Inaugural Junkanoo Dragon Boat Race & Festival
On Saturday, April 21st, the sport of dragon boat racing was officially introduced to the Bahamian people at the Inaugural Junkanoo Dragon Boat Race & Festival held at the Grand Bahama Yacht Club on Grand Bahama Island.
The event, which was composed of several boat races and a festival component, created an environment where participants had the opportunity to experience the unique sport infused with aspects of Junkanoo culture.
This being the first dragon boating event in The Bahamas, the Ministry of Tourism & Aviation (MOTA) teamed up with the High Five Dragon Boat Company to put on a signature event that would not only celebrate the integration of the sport within the Bahamian community but also attract spectators to the shores of Grand Bahama Island.
Nuvolari Chotoosingh, Manager, Niche Markets, MOTA said, "The Ministry of Tourism is constantly seeking great, fantastic, and exciting events that we can bring to Grand Bahama Island and invite folks from all over the world to come here and participate. We then want them to go home and bring somebody else back with them to compete. We want everyone to have a great time when they come to the island and enjoy the hospitality of our people and our culture".
Photos: Lisa Davis-Total Media Bahamas
With a history of more than 2,500 years, dragon boating has evolved from an ancient Chinese tradition into a competitive sporting activity that brings millions of people together annually.
As dragon boating has become one of the fastest growing sports in the industry, the Minister of Youth Sports & Culture, the Hon. Michael Pintard, said," It's important to brand Grand Bahama Island as a sporting destination... so once again, to the Ministry of Tourism and our partners out of Florida, we congratulate you and we thank you for this initiative because we believe it will go a long way in growing our tourism product and of course making sure we have a healthy and fit country".
Photos: Lisa Davis-Total Media Bahamas
Christine Caneveri of High Five Dragon Boat Company said, "High Five Dragon Boat has just been so pleased with this event and the turn out...and I can't say enough about the hospitality of every person we've met here. You are just unmatched compared to anywhere that I've ever been, so thank you for hosting us".
This year, the event on Grand Bahama Island attracted a team of paddlers from Tampa, Florida (Invictus) which competed against many of the local teams that entered in the races. Due to their experience in dragon boating, Invictus took first place overall.
Photos: Lisa Davis-Total Media Bahamas
In the local A division, the Grand Bahama Yacht Club claimed the first-place prize followed by the Lucaya International School in second and the Pelican Bay Hotel in third place.
Photos: Lisa Davis-Total Media Bahamas
The Bahamian Brewery claimed the first place in the B division followed by Boundless in second place and the Ministry of Tourism & Aviation in third.
Photos: Lisa Davis-Total Media Bahamas
In the C division, the Rotary Club of Lucaya took home the first-place prize while John Wix came in second place.
Photos: Lisa Davis-Total Media Bahamas
The Ministry of Tourism & Aviation would like to thank the Office of the Prime Minister, Grand Bahama Yacht Club, Grand Bahama Port Authority, Pelican Bay Hotel, Bahamian Brewery, Sawyers, FOCOL, Freeport Ship Services, Balearia Caribbean, Gold Rock, Freeport Power, Crown Ice, and Caribbean Bottling for sponsoring the Inaugural Junkanoo Dragon Boat Race & Festival.