When the calendar flips forward towards May, the members of the Osoyoos Dragonboat Club get ready to get back out on Osoyoos Lake to begin several months of training and fun.

Anyone who is interested in improving their fitness level, while having a lot of laughs and meeting good people is more than welcome to join the team, said Betty Steinbart, who is heading into her third season as a member of the local dragonboat squad.

“Most of our members are seniors, but we have a couple in their 40s and we go right up to people in their 70s, but anyone is welcome to join,” said Steinbart.

Some returning veterans started training for the 2014 season early last week and returning members and new members are urged to attend the team’s annual open house this Saturday afternoon starting at 1 p.m. in the Kingfisher Room of the Holiday Inn hotel.

There will be an information session for all those in attendance and then a practice run will take place on Osoyoos Lake, said Steinbart.

In an attempt to attract new members, the club is offering a “two-week trial period” where prospective new members can join the club free of charge, she said.

“If they enjoy it, as most people invariably do, they can join us and if they don’t like it, there is no obligation and no cost,” she said.

A competitive dragonboat like the one the local club owns has 22 seats for paddlers and you need at least 14 or 15 to hold a decent training session, said Steinbart.

“You can’t go out on a dragonboat with five or six people,” she said. “It’s a large boat and that’s why we need a decent turnout every practice session.”

Starting next week, the club will offer four practice sessions per week, including one on Sunday morning at 9 a.m., a second at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, an early session at 8:15 a.m. on Wednesday and a final session Thursday afternoon at 5:30 p.m.

If you join the club, you will be asked to make a commitment of attending at least two practice sessions per week, said Steinbart.

“We know people get busy and we know people get visitors, especially during the summer months, and we know people go away once in awhile on vacation,” she said. “But we would like members to commit to getting out at least twice a week as often as they possible can.”

The club competed in the B.C. Senior Games last year in Kamloops as well as the annual Penticton Dragonboat Sprints event, which is held every July.

The club plans on returning to Penticton for that event once again this year and will likely enter at least one other competition, said Steinbart.

Steinbart has met many wonderful friends since joining the local club and hopes others will take up the challenge and join this year.

“It’s a very social club, but you also get to greatly improve your fitness level and meet some really nice people,” she said. “We’re always looking for new members and we urge anyone who is interested to come on out on Saturday and at least try it.”

All lifejackets and paddles will be provided to those who attend Saturday’s open house.

KEITH LACEY

Osoyoos Times