The Army Ladies' Dragon Boat Team won the championship trophy during the 49th Naha Hari Festival Dragon Boat Races on May 5th, 2023 in Naha City, Okinawa. This is the first time an all-female team has won first place in the individual timed heats and also the finals. Photos by Brian Lamar ()
Through the throngs of thousands of spectators, food vendors, announcers and blaring speakers, the roared chant of “One Boat, One Beat, Go Army!” could be heard clearly throughout the Shinko Wharf as the Army Ladies’ Dragon Boat Team prepared to give it their all during the 49th Naha Hari Festival Dragon Boat Races on May 5th, 2023 in Naha City, Okinawa.
As the three teams left standing for the finals made their way to the boats, the Army Ladies’, The Army Black Knights and the Japanese Airlines, thousands of spectators pushed near the dock’s edge to get a glimpse of the all-women team who had won hearts earlier by placing first out of 21 teams in the trial heats with a time of five minutes and five seconds for the 630-meter paddle.
Before the sound of the starting gun, a murmured hush fell over the crowd in anticipation for a hard-fought race. As the sharp crack of the gun echoed off the nearby metal container ships docked in the wharf, the three teams came alive with the rage of their adrenaline and motivation as their paddles churned and pushed the dark water below them past their boats.
The Ladies’ team had been placed the farthest from the dockside, which had worried some of the paddlers due to the additional winds and currents experienced farther out in the harbor. They began to fall behind the pack to the men’s teams in the 315-meter dash to their turnaround point. The Army Black Knights team began to pull ahead.
During the turnaround, the Army Ladies’ team expertly maneuvered their boat in an efficient tight turn, which made up all the ground they had lost in the race's first half. After the turn, all three teams were within a half boat’s length of each other. It was anyone’s race. While the Black Knights decided to muscle down on their strokes and drag their boat through the water with sheer raw force, the Ladies continued their cadence and focused on their form. In the end, it seemed the men’s strategy of brute force gave way to exhaustion while the Ladies’ kicked their paddling into overdrive in the last 50 meters to pull ahead. As the Ladies’ crossed the finish line at 5 minutes and 8 seconds, the Black Knights had fallen behind by an additional four seconds. The Japanese Airlines Team had fallen farther behind on the journey back to the finish line by more than a boat length.
When the announcer explained the results of the match through the loudspeaker system, the entire dock erupted in cheers and chants of “Ladies, Ladies, Ladies!” One spectator near the finish line cried out that they had just witnessed history in the making. This is the first time an all-female team has won first place in the individual timed heats and also the finals.
“This was the end result of a lot of hard work and dedication. Discipline and practicing even when no one else was practicing during bad weather, got us here. It was the drive of every member on the team that helped us accomplish the fastest time today. The race was pure adrenaline, and we just kept paddling until the coach said to stop paddling. There was no time to be looking around. The focus was to just make sure the paddle was all the way in the water, and we were making every stroke count. All of that work is ending in excitement and pure joy. That’s when the tears of joy and pride started flowing for everyone,” said Sgt. 1st Class Nina Blackmon, the equal opportunity advisor for Torii Station
Celebrations and revelry continued to span the entire wharf as the Army “Black Knights" men’s team extended their hands in congratulations to the Ladies’ team.
The Army Black Knights Dragon Boat Team won the 2nd place trophy. The team was comprised of U.S. Army affiliated personnel, as well as bilateral partners with the Japanese Self-Defense Forces. The Black Knights had the only truly bilateral team in the races. Second place was also viewed as a moral victory. Just a few weeks prior to the race, the Army “Black Knights” were scrambling to fill their boat with paddlers. After the team captains put out an Army Okinawa-wide call for support, members of the JSDF showed up in force to help fill the boat.
“It was all worth it. My mind was just focused on the finish line. There was a team effort out there during our practices and the race. Racing with our bilateral partners was awesome. I am proud of our team. We were able to overcome language barriers and still managed to paddle in sync,” said Maj. Brian Leung, the 10th Support Group supply officer in charge.
The Army Black Knights Dragon Boat Team won the 2nd place trophy during the 49th Naha Hari Festival Dragon Boat Races on May 5th, 2023 in Naha City, Okinawa. The Black Knights beat 10 other teams in the timed heats and ultimately placed 2nd in the finals. The team was comprised of U.S. Army affiliated personnel, as well as, bilateral partners with the Japanese Self-Defense Forces.
