The City of Ridgefield has launched a new event for those who want to enjoy the water.
The Dragon Boat Paddles are free to participate in and will take place from 7 to 8:30 p.m. on every Thursday until Oct. 5.
Those who want to take part don’t need prior paddling experience. Equipment is provided and participants must be at least 14 years old.
Gail Alexander, who is at the helm of one of the dragon boats, said everyone’s experience has so far been positive. Alexander said people have been thrilled to come together and learn a new recreational activity outdoors.
Those who participate in the paddles celebrate history, culture, the environment and wildlife, Alexander said.
“Lake River borders the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge so we see everything from … bald eagles, osprey, beaver, lots of birdlife and river otters,” Alexander said.
Forty-one people participated in the boat paddle on Thursday, June 29. Participants had varying levels of experience, with some of them taking to the water for the first time. The longest trip the group typically takes is between two to three miles of paddling in the dragon boats.
The boats the City of Ridgefield purchased in 2018 came to Portland as a gift from Kaohsiung, a port city in southern Taiwan. The two entities formed a sister city alliance in 1989 and Kaohsiung gifted two boats to Portland, which led the Oregon city to buy five or six more Kaohsiung boats, according to Alexander.
When Portland was ready to retire the Kaohsiung boats, Ridgefield jumped on the opportunity to become the “proud new parents” of the two boats. The boats weigh 1,760 pounds and can fit 48 people in total for the public paddles, according to Alexander.
“They came five years ago and we had an opportunity to purchase the two Kaohsiung boats and the dragon boat community has been very, very supportive. But it took us five years, plus the pandemic to get the boats restored,” Alexander said. “There was lots of fiberglass work. They needed to be painted.”
Alexander mentioned the Ridgefield Art Association and the Lions Club, along with other volunteers, led the way in the restoration of the boats.
On Aug. 5, Ridgefield will host Big Paddle’s “Paddle For Life” Dragon Boat race on Lake River.
“We won’t paddle these boats. We’ll actually be paddling Hong Kong boats. They’re a smaller version and they weigh about half the weight of our boats,” Alexander said. “Some of them hold 20 paddlers, some hold 10 paddlers and teams will come from Portland, Vancouver and other local areas. Paddle For Life is a nonprofit that raises money for different needs. This year, it will be for breast cancer.”
The crew of Alexander, Lynn Bonser and Neal Johnson hope to secure a permanent Ridgefield team. They would also like to attract kids in middle and high schools to form their own teams at some point in the future.
Alexander, with help from Johnson and Bonser, will put together a Ridgefield Dragon Boat team to race in the Aug. 5 event. Practices are set to take place on Tuesday nights until Aug 5.
To sign up for future public paddles, participants must register through Meetup online at meet up.com/vlacdb/. The boat paddles take place at the Ridgefield Marina along the Lake River every Thursday from 7 to 8:30 p.m. until Oct. 5.
