Work and life MOVING AS ONE is the epitome of Hong Kong s heritage and international culture. In the heat of the summer dragon boat competitions, Julian Hwang talks to Institute members to find out how this dynamic sport extends beyond simple camaraderie Photography by Anthony Tung A s the first glimmers of light begin to appear on a Sunday morning, it s not unusual to find people still tucked into their beds and sneaking in a few extra hours of sleep after a long week of work, but for a passionate group of CPAs, the dawns of Sundays are a time of action. Chris Li, a member of the Hong Kong Institute of CPAs Dragon Boat Interest Group, gathers at Stanley s Main Beach at 7:30 a.m. with his like-minded teammates for a training session. is the definition of a fun sport, says Li, the Chief Financial Officer and Company Secretary at Hang Sang (Siu Po) International Holding Company Limited. It provides a great full-body workout, and I think water sports are also excellent for taking your mind off work. 38 May 2017 However, dragon boating possesses benefits beyond recreation and stress relief. For Institute members like Li, they also believe the sport is highly inspirational due to the tight-knit bonds that can be formed among teammates. is a sport that promotes teamwork above all else, says Li. With 22 people together in one boat, we all play hard to achieve one goal. It s how the term one boat one heart was formed. When asked about his most memorable experience with the team, Li brought up his first year of dragon boating with the interest group. It was May 2013 and we were competing in the Stanley Warm Up Race, Li remembers. The weather was poor with heavy downpours, which forced the race to be postponed temporarily until
aplus The Dragon Boat Interest Group celebrates with its new boat in 2013 May 2017 39
Work and life Chris Li, Chief Financial Officer and Company Secretary at Hang Sang (Siu Po) International Holding Company Limited (in front, left) 40 May 2017
aplus the rain let up. We waited a long time, and even when it finally did lighten, it still felt like heavy drops hitting your face, he says. Despite Li s anticipation to begin and the unfavourable weather conditions, his seniors remained calm and lighthearted. They told me not to worry and to just sit tight. In the event of a big wave, just deep paddle and keep shouting to keep morale up, Li recalls. It felt like we were on fire when we finally did get in the boat! Even though the team received second runner-up in the Mixed Teams Gold Bowl, the process and kinship truly inspired Li. is one of Hong Kong s most celebrated competitive sports, and with summer approaching, so too are a number of dragon boating competitions. The most prominent and internationally renowned of which is the Sun Life Stanley International Dragon Boat Championships that will take place on 30 May. We ll be participating in three upcoming dragon boating competitions on behalf of the Institute in late May and June, says Li. Following the Sun Life Championships, the team will also be competing at the CCB (Asia) Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Races at the Central Waterfront on 3 to 4 June, and the Recreation and Sports Club for Hong Kong Professional Bodies Dragon Boat Race at Stanley Beach on 18 June. favourites such as Tuen Ng Festival or Sun Life at Stanley Beach. We only trained occasionally when the events were about two months away, and it just felt too lax for me. It wasn t until Yuen left his company and joined the Institute s Dragon Boat Interest Group that he found his place. Competitive spirit With 22 people together in one boat, we all play hard to achieve one goal. It s how the term one boat one heart was formed. Stanley Yuen, Head of Compliance at Pictet Hong Kong and an Institute member, discovered dragon boating by chance. The previous company that I worked at had a dragon boating team and I decided to join for fun, recalls Yuen. Shortly after being out on the water, he became hooked captivated by the charming and competitive nature of the sport. I d say dragon boating is just as exciting as other sports without the need for excessive physical contact between athletes, and sometimes, teams can be so evenly matched that referees need a highspeed camera to see who finished first! However, his team at the time did not enrol in many events outside of the crowd With regular weekly training sessions, Yuen was also able to develop a deeper bond with his teammates. It s important to get to know your teammates so that you can sync up better while on the boat. The more Stanley Yuen, Head of Compliance at Pictet Hong Kong (in front, far left) May 2017 41
Work and life you train together, the more in-sync you can become. Given the high workloads of CPAs, Sunday mornings were deemed the best training time for everyone, although it s not a guarantee that everyone will be able to attend. The team s stroking rhythm can sometimes be off if a member misses training, but I m confident in our team and coach s ability to readjust the pace quickly, says Yuen. Outside of training sessions, team members also have many opportunities to get together, with regular gatherings for holidays such as Christmas and the New Year, as well as dinners. Additionally, some members occasionally participate in dragon boat competitions hosted in other countries including China, Singapore and South Korea sometimes representing CPAs from Hong Kong and sometimes as guests for other Hong Kong-based teams. It s a rare two-in-one bonding opportunity because apart from competing against foreign teams in new waters, you also get to sightsee with them! For members interested in taking up dragon boating, Yuen recommends experiencing the sport recreationally before aiming to race competitively. It s not something you can just pick up and get good at right away, so it s important to listen to the advice offered by senior members and the coach, says Yuen. Different strokes Dragon boats come in a variety of sizes, and as a result, the number of crew changes accordingly per boat. For a standard dragon boat competition, there are 22 members: including 20 paddlers, one drummer and one steersman. The first pair of paddlers are referred to as the pacers, and they are responsible for determining the correct pace that the rest of the team must follow. The drummer sits at the front of the boat, relaying the speed set by the pacers via a rhythmic beat that doubles as a unity and morale booster. The steersman stands at the rear and is in charge of directing the boat. Having performed the duties of the paddler and occasionally as the drummer, Mandy Law enjoys dragon boating because it is a team effort where everyone plays an equally important role. No matter how great of an athlete a person may be, or how big and powerful their strokes are, if the person can t match the team s rhythm, the person will inevitably end up slowing the boat down, says Law, a senior member of bid management at an I.T. company and an Institute member. For Law, dragon boating is a beautiful sport. The open waters, the team spirit, the uniform pattern of every determined paddler like an engine driving towards the finish line, it s all a very inspirational sight, she says. More importantly, it is also a sport that requires commitment, mutual Gary Hung, Assistant Manager of Corporate Recovery and Forensics Services at Mazars (in front, right) 42 May 2017
aplus Once you get the hang of it, maybe your shouts may help another teammate to stay on track and keep up the teams fire too. understanding and compromise between teammates in order to be successful. Some looking to take up the sport may find these requirements intimidating, but Law believes them to be essential. It s critical to attend training sessions to learn the proper paddling techniques. Don t be afraid to ask questions, and more importantly, you need to remember to have fun. Apart from Hong Kong-based dragon boating events, Law, who is also a member of the Institute s Dragon Boat Interest Group, is experienced in overseas events as well. is a very small and intimate community that presents lots of opportunities to expand your social circle. Once you get to know people, you may find yourself paddling alongside people from all walks of life, she says. The Hong Kong Friendship Dragon Boat Team is one such occurrence. From office workers to fishermen, the team is open for all members of the public to join. Because there s less conflict of interest occupationalwise, interactions are much more relaxed, says Law. It s really interesting getting to know and train alongside people from different industries. For Law, seeing how passionately the fishermen treated the sport was an eye-opener. Apart from training really hard, they sometimes even shared their homemade glutinous rice dumplings with us too! While at the 2nd Korea Open Busan International Dragon Boat Regatta for the Hong Kong Friendship Dragon Boat Team in September 2011, Law became friends with one of the participants from Indonesia s national dragon boating team. They performed very impressively and stole the competition, recalls Law. At the event s closing dinner, we even exchanged team Mandy Law, Senior member of Bid Manager at an I.T. company (centre) jerseys and we ve kept in contact since. Regardless of the challenges Law faces in training or competing, she maintains an optimistic attitude. We always put forward our best effort, so that the completion of every race is another win against our limits. Sights and sounds is easily recognized thanks to it s colourfully decorated hull and the paddlers rowing in unison. But what new spectators may find unique are the paddlers dressed in bizarre costumes seemingly unfit to race in. As Gary Hung, Assistant Manager of Corporate Recovery and Forensics Services at Mazars and an Institute member, explains, Certain competitions like Sun Life and the CCB races will feature a fancy dress-up competition. May 2017 43
Work and life Members of the Institute s Dragon Boat Interest Group train enthusiastically in the open waters off Stanley Main Beach In these segments, each participating team will decide on a unique dress scheme. Once the teams are dressed-up, they would then go onto a stage and give a dance performance for the Sun Life competition, and alternatively for the CCB, the teams would do a slow lap in their boats. It s really fun for both the audience and us, says Hung, who is also a member of the Institute s Dragon Boat Interest Group. We ve done some crazy things, like painting ourselves in a myriad of colours. The kookier the outfits, and the more creative the dance, the better the chance of winning the mostoutstanding outfit awards. However, great spectacles alone are only part of the excitement. Sound is what gives the sport its dynamic nature, Hung argues. Succeeding at dragon boating is all about rhythm and following the exact timing of your teammates rowing speed. Only when the team strokes together will the boat glide, says Hung. By using an audio cue, paddlers are able to constantly monitor their stroke speed and make adjustments as necessary. Not to mention, 44 May 2017 the shouting makes it a lot more exciting for the audience. Imagine how different the sport would be if everyone stayed silent! It was the colourful sights and sounds of chanting and drums together that inspired Hung to take up dragon boating. I watched the sport on TV every year during Tuen Ng Festival since I was young and its traditions has fascinated me. I ve always wanted to become a crew of a boat afterwards, says Hung. When he first started, he had trouble synchronizing his stroking speed with the team s. After a month of training, Hung realized the importance of rhythm control. As a beginner, pay attention to the rowing speed of your teammates, the beat of the drum and the shouts of teammates can help you stay focused on the correct stroking speed, especially since you can easily get exhausted and lose focus during a race. It s also essential when the boat needs to suddenly adjust speeds, he says. Once you get the hang of it, who knows, maybe your shouts may help another teammate to stay on track and keep up the teams fire too. Upcoming competitions Members of the Institute s Dragon Boat Interest Group will be participating in the CCB (Asia) Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Races 2017 on 3-4 June and RSCP Dragon Boat Race on 18 June. The Institute will also be holding its annual CPA Cup National Day Celebration Dragon Boat Invitational Race at Shaukeiwan Aldrich Bay on 8 October. Over the years, this fun-filled event has gathered stakeholders, including accounting firms, financial institutions, academic institutes, government bodies and professional institutions, to join in the competition and build friendships among dragon-boat lovers. This year, a maximum of 16 teams are expected to compete in the race.