Printz, who lives in the Village of Fernandina, has been dragon boating for almost eight years.
Because of the workout he gets while practicing and the tranquil moments he gets while a dragon boat meanders down the water at dawn, he became “hooked” very quickly.
More importantly, he values the ties that form between teammates.
“Some of these teams have been rowing together for 10-12 years,” Printz said. “There is a lot of camaraderie.”
The students, on the other hand, have just recently begun to learn the fundamentals. Guille Mejia of the Village Chatham is an example of this.
“I really wanted to try something different and something new,” Mejia said. “It was a challenge, so I said, ‘Let me go ahead and do it.’“
Stretching painful muscles proved to be a problem for Mejia.
“It’s been wonderful, certainly an eye-opener,” Mejia said.
Some, like Mark and Alicia Lewis of the Village of Pine Hills, are affording it another shot.
”My wife and I had done this before when we first moved here,” Mark said. “It’s been four years now, and we’d like to try it again. It’s very exciting and a lot of fun.”
His wife agreed, stating that the instructors were really helpful, particularly to beginners.
“It’s been a blast,” Alicia said. “They’re a lot of fun, and they all understand we’re all newbies.”
Alicia expressed her pleasure with the surroundings as well.
“We were paddling under the sunrise, and it was phenomenal,” Alicia said.
The lesson begins with an overview of how the boats and crews work. Then there are two boating sessions in Lake Miona and Lake Sumter.
Recently, pupils were informed of their safety courses, counted off one more time and then cast off with demands yelled at them.
“Oars ready, oars up, go!” Printz said.
On a dragon boat, there are usually 20 people on board, with one at the helm directing the craft.
A drummer is usually present but was not present during the lesson.
The safety lesson included everything from paddle movement to procedures for a capsized vessel or other emergency circumstances that can arise when participating in water activity. Every student was also outfitted with a life jacket.
“The biggest challenge is staying in-sync for a new paddler,” Printz said.
Balance and mobility, according to Printz, are also required to perform effectively in the sport, which can be a strenuous workout.
Rowers from the Grand Masters Dragon Boat Club’s Silver Dragons dragon boat squad were split between the two boats to verify that the pupils were rowing properly and safely.
One of the largest dragon boat clubs in the country is the Grand Masters Dragon Boat Club.
The club has 324 members, according to the treasurer’s report from Aug. 6.
Printz believes that the sport is growing both locally and nationally and that there is room for increased participation in The Villages in the coming years.
Printz has worked with children at Camp Villages as well as seniors, some of whom are “well past 80.”
“It’s a full-cycle sport,” Printz said.
In its latest semester, the Enrichment Academy will continue to provide dragon boating.
TheEnrichmentAcademy.org has the course catalog for the fall/winter semester. Residents can register for classes at regional recreation complexes and on the website. Visit theenrichmentacademy.org for more information.