The Fate of Flushing Bay’s Dragon Boaters
The water of Flushing Bay was placid on an unseasonably warm mid-December weekday, rippling just softly with the gentle breeze.
"On a typical weekend practice, unless we’re expecting a storm, the waters are pretty much calm like this," said Winston Liao, 39, as he looked out from Pier 1 of the World’s Fair Marina, where four geese took advantage of the dragon boaters’ off-season to enjoy the quiet bay.
The Threat of Closure
In this northeastern pocket of Queens, the choppy flow of the East River is cordoned off by LaGuardia Airport to the left and, to the right, a concrete plant and marine transfer station where the sanitation department ships up to 4,300 tons of trash a day out of the city.
"That’s why we call it one of the safest open bodies of water for dragon boats," Liao, a coach of the special boating sport, continued, explaining the dangers his team and its fair-weathered, human-powered craft would have to endure in rougher wakes elsewhere.
The Search for a New Home
These days, the marina’s 1,200-member dragon boat community is urgently searching for a new base, as the Parks Department in late November notified them that "access to the pier will no longer be possible upon the conclusion of the 2024-2025 season," according to an email obtained by THE CITY.
This closure, dragon boaters say, will displace them from the bay for possibly a decade or even longer, splitting up a community of roughly 20 clubs and 60 teams as each scramble to find new accommodations in a city where public access to suitable waters is limited.
The Impact on the Community
While improvements to the pier are welcome, the grief is palpable, too. The pier’s closure, Liao said, now endangers the survival and vitality of the city’s three-decade-old dragon boat community — made up of many Chinese Americans who find connection to their heritage through the storied sport with lore that traces back 2,500 years.
"It certainly gave me a chance to meet literally hundreds of coworkers from different parts of the firm that I would’ve never met otherwise," said Paul Caviano, a 64-year-old retired compliance officer who competes on the Morgan Stanley corporate dragon boat team. "We’re very nervous and unsettled about what’s happening."
Paddling Forward
Chan, who is among one of the earliest to come onto the New York City dragon boat scene, was first introduced to the sport in his twenties in the early 1990s when his Chinatown basketball team was invited to participate in the Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival on the Hudson River, near Battery Park City.
"It’s been 30-plus years since we’ve been in our own playground at the World’s Fair Marina," she said. "We’ve paddled through debris, we’ve paddled through sewage. And after a heavy rain, you’re gonna discover dead rats floating around."
Conclusion
The fate of Flushing Bay’s dragon boaters hangs in the balance as the pier’s closure looms. With the community’s future uncertain, the search for a new home is underway. As the dragon boaters navigate this challenging time, they remain committed to preserving their sport and their connection to their heritage.
FAQs
Q: What is the reason for the pier’s closure?
A: The Parks Department has deemed the pier’s temporary solution to be no longer viable due to significant deterioration of the structure.
Q: How long will the closure last?
A: The exact timeline is unknown, but it is expected to be at least a decade or longer.
Q: What is the impact on the dragon boat community?
A: The closure will displace the community from the bay, splitting up a community of roughly 20 clubs and 60 teams.
Q: What is being done to find a new home?
A: The community is searching for a new base and exploring all possible avenues to remain in the area.
