Dragon boat contest won by Folly team

Wahines raise $800 for cancer center

When the Folly Beach Wahines team beat the Charleston Coast Guard team in the first round of the dragon boat paddling competition, they were pretty "stoked."

After all, the Wahines didn't enter until the last minute. They had time to practice only twice before competing in the inaugural charity event May 3 on the Ashley River.

This year was the first time the 21 members of the Wahines team had sat side-by-side in a narrow, 48-foot boat and paddled in sync to race against other teams. And keeping with the ancient Chinese dragon boat tradition, one team member served as a drummer. The drummer sat on one end of the boat, providing the rhythm (or "heartbeat" of the team), allowing the crew to paddle in unison during the 250-meter race.

"It was very surreal," said Hale Horstman, the Wahines team captain. "We knew we were strong in the first practice, and we all loved it," she said.

Hundreds of spectators watched the Charleston Dragon Boat Festival from Brittlebank Park downtown, setting up lawn chairs, tents and listening to live music. Close to 50 dragon boat teams with more than 1,000 paddlers participated in the event with clubs, teams and companies paddling in long, colorful boats. Organizers said more than $66,000 was raised to benefit the Hollings Cancer Center survivorship programs at the Medical University of South Carolina.

The Folly Beach Wahines team, dressed in grass skirts as part of its Hawaiian theme, raised $800 to enter the competition. It was victorious in the second heat and entered in the gold medal round, made up of the three fastest coed dragon boat teams of the day.

Nancy Hussey, president of the Eastern Surfing Association, which sponsored the team, said she thought the members' surfing experience helped them in this competition.

"Surfing uses paddling muscles," Hussey said.

Horstman agreed. "We're not scared of

the water," she said.

The team paddled its way to first place in the final round. The flowers in drummer Sarah Mitchell's hair crossed the finish line first, and the team was crowned grand champion.

"We're just in shock," Horstman said. "We never win stuff; surfers are usually the underdog."

As winners, the team received a first-place gold medal, hand-carved dragon boat paddle and video documenting the victory, Horstman said.

While the Folly Beach Wahines were the winners of the competition, the real winners of the day were the cancer survivors who were celebrated and honored during the competition.

Each of the 48 teams that entered the Dragon Boat Charleston competition raised money for cancer research at the Hollings Cancer Center. One team, Dragon Boat Charleston, is made up entirely of cancer survivors.

Being on a team with other cancer survivors can cultivate a strong support network and may help increase survival, according to the Hollings Cancer Center. That support can be felt throughout the community.

At one point during the all-day festival, the Dragon Boat Charleston team made its way to the middle of the Ashley River and team members and spectators threw white flowers into the water in honor of cancer survivors and those who have lost their battles.

Hussey said the Folly Beach Wahines entered the competition to honor, remember and support the cancer survivors in the community. The club's support doesn't stop there.

All proceeds from the upcoming Folly Beach Wahine Classic all-women surfing competition will be donated to Dragon Boat Charleston, Hussey said. The Wahine Classic will be held May 31-June 1 at The Washout on Folly Beach.

For more information or to register, visit follybeachwahine.com or call Hussey at 343-4047. To learn more about Dragon Boat Charleston, visit dragonboatcharleston.org.