CDBAI S S U ES p r i n g2 0 1 4

N E W S L E T T E R

O F T H E

C A L I F O R N I A D R A G O N B O AT

A S S O C I AT I O N

Message From The CDBA President

Paddling community, welcome to the first

newsletter of 2014. The CDBA leadership

is very excited for this upcoming year and

we want to continue to use this newsletter

as a way of reaching out to provide some

highlights on our outlook for 2014. The

Board has been busy during the off sea-

son and I wanted to briefly mention some

key items for this upcoming season.

First off, as you may have heard, on

January 26th, we lost a member of our

paddling family far too soon. Aditya

Kadam was a young man who certainly

was a rising star in the CDBA and the

competitive paddling arena. Full of energy

and always showing exuberant passion to

push his limits, he made a huge impact

during his short time with us. As we try to

recover from this tragic loss, I am proud

to see the way the community is coming

together in support of the Kadam family

and each other. We will be working with

our sister organizations to come up with a

way to appropriately memorialize Aditya’s

legacy.

In 2014, we have brought aboard seven

new members to the CDBA Board. Please

join me in congratulating Thaddeus Hunt,

Jon Kong, Terence Li, Wilson Li, Melvin

Tse, Mack Wu, and Al Yeh to the CDBA

leadership. I am extremely excited for

this group to join an already talented and

enthusiastic staff.

As 2013 came to a close, we received

news that our Alameda site was being

sold and repurposed. With that, I am

proud to announce the opening of our

new East Bay site at the Jack London

Aquatic Center. I would like to thank Kathy

Britt, as well as our East Bay teams for

making the transition a smooth and seam-

less one.

I’m pleased to confirm we have secured

This IssueMessage From The President P.1 - 2

In Memory of Adi tya Kadam P.3

New CDBA Board Members P.4 - 5

Volunteer In Focus - Mabel Jung P.6

2013 Col lege Cup Championship Wrap Up P.7 - 8

CDBA Newsroom Is Looking For Talent P.9

Upcoming Events2014 CDBA Youth Race

Date: April 26. 2014

Location: Lake Merced,

San Francisco

2014 CDBA Regional RegattaDate: May 3, 2014Location: Lake Merced, San Francisco

2014 CDBA Sprint RaceDate: July 13th, 2014 * Note date is tentativeLocation: TBD

2014 SF International Dragon Boat FestivalDate: September 20-21, 2014Location: Treasure Island, San Francisco

2014 CDBA College Cup ChampionshipDate: TBDLocation: Lake Merced, San Francisco

CDBA on The WebFor current updates

please visit us at www.

cdba.org. You can also fol-

low us on Facebook and

Twitter (CDBA_SF).

a date for our 19th Annual San Francisco

International Dragon Boat Festival at

Treasure Island. Please save the date for

September 20 and 21st for our annual event.

As we prepare for another exciting year of

racing and events at the CDBA, I would like

to reiterate the importance of helping out and

giving back to the organization in any way

possible. In an effort to keep the sport inclu-

sive and the best option for dragon boating

in the Bay Area, we will once again be keep-

ing our membership dues unchanged for

2014. It is important to us as leadership that

your membership needs are being met and

your opinions are continually being heard.

However, we cannot do this without the sup-

port of our many volunteers. If you haven’t

already signed up, please refer to our CDBA

website for instructions on how to participate

in our AmazonSmile and eScrip campaigns.

These funds, along with our awesome volun-

teer base, help to keep our costs down and

accessible to everyone.

Again, thanks to our newsletter committee,

Jessica Li, Henry Young, and Chuck Chen

for making this possible. As always, please

reach out to myself or any of our other

committee members with suggestions, com-

ments, or changes.

Dave Chen

CDBA President

About Dave Chen

C D B A P R E S I D E N T An 8 year member of the

Dragon Warriors. A UCLA

graduate, Dave had served

as a Board member since

2008 and in 2012 was

elected CDBA President. In

the larger dragon boating

community, Dave is also the

Second Vice President of the

United States Dragon Boat

Federation - the governing

body of dragon boating in

the U.S. An avid traveler,

Dave currently works in

the health-care industry at

McKesson Corporation

On January 26th 2014, the paddling commu-

nity lost a very bright light when Aditya Kadam

(D.A.) unexpectedly passed away. He start-

ed out paddling dragon boat and paddled

with several teams including Mountain View

Dragon Boat, Dieselfish, Dragon Warriors

and BAD. Aditya also competed at the high-

est levels of our sport at the 2012 ICF World

Championships. Aditya also loved outrigger

canoe and paddling on his surf ski. Regardless of what he was paddling or whom he was

paddling with, he always was exceptionally generous, welcoming and enthusiastic to share

his joy of paddling with those around him.

On March 23rd 2014, approximately seventy five dragon boaters, outrigger paddlers, surf

skiers and even a rower, gathered at BIAC for a paddle out tribute to Aditya in the waters

where he loved to paddle and where he now resides. Aditya’s parents, joined Mountain

View Dragon Boat paddlers in a dragon boat for their first ever outing on the water. Once

out at marker 21, all boats gathered around for a moment of silence and then shared fond

memories of Aditya. They then proceeded to offer flowers and cookies to Aditya in the

water before returning to BIAC to share in some food and drink together. Our thanks to the

CDBA, Hui Wa’a, BIAC and all the paddlers who volunteered to make this such a touching

gathering. It was truly a fitting remembrance of Aditya’s passion for life, love of paddling

and infectious joy that brings people together.

About Hans Wu

Hans has been paddling for

18 years. He re-founded the

Dragon Warriors and was its

captain and coach from 2000

until 2011. Hans served

on the CDBA board for four

years, first as Vice President

and then as its President

and has been a race direc-

tor for the San Francisco

International Dragon Boat

Festival as well as some of

the CDBA local races since

around 2001. Recently, Hans

spends time paddling in his

OC-1 and dragon boats with

the “pop up” team, Alcatraz

Paddling Club. When not

paddling, Hans enjoys rock

climbing, travel and spend-

ing time with his wife and

friends.

In Memory Of Aditya Kadam (D.A.) Paddle Out MemorialBy Hans Wu

Aditya’s parents with the Mountain View High School Dragon Boat Team

Dragon Boat & Outrigger community re-membering Aditya.

Aditya Kadam (D.A.)(July 17, 1990 to January 26, 2014)

Thaddeus Hunt - Member at Large

Davis Racing Dragons (2009 - present)

An alum of UC Davis and University of Florida Thaddeus currently works

for the California Environmental Protection Agency focusing on water re-

lated issues. During his free time, Thaddeus enjoys whitewater kayaking

and woodworking. ”The viral joy and the strength of the team bond that comes with dragon

boating both in competition and in practice is what I value in the sport. The Board presented

to me an opportunity to help ensure that more people have access to the opportunity to dis-

cover, enjoy, and grow from dragon boating.” - Thaddeus H.

Jonathan Kong - Vice President of External Relations

Dragon Warriors (present), UC Davis Racing Dragons, Mills High School. A

UC Davis graduate in the field of Biotechnology, Jonathan currently works

in biopharmaceuticals clinical operations. A member of the Lake Merced

renovation group and Treasure Island race planning committee Jonathan’s

interests also include community volunteering, outdoor running and tennis. “I’ve been pad-

dling for many years and it had never occurred to me that I would join the Board. However,

throughout the years I noticed site conditions at Lake Merced continue to deteriorate and I

felt that the only thing I could do was to join the Board to get things fixed. I’m a big supporter

of youth programs and with the CDBA having one of the largest youth programs in the coun-

try I was drawn immediately to the organization. Community service has always been a big

influence in my life and I felt that on the Board, I could make a greater impact on developing

the program into something much more.” - Jon K.

Terence “Tek” Li - Member at Large

Dragon Warriors (present), Stanford Dragon Boat, California United,

Mission High. A Stanford graduate with a Masters in Education and un-

dergraduate degrees in Human Biology and Chinese, Terence currently

works in the field of primary education. An avid foodie, Terence also enjoys

traveling, shopping and gaming. Terence was also recently featured in the San Francisco

Unified School District’s newsletter for his work at the Chinese Education Center. To read

more: http://www.sfusd.edu/en/assets/sfusd-staff/news-and-calendars/files/WINTER%20

2014%20ENG.pdf “ I joined the Board because I wanted to help shape the future of DB in

the Bay Area.” - Tek L.

2014 CDBA Board Leadership New Board Members

Wilson Li - Member at Large

Dragon Warriors (2010 - present), CYC (2004 - 2010) Ripple Effect (2006 - 2008). Wil-

son initially attended UC Riverside as a Biomedical Engineering major. How-

ever, he finished in Radiologic Sciences at the City College of San Francisco

and currently works at San Francisco General Hospital in the field of Radiol-

ogy. During his free time, Wilson enjoys traveling, eating, basketball, baseball,

football and swimming. “I’m grateful to have the opportunity to help run a CDBA race event. I

want to continue to be part of the effort to ensure that the CDBA continues to have the best col-

legiate dragon boat race in the country.” - Wilson L.

Melvin Tse - Member at Large

Dragon Warriors (2004 - present), SF Fire Dragons. A SJSU graduate, Melvin

holds a Masters in Aerospace Engineering and currently works as a system

engineering specialist for an aerospace engineering firm. During his free time

Melvin enjoys baseball/softball, basketball, rocketry, model building and target

shooting. “I joined the board because I really wanted to be a part of an organization that gives so

much to the community.” - Melvin T.

Mack Wu - Member at Large

CAL Dragon Boat (2010 - present), CYC

As a full time student of Psychology and Molecular and Cellular Biology at UC

Berkeley, Mack spends his time mostly between studying, working in a cam-

pus chemistry lab, and Cal DB activities. Otherwise, he can be found relaxing

with friends, cooking/eating fine food, or doing other activities college students do. “During high

school, I started paddling just because my friends did it. Eight years later, I’m still here because

I’ve grown to love the paddling community and the communal experience of racing. As a member

of the board, I hope to expand this community and give back as much as I can.” - Mack W.

Al Yeh - Vice President of Operations

Bay Area Dragons (2014); DieselFish Youth coach (2010-14); DieselFish

(2009-13); DC Dragon Boat Club, Booz Allen Beta Fish and University of Mary-

land Virtual Dragons in Washington, DC (2010-2011). Al is employed with the

Santa Clara Vanguard as their Director of Operations and is also an Air Force

Reserve officer at The Pentagon. He is a San Jose State University alum and possesses a

graduate business degree from Santa Clara University. Al’s interests include: outrigger canoe,

masters swimming, travel, photography, drum & bugle corps and local sports teams. “What I

love about dragon boating is the camaraderie, esprit de corps, away race experiences and team

success after a great race. I joined the CDBA board to give back to the community that has sup-

ported me over the past 5 seasons.” - Al Y.

Volunteer In Focus Mabel JungBy Jessica Li

The CDBA would not ex-ist if not for the dedication of our volunteers. Every single volunteer plays a role in the organization, there are some who go

above and beyond. Mabel Jung is one such super volunteer. She’s one of the Lake Merced (LM) site managers, writes grants, keeps track of equipment after rac-es, helped get the LM shed replaced, and is currently spearheading the Youth Activity Steering Committee. I sat down with Mabel one Friday afternoon to chat about her his-tory with the CDBA and the sport of dragon boating.

[Jessica Li] So let’s start with some back-ground info. When did you first get involved with dragon boating?

[Mabel Jung] Oh my gosh, it was sooo long ago! CDBA was incorporated in 1996. I was recruited as a paddler around 1998. It was fun. But I don’t like water sports.

[JL] Really? Can you swim?

[MJ] I can dog paddle. But I’m just not a fan of any water sports. I’m a land person. But after the first year, I was hooked. Cause ini-tially I thought “what am I doing out there”?

[JL] What was your most memorable drag-on boat experience?

[MJ] Early on, that experience with travel-ling with the team. We were the first group to [paddle in] China. And how we were re-ceived was just [gasp] the first American group! Coming to China to dragon boat! We stank but heck, we represented. It just really made a pronounced impact. [JL] So you’re currently helping form the Youth Activity Steering Committee; what do you hope to accomplish with it?

[MJ] When I termed off [the CDBA Board], that was one of the things I regretted not being able to address cause it’s always been brought up by the youth coaches and even adult members. We have a great youth program but it lacked infra-structure. And what is required is way beyond what I’m actually doing. But it’s necessary, and we’re getting there.

[JL] Lastly, is there anything you want to say to the CDBA members out there who are looking to become a more active volun-teer? [MJ] I think people just need to look at their interests and make a commitment. Take leadership on your team and from there, if you want to do a bigger picture perspec-tive, take the next step and join the [CDBA] Board. Because they are providing the oversight of the vision of where the CDBA is going; which is where your team will also be going. It all ties together.

About The Volunteer In FocusVolunteers are the life force

of the CDBA. However there

are volunteers that have been

consistently been the pillars

of the CDBA. In each news

letter we will focus on these

individuals bringing to light

their involvement, efforts and

sacrifice for the benefit of

CDBA members and the sport

of dragon boating.

About Mabel JungDragon Warriors (1998 -

2012). A UCSF alumni Mabel

has served on the CDBA

board for 8 years. A former

nurse supervisor Mabel is

happily retired but continues

to devote her time to actively

support the CDBA in various

roles such as fund develop-

ment, Treasure Island festival

committee and chair of board

nomination committee. During

her free time Mabel enjoys

gardening, peaceful walks

and traveling the world.

About Jessica Li

Team Lightwave (2007 - pres-

ent). Jessica has served

as the CDBA Membership

Director since 2009. A Cal

Poly graduate, Jessica is cur-

rently a software engineer at

Lockheed Martin.

Mabel Jung

2013 College Cup Championship Race WrapBy Julia Kong, Wilson Li, Sandy Ngan, Chris Yip

The 9th annual CDBA College Cup

Championship Race was held at Lake

Merced on November 10, 2013. This year,

11 colleges (17 total teams) from Northern

and Southern California participated in this

extremely competitive race. The college

teams are prime examples of what dragon

boating is all about – they show great pas-

sion and love for the sport illustrated by the

camaraderie and support team members

have for each other.

Organizing and running this College Cup

race is always challenging for us as race

directors because we are all volunteers, just

like all other races set up by the CDBA. It’s

always challenging to balance work, family

and race preparation, especially for us race

directors who are young professionals and

just starting out our careers. That being said,

we volunteer our time because we enjoy it

and feel like this is a great way for all of us

to give back to the community and organiza-

tion. We enjoy the sport of dragon boating,

the camaraderie it brings out in people and

the positive environment it provides for the

future generation.

As previous participants of the College Cup

races, we find it very rewarding to help

continue make this race a fun and enjoy-

able experience for the college participants,

while keeping the competitive spirit alive.

We would like to thank all the participants of

this race, because without the energy and

great competition they bring, this race would

not be where it is today. For complete race

results and race photos please visit www.

cdba.org.

2013 College Cup Championship Winners

Championship A1st UC San Diego White2nd UCLA Blue3rd UCI Elements Thunder

Championship B1st USC12nd SF Blazing Dragons3rd DRD Dairy

Championship C1st UC San Diego Blue2nd Stanford Cardinal Fury3rd Right to Bear Arms

Men Championship1st BEAR My Babies2nd UCI Elemen3rd UCLA Mengine

Women Championship1st UCLA Womengine2nd BEAR Naked Ladies3rd UCI Elewomen

Meet The Race Directors:

About Julia Kong

Dragon Warriors (2007-2012)

UCLA Dragon Boat Team

(2006-2010). First introduced

to dragon boating while at-

tending UCLA. While paddling

for UCLA during the school

year, she paddled with the

Dragon Warriors in the sum-

mers. Julia currently works

as a Planner for supply chain

management in clinical trials

at a biopharmaceutical firm.

In her free time, Julia enjoys

baking, running, and traveling.

About Wilson Li

Dragon Warriors (2010 - pres-

ent), CYC (2004 - 2010)

Ripple Effect (2006 - 2008)

In his 5th year of race directing

the College Cup, A current pad-

dler with the Dragon Warriors

Wilson has paddled for other

dragon boat clubs for the last

9-10 years. He is always excited

to see the intense competition

displayed among the college

teams. He is grateful to have this

opportunity to help run this great

race, and hopes to continue to

help make this event the best

college dragon boat race in

country.

Meet The Race Directors:

About Sandy Ngan

Dragon Warriors (2005 - 2013)

UC San Diego (2006- 2010)

Lowell High (2004-2006). Sandy

began dragon boating with

Lowell High School and joined

Dragon Warriors soon after. She

continued dragon boating in col-

lege with UCSD, drumming and

steering for DW in the summers.

Sandy currently works for a local

public agency and is involved in

project planning, permitting, and

environmental compliance for

infrastructure projects. In her free

time, Sandy enjoys reading, trav-

eling, and being outdoors.

About Chris Yip

Chris currently paddles with the

Dragon Warriors. Prior to DW,

Chris attended UC Riverside,

where he started the dragon boat

team at UC Riverside. Aside from

dragon boating, Chris also enjoys

outrigging and rock climbing.

Race Marshalling: Christy Wong, Mary Cheung, Samantha Lee

Dock Management: Erika Thieu, Nathan Lau. Nuri Chang, Sandy Ngan

Start Line: Julia Kong, Mike Martinez, Sally Chou, Wilson Li

Finish Line: Chris Yip, Eric Don, Hilland Chiu, Jeremy Lee, Jon Kong, Nick Yee

Photography: Henry Young

Scenes From The Race 2013 College Cup Championship HighlightsBy Henry Young

2013 College Cup Championship VolunteersSpecial Thanks

The CDBA Newsroom is Looking For Talent Put Your Creative Energy On Display By Henry Young

Enjoy writing? Have an eye for placement and design? The CDBA is seeking volunteers to assist in the areas of creative writing/editing, desktop publishing, photography and graphic design.

Moderate experience preferred but not required - enthusiasm a must. Contributed content will be given recognition and displayed in our newsletter, website and social media.

Please contact us if you'd like to contribute to the newsletter, become part of the newsletter team or offer ideas on how the newsletter can be improved. Constructive opinions and solu-tions welcomed at newsletterstaff@cdba.org.

About Henry Young

Dragon Warriors (2002 -

2007). Henry joined the CDBA

IT team in 2004. A SJSU

graduate, Henry currently

works as a network engineer

in the field of data networking.

California Dragon Boat

Association (CDBA)

268 Bush Street #888

San Francisco, CA 94104

415-262-0155

www.cdba.org

Article Contributors:Dave Chen, Julia Kong, Jessica Li, Wilson Li, Sandy Ngan, Hans Wu, Chris Yip, Henry Young

Editing Staff:Chuck Chen, Dave Chen, Thaddeus Hunt, Jessica Li, Al Yeh, Henry Young

Photos and Graphics:Jimmy Chan, Anita Chan, Henry Young

Desktop Editor:Henry Young

CDBA Newsletter Staff Issue Spring 2014 Staff