Author: Cindy Tong

That’s a wrap! And Celebration!

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What an exciting season! This year, Houston Heat welcomed close to a record number of members, each bringing energy, dedication, and spirit to every paddle stroke. From practices to races, it’s been a season full of hard work, camaraderie, and plenty of fun – all made possible by the dedication of our board members, coaches, and committee volunteers.

Special thanks to VP Margaret and board member Ann for their unwavering support over the years. Their leadership has played a huge role in shaping our club.

We ended the season with an amazing celebration, surrounded by both old and new friends who make this journey unforgettable. Thank you to everyone who paddled, cheered, and supported us along the way. Reminder: The new season starts at the end of February, 2025 – see you there! 

HH Races at DFW Dragon Boat, Kite, and Lantern Festival

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Houston Heat hit the water once again at the DFW Dragon Boat, Kite, and Lantern Festival on October 6, 2024. The team performed strongly in the first two heats, but narrowly missed the top spot, finishing just behind DUC Dragon Boat Club to bring home 2nd place.

Though we didn’t clinch the win this time, it was an exciting race – especially for some of our addlers as their first race! It was a fantastic day of teamwork, racing, and supporting Texas local festival. We’re proud of the effort everyone put in and grateful to be part of such a vibrant community event. Great job, team! 💪🚣‍♀️🎉

HEAT ’em UP!

From Dragon Boats to Pickleball: Trading Paddles for a New Kind of Fun!

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And now for something completely different. This past weekend, for our September social meetup, some team members put down their trusty dragon boat paddles and picked up pickleball paddles instead. In lieu of trying to stay in-synch, everyone did their best to hit fast moving plastic balls across the net as well as dodge (and chase!) the errant ones that flew through the air. Everyone had fun trying a new activity and socializing over food and drinks.

Houston Heat represented at CCWC 2024

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Ten members from the Houston Heat Dragon Boat Club joined Texas’ premier dragon boat team, Lone Star Dragon, to compete in the 2024 Club Crew World Championships (CCWC) in Ravenna, Italy, from September 3-8, 2024. This historic moment marked the first time any Texas team had qualified for the CCWC. Our Houston Heat members raced alongside the Lone Star Dragons in the Senior A Mixed Standard division (20-person boat), proudly representing Texas on the world stage and making us all incredibly proud!

 

Another WIN at AAPI Heritage and Dragon Boat Festival

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It was a beautiful Sunday, May 19, 2024, when the Houston Heat Dragon Boat Club participated in the inaugural @AAPI Heritage and Dragon Boat Festival held in Dallas, Texas. Led by our first-time festival coaches, Christi Pham and Joel Castaneda, the team was well-prepared and eager to compete.

The Heat Was On, both on the water and on land!  We showed up and put everything we’ve got in the race. Congratulations to the team for another win🥇!!!

HH taking home the GOLD!

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We’re Back, Baby!! Houston Heat is on Fire! Gold for Austin!

What a weekend at the 2024 Austin Dragon Boat Festival! As you know, the Heat has been training hard and the results have paid off!

Due to the excitement and growth of the club for the 2024 season, Houston Heat was able to bring two teams to the event this year: Houston Heat Fire and Houston Heat Flame! Both teams joined 5 other teams to round out the competitive division.

In Texas, you never know what kind of weather you will get from Mother Nature. This day was no different! All of the teams faced a 20-25mph headwind, with up to 35-40mph gust! Let me tell you.. even though that headwind was brutal at times, it wasn’t about to deter the Heat!

HH Fire had a good number of first timers, and gain a huge amount of experience from their very first race! They battled hard throughout the day and even finished the final 1k distance race with 6:09.898! Congratulations to all of the Houston Heat Fire team!

HH Flame definitely turned the wick up. They finished first in the final with a 2:17.107 to take Gold in the A division and held the top spot for the fastest team of the day! Congratulations to all of the Flame members for a job well done!

The weekend was a huge success both on and off the water. Houston Heat went to Austin with a goal to not only race but to have a fun team experience! By the end of the day, all of the members left with great stories and an even tighter team bond! We are looking forward to the next race in Dallas, Texas on May 19th! Stay tuned for more!!

A GREAT day at the kickoff!!

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What a perfect morning for the Houston Heat 2024 Season Kick-off! We want to thank all of the adventurous first-timers as well as our dedicated members for coming out to make it one of the biggest and best kick-offs yet! Watch out as we set the water on fire!! 🔥 HEAT IT UP!!! ❤️‍🔥

Check out more photos , videos and latest updates at our Facebook page, follow and like us!

From the very beginning

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The very first Houston Heat crew formed in the summer of 2006, specifically to head to Nationals in Tampa that same year!

“With heart and perseverance, we went from the humble beginnings of forming a small dragon team in Houston to forging a path towards a culture that now expands over 10 dragon boat clubs and hundred of paddlers across Texas and its neighboring states. Now we are set to take on the world! “ – Jeff Gee