HH taking home the GOLD!

Author Cindy TongPosted on Categories Race & Event
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!!

Author Cindy TongPosted on Categories General

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!!! ❤️‍🔥

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From the very beginning

Author Cindy TongPosted on Categories General

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

16th IDBF World Dragon Boat Racing Championships

Author Cindy TongPosted on Categories General

While we are still celebrating the 2023 Club Crew National Championships win with our teammates who raced with the Lone Star Dragons , we want now want to turn our attention to the upcoming 16th International Dragon Boat Federation World Dragon Boat Racing Champions held next week in Thailand! We are very proud that Team USA will be represented by our very own, Jackson Lau, Joel Castaneda and Michael Zheng, who are long time members of Houston Heat. We are also excited for Texas paddlers, Shirley Che, Rhonda Gideon, Elizabeth Olivares, John Jamerlan and Scott Baltisberger, who will also be on Team USA! We wish them all safe travels as they make their way to Rayong, Pattaya. Racing will start next week at the Royal Thai Navy Rowing and Canoeing Training Center. Best of luck to our friends as well as all the racers!!

HH represented at 2023 Club Crew National Championships!!

Author Cindy TongPosted on Categories General

A Texas-sized congratulations goes out to the Lone Star Dragons on their championship win in Sarasota last weekend at the USDBF Club Crew National Championships 2023 ! It was truly awesome to watch the team, which included several of our very own Houston Heat paddlers, battling it out against some of the fastest teams in the country! With this win, LSD has earned a berth to the 2024 Club Crew World Champions in Ravenna. Italy! They let it be known that Texas is now a true player in the elite competitive dragon boat world!

Hats off to our very own Houston Heat paddlers and coaches for their contributions to the success of the Lone Star Dragons’ spectacular showing at the 2023 Club Crew National Championships!!

2022 Houston Heat Membership Dues

Author houston_heat_adminPosted on Categories Uncategorized

Greetings paddlers.  It is now time to renew your membership with Houston Heat.  The Houston Heat Board has made the decision to maintain the same membership rates as the last several years.

For the 2022 year, the annual membership rate is $200. There is a one-time $20 Administrative Charge for brand new members.

You can submit a check to the PO Box or submit payment via QuickPay with Zelle to houstonheatdragonboat@gmail.com.

Please visit the Houston Heat Join Our Team page to learn more about how to become a member. You can also complete the online membership form and read the Houston Heat Code of Conduct at this page.

Houston Heat at the 14th IDBF World Dragon Boat Racing Championships

Author houston_heat_adminPosted on Categories Uncategorized

During the last week of August, 2019, the 14th IDBF World Dragon Boat Racing Championships were held in Thailand. Over 3,500 dragon boat athletes from 29 nations gathered in Pattaya for the 5-day, biennial event.  Houston Heat athletes Jackson Lau and Joel Castaneda qualified to be on the National Team and helped Team USA bring home many medals from different race distances in the Senior A divisions.  The United States ranks 3rd overall in medal count.

The competition in Thailand was fierce this year, with a couple of records being broken in the 200-meter race. China’s premiere open team broke the world record with an impressive 39.251 seconds; the previous record of 40.02 seconds was held for a decade by the Philippines National Team since 2009. Canada’s premiere women’s team also broke the world record with their finish time at 45.958 seconds.

Now that the World Championship in Thailand is over, dragon boat athletes around the world will start their training for 2021 when the next World Championship will return to Hong Kong, a significant city where many athletes believe modern dragon boat racing got its start in 1976.