Date Night with a Dragon [Boat] hosted by the Steel City Dragons

PITTSBURGH, PA, July 12, 2022 (PittsburghNewsWire.com) — Pittsburgh area residents are welcome to join the team for an evening of dragon boating on the scenic Allegheny River. Couples will be in sync as they learn the fundamentals of dragon boating while paddling to romantic music. The party then moves on land, with chocolates and champagne in the team’s training room (non-alcoholic beverages will be served for those who prefer and those under 21). Participants must be 18 and older and online registration is required at www.SteelCityDragons.org. There is no cost for admission, although the team welcomes donations to support their outreach and breast cancer survivor programs.

 

“We encourage everyone to bring a date—even if that ‘date’ is a friend or family member,” says Bob Randolph, Head Coach at the Steel City dragons.

 

The team’s dragon boats are 46 feet long and have a carved dragon head and tail to resemble traditional Chinese boats from over 2000 years ago. The boat is propelled by a crew of 20 paddlers who follow the cadence of a drummer seated in the boat’s front. A steerer in the rear of the boat guides it by wielding a massive wooden steering oar.

 

The Steel City Dragons formed in 2002 when the Urban Redevelopment Authority brought the first dragon boats to Pittsburgh. The team has grown over the years and now has two boats and two teams, including a mixed team of adult men and women and the Pink Steel breast cancer survivor team. The Steel City Dragons teams compete in four to six out-of-town races every year and offer three practices a week on the Allegheny River. The organization is a 501(c)(3) charity operated entirely by volunteers for the benefit of its participants and the community.