GrandMasters Database

CALLING ALL GRAND MASTERS!!!
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RSVP via email to Ellen Law directly and/or complete the online informational form if you will be at least 50 years old on January 1, 2005 and interested in trying out for a shot in paddling a dragon boat representing USA at the 2005 IDBF World Championships scheduled for Aug 3-7, 2005, in Berlin, Germany.

INFO REQUESTED: Age @ 1/1/05, full name, gender, weight,
experience in: paddling, dragon boat, steering.
paddling side, drumming experience, current
team name, your name, your email, your phone#,
current residence (city,state).

Ellen is building a database of US dragon boaters to determine the feasibility of building a program of sorts to pull together athletes from around the country for tryouts and practices.

GRAND MASTERS @ BERLIN?
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. The IDBF World Championships currently determine world champions at the Open, Junior (12-18 yrs old), Senior (40+ yrs old) Classes. Members of the international dragon boat community are working with the host organizations to find a way to add the Grand Masters Division.
. Much depends on the flexibility of the facility, organization and interest in member nations for this new division to get added to an already heavy race program. Although IDBF World Championships have only once succeeded in getting 20 nations to participate, IDBF organizers expect 2005 to have attract more than 20 nations.
. USDBF suggests waiting until IDBF confirms the division for the Berlin races and for the competition committee to decide on action...
-- In the meantime, Ellen hopes to build a database and prepare
US paddlers in the event the division gets the "GO AHEAD".
-- The NJ Dragon Boat Club is prepared to assist with the
team selection process with practices, try outs and some
west coast scouting trips planned.
. Nations who replied positively @ Shanghai:
. Canada, Australia, Great Britain, Germany, USA

NOTES FROM ELLEN LAW
=====
. I am not a rep of USDBF nor IDBF. I am serving only to
volunteer to build this database and share information I
receive about the Berlin program and races through our club
website.

. Gary Carstens, USDBF President, assured me in mid-November:
"sit tight, sit tight". There wasn't any mention of a Grand
Masters class in today's USDBF bulletin which recapped a
recent IDBF bulletin.

. There are NO guarantees about a GM team at this time, until
USDBF confirms a TEAM USA for GM. Gary Carstens assured me
he will share any info on a Grand Masters Class for the
Berlin races as soon as he hears from IDBF.
. I will work to keep updated GM related info on our
NJ Dragon Boat Club website:
http://www.njdragonboat.org/masters

Hope everyone the best of health and happiness during the Holidays and
throughout the New Year! Keep paddling!

Ellen Law
NJ Dragon Boat Club
http://www.njdragonboat.org
TEAM USA member: 1998-2005