GEORGE TOWN: A woman drumming at the bow of a dragon boat in a race can be advantageous, and all the more so if she weighs between 40kg and 60kg.
“Even better if she is an experienced rower.
“She can keep watch over competing boats and can tell the paddlers to maintain their pace or increase speed,” said Lawrence Koh, 62, a dragon boat race coach.
Several teams in the Penang Chinese Swimming Club (CSC) Dragon Boat Festival last Sunday were spotted with women drummers.
Koh said in modern races, women drummers are often preferred because they are lighter, although the participation of women drummers is not allowed in traditional Chinese dragon boat races.
“In modern times, we are more inclusive. There is no fixed rule on gender and some strong women are among the paddlers too.”
Another slight advantage is that the higher pitch of a woman’s voice can cut through the cacophony on a dragon boat.
Koh said amid the noise of 10 or 20 paddles hitting the water, hull splashes and wind, paddlers under intense exertion can better focus on instructions delivered in the distinct voice of a woman drummer.
“The drummer is basically the only crew member who can afford to look around, especially to watch the other boats.
“If the drummer wears a smart watch for sport, she can track the boat’s speed and tell the paddlers what to do,” said Koh.
Chinese Swimming Club president and organising chairman Victor Tan Seang Hin said the race marked the Duanwu Festival (also known as Dragon Boat Festival) that falls this Friday, while providing a platform for the sport.
The Duanwu Festival is celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month to commemorate the ancient Chinese poet Qu Yuan.
“A total of 17 teams from nine organisations, with about 230 participants, took part. Seven teams were from Penang while the rest came from Kedah and Pahang,” he said.
The competition featured 22-member and 12-member dragon boat races as well as a stand-up paddleboarding category.
