the full schedule for the day and how your team will be participating.
  2. Choose a team name. This could incorporate the name of a sponsoring business or group that everyone has in common, and it would be great if it was humorous and had something to do with dragons or the river. Be creative!
  3. Recruit 17-20 other fun-loving paddlers and one drummer. While only 16 paddle at one time, it is sensible to have alternates. They can substitute in during the day, and sometimes there are reasons a person signs up but then has to withdraw. Decide which division your team is competing in:
    1. MENS CLUB DIVISION
    2. MENS COMMUNITY DIVISION
    3. MIXED CLUB DIVISION
    4. MIXED COMMUNITY DIVISION
      1. MIXED teams needs a minimum of 6 female paddlers on the boat for each race.
  4. Choose a drummer. The position of the drummer is just as important as the paddlers. The drummer keeps the rhythm and gets to yell a lot, all the way down the course, so pick someone who is light but has a big mouth! The drummer can be either sex.
  5. Register on the PADDLER REGISTRATION PAGE. We are limiting the event to 24 teams, so get signed up as soon as possible.
  6. Once the Habitat Event Coordinator has the completed registration, the team captain will be contacted.  He/she will be required to fill out your team roster. 
  7. There will be ongoing communication between the Habitat Event Coordinator and the team captain as the big day approaches. It is the team captain’s responsibility to pass all relevant information on to the team members.
  8. Choose a practice time slot. Several weeks before the event, the Team Captains will be sent a Practice Schedule and instructed to select a time slot. These fill up extremely fast, so you want to be sure you grab a spot before they are gone. Practice sessions will be held in the evenings of the week before the race.
  9. Have all your participants sign the WAIVER FORM2019. Anyone 18 and under needs a parent or guardian’s permission, and age 14 to 18 needs to show water safety experience: either school crew, swim team membership, or W.S.I. course completion. All team members must have completed the waivers by the time of your practice session.