A Paddler's Glossary

Call & Terms In The Boat

“Attention” (Your Attention, Please): Part of the starter's calls just before “Go!” in a race. Your blade is buried in the water, ready for the first stroke, top arm high and straight.

Back paddle - Paddle the boat backwards, but keep your lead in front of you.

Brace the boat - Rest the shaft of your paddle on the gunnel and the blade flat on the water to give the boat extra stability.

Let it run – Cease paddling. A paddler's favorite call.

Draw - Pull paddle through water towards the boat at a 45-degree angle.

Port - Left side of the boat.

Starboard - Right side of the boat.

Sit ready – After a rest, this is your caller's warning to prepare yourself. “Paddles up!” is usually next.

Paddles up – Position yourself for the drive, waiting for the leads to start.

Finish it now – A call made late in the race to encourage a final, strong finish.

Take it away – The caller's command to begin paddling.

Hold (Hold the boat) – Bury the blade in the water, straight down, to stop the boat.

Hold for drift – Like hold, but the blade is turned parallel with the boat to resist the water at a different angle.

Give me a bench – A short “power 10”. Typically a “power 5”.

Power (Power 10) – A sequence of 10 strokes at 100% of power but maintaining the same stroke rate.

Reach for power – The last transition during the “race start”, where the boat shifts from the fast “up” rate to the longer, slower race rate.

Rotation/rotate – A twisting/pivoting of the torso during the stroke, which allows you to deliver much more power. Picture a good golf or tennis swing.

Paddling channel – An imaginary lane within a foot of the side of the boat. Each paddler's strong should stay within the channel.

Extend – Encouragement to reach for a longer stroke.

Catch – The beginning of the stroke, where the paddle is poised above the water just before the drive.

Pull – This part of the stroke delivers your power into the water. Picture yourself unrotating and pulling the boat through the water.

Exit – Extracting the paddle from the water at the end of the pull. The exit should happen before your thigh. Do not let the paddle drag behind you.

Recovery – The in-the-air part. The paddle floats forward over the water to prepare for the next stroke.

Other Terms

Kaohsiung boats – The large, heavy, decorative boats used in the Rose Festival races. These boats have 16 paddlers and are rarely seen elsewhere.

6-16 boats – The long, skinny, faster boats used for most of the season. These boats have a race crew of 20 paddlers.

PFD - personal flotation device

Crew - The paddlers, tiller, caller and other persons who may be on the boat. The crew will comprise one caller and one tiller and up to twenty paddlers.

Gunwale (gunnel) - The uppermost edge of the hull surrounding the boat.

Caller – The loud person at the front of the boat. Always respect the caller and listen to their instructions.

Paddlers - The members of crew who propel the boat using a single bladed paddle.

Tiller - The member of crew who steers the boat using the steering oar.

PKSCA – Portland-Kaohsiung Sister City Association. Organizers of the Rose Festival races.

DSUSA – DragonSports USA. DragonSports owns the 6-16 boats docked at the marina year-round.

Paddle – It is not an oar and you are not a rower. Take care of any paddle. Keep the tip off of the ground.

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