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Jan. 8, 2015

For more information:
Jacob Schmidt
360-750-1553 Ext.519
jschmidt@VisitVancouverUSA.com

Vancouver Lake selected to host 2015 Dragon Boat Races
Crews will compete to qualify for the 2016 World Championships in Australia

VANCOUVER, Wash. - The Pacific Dragon Boat Association, the governing body for dragon boat racing in the Western United States, has announced the selection of Vancouver USA as site of the 2015 Western Region Dragon Boat Racing Championships.

Double Fifth Dragon Boating will host the event, Aug. 1-2 at Vancouver Lake. Double Fifth is a Vancouver-based professional dragon boat race management company and one of the largest retailers of dragon boat equipment in the world. Vancouver USA Sports will sponsor the event, and Vancouver Lake Crew will serve as host club.

"Vancouver Lake is one our region's many incredible natural sports venues," said Brad Updike, a sports development team member for Vancouver USA Sports. "It's a perfect fit for the Western Region Championships and complements the work being done at the lake by the Vancouver Lake Crew and Double Fifth Dragon Boating. We are pleased to welcome teams from across the West to our destination."

More than 2,000 athletes, coaches, and supporters are expected to attend the regatta, constituting a significant boon to the local economy in the form of overnight hotel rooms and visitor spending.

"We're excited to finally bring the championship to Clark County. The lake has a reputation for hosting successful championship events, which draw thousands of athletes to our community to enjoy our many restaurants, breweries and activities," said Jeff Campbell, owner of Double Fifth Dragon Boating. "Additionally, the support we get from the City and County exceeds that of many larger West Coast races--that enthusiasm is key."

The PDBA Championships are held every two years in preparation for the International Dragon Boat Federation World Championships. The regatta will select regional teams to represent the United States at the 2016 World Championships in Adelaide, Australia. Elite club teams train year round to prepare for this world-class event.

In addition to the elite crews attempting to qualify for Adelaide, the 2015 races will also feature corporate, community and recreational teams competing against each other. These added divisions allow all dragon boat teams a chance to compete against crews of similar ability. Teams that are not PDBA members will compete for Best in the West bragging rights.

Club teams will compete in the following racing divisions: Premier, elite division with no age restrictions; Masters, ages 40 and over; Grand Masters, ages 50 and over; U-23, college teams; and Juniors, ages 18 and under. Within each division there are four racing classes: Open, no gender restrictions; Women, all female crew; Mixed, minimum of eight women; and a Breast Cancer Survivor division.

Dragon boat racing traces its roots back more than 2,300 years to China. In the western region of North America, more than 6,000 people participate in dragon boating, adding to the 50 million participants worldwide.
Vancouver Lake was chosen for several reasons including its championship regatta course, a high level of enthusiastic support from the local community, and its close proximity to downtown Vancouver's hotels, restaurants and attractions. For more information, visit www.pdbausa.org and www.paddlewest.net.

About Vancouver USA Sports
Vancouver USA Sports is responsible for helping market Vancouver and the surrounding area as a sports event destination through the area's official destination marketing organization, Visit Vancouver USA. Vancouver USA Sports' mission is to positively influence the region's quality of life and economic vitality through sports development. For more information call 360-750-1553, or visit www.VancouverUSAsports.com.

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