Taz Angels, Laurel's Dragon Boat Team, Wins Trophy

by Lease Wong

Where do I begin? If it sounds like a love story, well it is! After five incredible seasons of dragon-boat racing, the Laurel's own neighborhood team, the Tazmanian Angels, captured the first-place trophy in the Recreational Division Class C at the International Dragon Boat Races in Jack London Square.

After coaching for five seasons with many heartbreaking, last-place finishes, we finally experienced our first win in a 500-meter heat in four years and advanced to the semifinals. That in itself was so emotional, and there we were advancing to the finals. Absolutely, unbelievably exciting!

Guess what? We won first place against BART and SYNPS, with our best time yet of 2 minutes, 34 seconds. Many of us were in tears.

The team's creation must have been destiny. Established in 1998, the Tazmanian Angels (named in honor of my older brother, who died of cancer) mirror the diversity of the Laurel community. This team is represented by a spectrum of ethnicities and ages, made up of residents, merchants, customers, family, friends, Asians, Caucasians, African Americans, and Hispanics. The youngest is 16; the oldest is young at heart. Former members include Dr. Dorothy Okamoto and Dr. Maureen Dorsey.

The first year it was like Stevie Wonder leading Ray Charles. We had no idea what we were doing, yet still had such a blast. Even after coming in last, our team's spirit continued, and we found ways to entertain ourselves. First, bettering our times by a few seconds (4 minutes, 20 seconds+ in the early years). Next, breaking the three-minute mark. Last year, coming in only 2.5 seconds behind the Berkeley Dragons, who won a trophy. Each time, everyone thought we came in first, the way we were celebrating!

And so our saga continued this year, not even having a full boat.

There we were on race morning, three paddlers down in a 22-person dragon boat, two of whom we met for the first time on race day morning, one had never been in a dragon boat before, five were in their rookie season, and six were paddling injured.

Did I say, "Destiny"? It feels like winning the Super Bowl! We're still celebrating.

To see our trophy or to inquire about next season, visit us at Komodo Toys, 4004 MacArthur Blvd., Oakland, or call 482-5921.