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Nothing says teamwork like 20 paddlers moving more than 500 kilograms of boat up the North Saskatchewan River. The University of Alberta fielded four teams in the 12th annual Edmonton Dragonboat Festival over the weekend. Three returning teams, the U of A Dragon Ladies, Team Cortus, and the United International Dragons, welcomed a new team - the U-Crew. The Dragon Ladies is an all-woman team from the U of A Promotion and Worklife Services; Team Cortus is made up of staff and students from the Faculty of Agriculture, Life, & Environmental Sciences; and the U-Crew consists of staff from U of A external relations and alumni. The United International Dragons fields paddlers from all over the world - students and staff from U of A International. The origin of dragon boat racing can be traced back 2,000 years to southern China. Originally, boats adorned with dragon heads were part of a fertility rite as a way to encourage plentiful rains and a good harvest. Today, dragonboating is one of the fastest-growing sports in the world, with festivals held in the oceans, lakes and rivers of Asia, Europe, North America and the South Pacific.

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