Paddles Up: Toronto's Water Vipers Gear Up to Make Waves at the Prestigious 'Sun Life Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Races'
This championship-winning team is set to represent Canada on the international stage from June 7-8
TORONTO, June 06, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Toronto's championship-winning dragon boat team, the Water Vipers, is set to compete at the prestigious 'Sun Life Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Races' (HKIDBR) from June 7-8, 2025. The event is jointly organized by the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) and the Hong Kong China Dragon Boat Association. Set against the stunning backdrop of Hong Kong's Victoria Harbour, this globally renowned event will bring together over 190 teams from 12 countries and regions, transforming the Tsim Sha Tsui East Promenade into a thrilling festival of speed, tradition, and celebration. This marks a proud moment for Canadian paddlers as they join elite teams from around the world in one of the most iconic dragon boat festivals.
Representing Canada on the international stage, the Water Vipers is a vibrant, multicultural team brought together by a shared passion for paddling. Established in 2008, the Toronto-based team includes members ranging in age from 20 to 40, hailing from diverse cultural backgrounds, including Chinese, Filipino, Japanese, Italian, British, African, Indian, and more.
Led by longtime coach and captain Andrew Liew, the Water Vipers have earned a reputation as one of Canada's top dragon boat teams. 'We're incredibly excited and honoured to represent Canada at such a prestigious international event,' says Andrew Liew, Team Captain and Coach, the Water Vipers. 'Our team has trained hard, and we can't wait to race alongside some of the best paddlers in the world in Hong Kong.'
Andrew, who has nearly 20 years of experience as a paddler and coach, is also the owner of Afterburn Fitness Club and General Manager at Sunnyside Paddling Club. He leads paddling specific strength and conditioning classes and technical coaching classes.
The Water Vipers have previously earned the Grand Champion title of the GWN Dragon Boat Challenge and the Pharmasave Woodstock Dragon Boat Festival in 2024. Their qualification to compete in Hong Kong is a testament to their dedication and hard work.
About Water VipersFounded in 2008, the Water Vipers Dragon Boat Club is Toronto's premier 'twice-per-week' competitive dragon boat team, dedicated to achieving excellence without compromising members' other commitments. The team focuses on efficient, high-quality training designed to deliver consistent, top-tier performance on water. Guided by core values of fitness, inclusiveness, growth, development, and passion, the Water Vipers foster a diverse and supportive community that embraces paddlers of all ages and backgrounds. For more information on the team, click here.
About 'Sun Life Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Races' (HKIDBR) The Dragon Boat Festival was inscribed by UNESCO on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) of Humanity. Hong Kong's Dragon Boat Festival is a thrilling, high-adrenaline event that attracts elite paddlers from across the globe to compete in one of the city's most celebrated summer traditions.
The 2025 Sun Life Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Races, jointly organized by the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) and the Hong Kong China Dragon Boat Association, returns to Victoria Harbour from June 7-8. This year, over 190 teams from 12 countries and regions will race against the backdrop of Hong Kong's iconic skyline, drawing enthusiastic crowds of locals and visitors alike. Click here to view the race programme. To learn more about HKIDBR, visit here.
A Media Snippet accompanying this announcement is available by clicking on this link.
Media can download photos at the following link: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1aPoxp3xQH1dH45oMGOJAkvaefRNqe6C7?usp=sharing
For media inquiries, please contact:
Jorge Lee jorge.lee@hktb.com Tel: (416) 366-2389 ext 206
Carol Lam carol.py.lam@hktb.com Tel: (416) 366-2389 ext 201
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hamilton Spectator
3 hours ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Feelings come 'roaring back' for former CFL star quarterback Doug Flutie in Calgary
CALGARY - Doug Flutie expects to feel the itch Saturday. One of the greatest CFL quarterbacks of all time will be on the sidelines of the Calgary Stampeders' season-opener against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats as Flutie and other alumni celebrate the Stampeders' 80th anniversary. 'That's the problem. If I'm on the sideline, I want to pick up a ball and throw it. I don't want to get hit anymore though,' the 62-year-old Flutie said Friday at McMahon Stadium. Knowing he would attend a reunion of sorts, Flutie says he watched some of the games he played with the Stampeders from 1992 to 1995 when he won three of his record six awards for the CFL's Most Outstanding Player, and led Calgary to a Grey Cup victory in '92. The frigid '92 Western final at McMahon also stands out for Flutie. His shoe flew off while scoring the winning touchdown on a quarterback sneak with half a minute remaining in the game. 'So many fond memories, so emotional too,' said Flutie. 'I went and re-watched some parts of games just to remember all the guys for sure and the emotions come right back and seeing the hugs on the sideline, the joy or the passion to try to win it all. 'It all comes roaring back. How close that team was, all the hugs on the sideline, the emotion of the guys, the scene in the locker room afterwards, all that type of footage.' The NFL's initial disinterest in the undersized Boston College star pivot sent Flutie north of the border where he played for the B.C. Lions, the Stampeders and the Toronto Argonauts. Flutie won a pair of Grey Cups with the Argonauts. He still holds the record for the most passing yards in a single season with 6,619 in 1991 with the B.C. Lions. He threw for over 5,700 yards in five of his eight CFL seasons. Flutie's CFL exploits revitalized the NFL's interest and he went on to play for the Buffalo Bills, San Diego Chargers and New England Patriots. 'I am forever grateful to the CFL for kind of rekindling my career and getting me going and rebuilding my confidence, and it was fun,' Flutie said. 'When I was in the NFL, I was always fatigued. You're up early, you're in the office, extra long meetings all day, 12, 14-hour days. Because of the way this is set up, it's not like that. 'You had time on your own to go in and watch extra film if you felt like it. You hung out with the guys a lot more, so it was pure fun for eight years and I wouldn't change a thing.' Flutie was the first non-Canadian inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame in 2007 and entered the Canadian Football Hall of Fame the following year. Calgary's current special advisor John Hufnagel was Flutie's offensive co-ordinator during the quarterback's Stampeder days. 'He taught me the CFL game, the passing game,' Flutie said. 'In a lot of interviews, I'll talk about how I called my own plays and then I got back to the NFL and was back to having a radio in your helmet. 'Well, I could call my own plays because I stole Huff's offence and went to Toronto with it, right?' Flutie will join Marcus Crandell, who signed a one-day contract this week to officially retire as a Stampeder, kicker Mark McLoughlin, receivers Nik Lewis and Jeremaine Copeland, running back Jon Cornish and linebacker Alex Singleton among Stampeders alumni Saturday. Head coach and general manager Dave Dickenson was Flutie's successor as the team's quarterback after the latter departed for the Argonauts in 1996. 'Happy to have a bunch of the guys here, but Doug to me is still the tops in the CFL ever,' Dickenson said. Flutie, who lives in Florida and says he surfs a lot, addressed Dickenson's team Friday ahead of its first game of the 2025 season. 'My words of advice, different perspective, I'm 62 years old now, it's a short window of time, enjoy it, get to know each other,' Flutie said. 'Don't be lazy, be prepared and take advantage of the situation because it doesn't last long.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 6, 2025.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
PWHL hires Princeton coach Cara Gardner Morey as GM of its Vancouver expansion team
Cara Gardner Morey is leaving Princeton following seven seasons as women's hockey coach after being hired as general manager and the first employee of PWHL Vancouver's expansion franchise, the league announced Friday. Aside from spending 14 seasons at Princeton, Gardner Morey has held various coaching roles with Hockey Canada at the senior women and under-18 levels, while also serving as a developmental camp coach with the Philadelphia Flyers the past four years. She coached the Tigers to their first ECAC conference tournament title in 2020 as part of a school-record 26-win season. Advertisement Her former Tigers players include Canadian national team members in forward Sarah Fillier and defenseman Claire Thompson, who were selected first and third overall in last year's PWHL draft. Gardner Morey's first priorities will involve hiring coaching and support staffs, while also preparing for the league's exclusive expansion signing period from June 4-8 and expansion draft on June 9. Her hiring comes two days after the PWHL appointed Boston Fleet assistant GM Meghan Turner to take over as general manager of its other expansion franchise in Seattle. The six-team league, in the midst of completing its second season, announced Vancouver and Seattle's additions in separate news conferences held a week apart late last month. 'Cara brings exceptional experience at all levels of the game, a deep understanding of player development, and an unwavering passion for advancing women's sports,' PWHL executive vice president of hockey operations Jayna Hefford said. Advertisement From Hensall, Ontario, Gardner Morey played both ice and field hockey at Brown University, and also played in the original NWHL. She earned a masters in education at Arizona State. 'It's a privilege to help bring the best women's hockey to one of the greatest cities in the world,' Gardner Morey said. Vancouver was selected as the PWHL's first expansion franchise after attracting a sold-out crowd of 19,038 to a neutral site game in January. The yet-to-be-named Vancouver team will play out of the former home of the Vancouver Canucks, the Pacific Coliseum. ___ AP Women's Hockey: John Wawrow, The Associated Press
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Feelings come "roaring back" for former CFL star quarterback Doug Flutie in Calgary
CALGARY — Doug Flutie expects to feel the itch Saturday. One of the greatest CFL quarterbacks of all time will be on the sidelines of the Calgary Stampeders' season-opener against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats as Flutie and other alumni celebrate the Stampeders' 80th anniversary. Advertisement "That's the problem. If I'm on the sideline, I want to pick up a ball and throw it. I don't want to get hit anymore though," the 62-year-old Flutie said Friday at McMahon Stadium. Knowing he would attend a reunion of sorts, Flutie says he watched some of the games he played with the Stampeders from 1992 to 1995 when he won three of his record six awards for the CFL's Most Outstanding Player, and led Calgary to a Grey Cup victory in '92. The frigid '92 Western final at McMahon also stands out for Flutie. His shoe flew off while scoring the winning touchdown on a quarterback sneak with half a minute remaining in the game. "So many fond memories, so emotional too," said Flutie. "I went and re-watched some parts of games just to remember all the guys for sure and the emotions come right back and seeing the hugs on the sideline, the joy or the passion to try to win it all. Advertisement "It all comes roaring back. How close that team was, all the hugs on the sideline, the emotion of the guys, the scene in the locker room afterwards, all that type of footage." The NFL's initial disinterest in the undersized Boston College star pivot sent Flutie north of the border where he played for the B.C. Lions, the Stampeders and the Toronto Argonauts. Flutie won a pair of Grey Cups with the Argonauts. He still holds the record for the most passing yards in a single season with 6,619 in 1991 with the B.C. Lions. He threw for over 5,700 yards in five of his eight CFL seasons. Flutie's CFL exploits revitalized the NFL's interest and he went on to play for the Buffalo Bills, San Diego Chargers and New England Patriots. Advertisement "I am forever grateful to the CFL for kind of rekindling my career and getting me going and rebuilding my confidence, and it was fun," Flutie said. "When I was in the NFL, I was always fatigued. You're up early, you're in the office, extra long meetings all day, 12, 14-hour days. Because of the way this is set up, it's not like that. "You had time on your own to go in and watch extra film if you felt like it. You hung out with the guys a lot more, so it was pure fun for eight years and I wouldn't change a thing." Flutie was the first non-Canadian inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame in 2007 and entered the Canadian Football Hall of Fame the following year. Advertisement Calgary's current special advisor John Hufnagel was Flutie's offensive co-ordinator during the quarterback's Stampeder days. "He taught me the CFL game, the passing game," Flutie said. "In a lot of interviews, I'll talk about how I called my own plays and then I got back to the NFL and was back to having a radio in your helmet. "Well, I could call my own plays because I stole Huff's offence and went to Toronto with it, right?" Flutie will join Marcus Crandell, who signed a one-day contract this week to officially retire as a Stampeder, kicker Mark McLoughlin, receivers Nik Lewis and Jeremaine Copeland, running back Jon Cornish and linebacker Alex Singleton among Stampeders alumni Saturday. Advertisement Head coach and general manager Dave Dickenson was Flutie's successor as the team's quarterback after the latter departed for the Argonauts in 1996. "Happy to have a bunch of the guys here, but Doug to me is still the tops in the CFL ever," Dickenson said. Flutie, who lives in Florida and says he surfs a lot, addressed Dickenson's team Friday ahead of its first game of the 2025 season. "My words of advice, different perspective, I'm 62 years old now, it's a short window of time, enjoy it, get to know each other," Flutie said. "Don't be lazy, be prepared and take advantage of the situation because it doesn't last long." This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 6, 2025. Donna Spencer, The Canadian Press
