Hong Kong Dragon Boating
By Ben Finau/ Coach
This trip was a journey that I will not forget for sometime as you could initially sense that most International crews didn’t fancy our chances of giving any of the top crews a run for their money.
The Air Force Dragon Boat team. Time for a photo shoot before the big final.
How wrong they were, especially the Australians, where on the first training day, not only talked up paddling like season pros, but had the audacity to comment to our captain that he didn’t want to see his teams doing our technique.
We raced both their crews twice and all they saw of the Air Force in both races was the back of our heads. They didn’t recognise us at the motel, because while racing didn’t get to see our faces front on. A bit hard from the back of the field… We would have made a clean sweep of three in a row but they didn’t make the Main Mixed final. Maybe they will now copy what we and some of the other teams were doing.
The team was a mixture of half experienced (paddled last year or longer) and novice paddlers, but watching in the heats and finals you would have thought that the crew had paddled together for a number of years. This is testament to the crew’s dedication and willingness to learn new techniques, race strategies and being able to adapt to my game plans right up to the finals. Tu Meke.
For me as a coach I had set three high goals for the team to reach:
- Make main final
- Be the Best International Team
- Win the Final
TEAM PICA: Nothing like a relaxing ride on a traditional Sailing Junk Boat.
We achieved one, which was to make the main final. If I put it into context with the hurdles in training that the crew had prior to stepping off the plane in HK that was a huge milestone.
This team had not raced competitively for nearly 3 months, and water training was limited to stationary paddling in a swimming pool. Stationary paddling in a pool non-stop for about an hour seems like a lifetime when you see no progress and the boat just stays in one place. I’m sure we would all love to see the boat at the bottom of the Base swimming pool.
Behind the success of any team is key management staff, and this management was no exception. Huge Tino Pai Nui to Jeremy Borgman for his relentless efforts to keep some form of coordination for the team.
To the Captain and Vice Captain – Liz Portas and Kirrin Borgman thank you for your valuable input that gave me different options with another set of eyes. I think you both contributed enormously to me pulling out more hair from my already receding hair line.
To our Caller/Drummer Rachel Thomas and Sweep Maki – awesome job, especially Rachel who in the first race under stress and pressure, took the burden for the team’s substandard performance personally which was unwarranted but bounced back to a fully composed caller in the final.
OUR POWER HOUSE: W/O Rudolph and Gumby Portas (ex RNZAF W/O Rtd).
Finally, thank you to the Air Force team, for allowing me to coach you. I have coached the crew since the beginning 5 years ago, and every year I have raised the bar to a very high level in terms of expectation, but true to form the team has always reached my expectation and more.
This year to win medals in HK would have been as Jack Rudolph put it: ‘the icing on the cake’, but for all the crew to give not only me, but the rest of the team 110 percent is more than enough. This team could lift their heads high after this regatta and be proud of their achievements by putting the NZ Air Force and New Zealand on the map for Dragon Boating and to do it in style in a region where the sport originated.
After our final race in HK, I was a very humble and proud coach to see from body language and comments that the whole 25 of us gave it our all regardless whether we were in the race or cheering from the sideline. The reserve paddlers openly stated to me that while disappointed in not paddling in the final, were there for the team and not themselves.
LA CREW: Nothing like a good warm up (even though the temp is 32deg).
The Haka on the floating pontoon made my hair stand up, hard to put into words but I was very emotional shaking and hugging all the paddlers afterwards.
The Aroha (love) for one another on and off the water in my pep talks prior to racing was just amazing, especially after our last race where any minimal mistake by individuals was taken ownership by all. We paddled together as a team and fielded all blame as a team, with no finger pointing throughout this campaign.
This crew epitomises the word TEAM... (Together Everyone Achieves More).
Once again well done Air Force to another successful year.
Mauri Ora……Ben Finau.
LAC Amy Hahn and Ms Lydia Howe.
The Air Force Dragon Boat team would like to thank and acknowledge the generous contributions and support given to us by the following (we apologise if we have missed anyone from our list):
- Cathay Pacific;
- RNZAF Base Auckland Officer’s Mess;
- RNZAF Base Auckland;
- W/Os & SNCOs Mess;
- RNZAF Base Auckland JR’s Bar;
- RNZAF Base Auckland Base Welfare Fund;
- RNZAF Base Auckland Base Sports Office;
- Mr Steve Leech;
- Louise – Canteen;
- Dunninghams Ltd;
- W/O Dave Milne;
- CPL Pricey Price;
- Frances and Terry – Base Auckland NPF;
- Glenys Young – YASL;
- SGT Otis De Garnham;
- SQNLDR Glenn Davis;
- Recruiting;
- Public Relations;
- Internal Affairs;
- Pulp Sport;
- Asia Down Under.
- HKDBA;
- CAF and WOAF for their support;
- Sugar Te Paa;
- Our families;
- Our coach - Ben Finau;
- All our FLTCDRs and OCs.