Dragon boating is racing-based water sport. Unlike crew, we use a front-facing paddle stroke that relies heavily on rotation. There can be anywhere from 12-20 paddlers on a boat at a time, sitting in pairs, plus a drummer and a helm (steerer). While dragon boat races originated in southern China more than 2,000 years ago, the modern version of the race began in Hong Kong with Philadelphia being the first U.S. city to adopt the sport.