



Welcome to
Pennsylvania Dragon Boat Club
WHERE ATHLETES ARE MADE IN PHILLY
TRAIN HARD. HAVE FUN.
Get exclusive access to dragon boat and outrigger canoe training from the goofiest coaches on the East Coast.

80
Members
4
Dragon Boats
9
Outrigger Canoes
280
Alumni
66
Races Competed
8
Coaches

"We have a saying in our club. Anything is possible. This club is living proof."
- Henry Chow, Head Coach

From Underdogs...

...to National Champions
2025 PDBC STAFF

Henry Chow
Head Coach, Dragon Boat
Janitor

Paul Alba
President
Assistant Head Coach

Jie Yi Kuang
Chief Marketing Officer

Kirsten Banaag
Chief Financial Officer
Assistant Coach

Vanessa Xie
Chief Operating Officer

Ben Wong
Head Coach, OC

Jian Xu
Operations Manager, Communications

Brandon Pritts
Operations Manager, Docks
Assistant Coach

Roxanne Chu
Assistant Head Coach


Our Core Values
01. Guts
It takes guts to begin anything, especially something challenging like dragon boating where you might be stepping out of your comfort zone or facing the unknown.
02. Grind
Keep the momentum - the daily commitment, the repetitive hard work, and the discipline to continue even when motivation dips. It's about perseverance where the real work happens.
03. Grit
Push through to the end to overcome the final hurdles, to keep going when every muscle might be telling you to stop. It's about resilience, determination, and the mental toughness.

Frequently Asked Questions
How is your club different?
We had humble beginnings as a clueless recreational team and grew ourselves into a nationally competitive race team.
How big is the commitment to join?
The commitment to dragon boat is as small as you want or as big as you want. Recreational members may practice once a month, whereas really dedicated may members practice 3x per week.
Do I need any prior experience swimming and paddling?
We are inclusive of all swim and paddling experience levels. Experience is not required. All of our top paddlers were once newbies. We also provide personal flotation devices for all paddlers.
Will i disrupt your practice if I am not paddling well?
No, absolutely not. As a beginner paddler, you will be sitting in the back and receiving personal coaching. Our goal is to help you be the best paddler you can be.
