The Thunderstrokers are a co-ed recreational crew comprised of paddlers ranging in age from 25 to 65 years old. Team members travel from Mission, Abbotsford, Chilliwack, Agassiz, Harrison and Hope to practice twice a week on beautiful Harrison Lake. The team works hard to raise individual fitness levels, to improve paddling techniques and to be competitive when racing but also put a high priority on having a good time together on and off the water. This season the Strokers are practicing Wednesday evenings and Saturday mornings.

Anyone who enjoys being out on the water and likes to make new friends is welcome to come out and paddle with this crew. 

For more information contact Trisha Kjemhus at 604 869-5508 or Peter Bailey at 604 869-5688.

Thunderstrokers Bring Home Bling

The Thunderstrokers paddled four strong races at the Victoria Dragonboat Festival held August 13th and 14th, resulting in a third-place medal in the Bronze Mixed Division final. Once again the strong leadership of coach Trisha Kjemhus and the hard work of team members paid off.

The team sends their sincere thanks to Cheryl for showing up for our early morning race time on Sunday to lend us her paddling skills, to Karen and Liz from the Serafins for joining us this trip, and to the other FVDBC teams for cheering us on. Thanks also to the folks at Helm's Inn for their encouragement and comfortable accomodations.

In the words of one team member, "It is a great pleasure to paddle on a team where everyone tries their best and whatever happens, we still all smile at the end of the day."

Seals Rescued

Two FVDBC teams have rescued abandoned baby seals this summer -- first the Serafins battled wind and waves, and finally resorted to a power boat, to save "Spud". He'd been observed alone on the log breakwater for three days, and was very weak and listless by the time he was rescued.
 
A few weeks later, the Thunderstrokers picked up "Scallion". In both cases, Trisha and Dale Kjemhus were instrumental in the rescue process. Trisha called the Vancouver Aquarium, and sent phone photos so staff could assess the baby's condition before any attempt was made to approach the seal. When aquarium staff gave the go-ahead, the boat was manoeuvred as close as possible and Dale leapt into action -- literally -- from the boat to the logs and captured the seal in a very large scoop net. The baby was then transferred to a large plastic bin for the ride to Langley, where Aquarium staff met Trisha and Dale and took the seal the rest of the way to Vancouver.
 
Spud is soon to be released in the Comox area, as he is now healthy and strong enough to compete for food with other seals for food. Scallion, the feisty girl, will be in the Aquarium's rehab program until she's ready for release as well.
 
In case you see a baby seal with no adult nearby, we've added the guidelines from BCSPCA. We strongly advise contacting the Aquarium before attempting a rescue.
 
If you see a baby seal on its own

Like many other wild animals, seal mothers leave their pups alone for short periods of time while they return to the water to look for food. For this reason, wildlife rehabilitation centres care for many “kidnapped” seal pups each year – healthy pups that are mistakenly thought to be orphaned or abandoned.

What to do if you find an orphaned or injured baby seal

• Be sure to take the proper precautions before approaching or aiding a baby seal.
• Keep your distance (at least 100 metres) and observe to see if the parent returns. Observing from too near a distance can discourage the adult seal from returning.
• Keep pets away from the area. Dogs can cause injury to marine mammals, and disease can be passed between the species.
• Observing from a distance, take note of the seal pup’s condition:
• Does it have any visible injuries?
• Is the animal breathing?
• Is it responding to its surroundings?
• Is it plump or thin?
• Is it vocalizing?
• Can you see other seals in the area?

What not to do when you find a baby seal

• Don’t try to coax or push the seal into the water.
• Don’t approach the pup. Being too close causes more stress to the animal, and the seal could bite. You could also startle adult seals into the water. They may even abandon their pups if frightened away.
• Don’t try to capture or care for the animal yourself.
• Don’t allow dogs to approach or allow them off leash in the area.

 Signs a baby seal may need help

•         If you notice any of the following, please call a wildlife rehabilitator immediately.
• The seal is obviously injured (bleeding).
• You know the seal is an orphan (dead parent is observed).
• The pup has been alone for several hours without a parent visible.
• A seal pup is seriously underweight.
• The pup appears distressed or non-responsive.

How and when to get help for a baby seal
If a young animal is truly orphaned or injured, it needs prompt attention. Contact your local wildlife rehabilitation facility as soon as possible.
 
On southern Vancouver Island, call the BC SPCA Wild Animal Rehabilitation Centre (Wild ARC) at 250-478-9453.
On the mainland, call the Vancouver Aquarium’s Marine Mammal Rescue Centre at 604-258-7325.

Surviving Lotus

The Thunderstrokers, along with 22 other teams, braved mud, rain, hail and waves to paddle in the annual Lotus Regatta held at Barnett Marine Park. Traditionally this is our first regatta of the season, where we go to test our skills and strength against other teams and find out if those rainy April practices have whipped us into competitive shape.
 
Our boat, coached by Trisha Kjemhus and steered by Peter Bailey, took first in the two qualifying races, third in the Bill Alley Challenge, and second in the final race for fastest boat on the water. A motley crew of old and new team members, former team members, and conscripts pulled together, gave their best, and made each race a good one.
 
All the participants, spending the day damp, shivering, and running the very real risk, as one team can testify, of being unceremoniously dumped into the green waters of Burrard Inlet, deserve kudos for showing up and paddling their hearts out. As one team member put it: "You know you love dragonboating when you hang out at Lotus every year!"

The five teams from Fraser Valley Dragon Boat Club -- Crusaders, Mavericks, Pirates, Spirit of the Fraser Valley and Thunderstrokers consistently turned in fast times and proved to be strong competition for the rest of the entrants. Spirit of Fraser Valley came third in the Junior Division Championship race, the Mavericks placed first in the Mixed Adult B final, the Crusaders took the Bill Alley Championship and the Pirates won the Mixed Adult A final with the Thunderstrokers right behind them in second place. 2011 should be a good season for the Harrison Lake paddlers!

Gearing Up for 2011 

Like the letter carriers, "neither snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor gloom of night, will stay us from the swift completion of our appointed rounds."

Well, gloom of night, maybe. Or gale force winds. Anything else, we'll paddle through.

If you've driven out past the marinas on Harrison Lake on a Wednesday evening or Saturday morning lately, you may have noticed a hardy group of folks in raingear and life jackets doing warm-up exercises in the parking lot. In the pouring rain. "Who are these people!?!"

It's a bit chilly yet to wear our blue and black team shirts that identify us with the Thunderstroker logo, but we know the sun will show up eventually, and with it the start of regatta season. When that happens, we'll be race ready -- a strong, synchronized team of paddlers.

Yes, most of us would rather sleep in on Saturdays or stay home by the fire with a good book on wet Wednesday evenings, but we'd be missing a few things. The witty repartee that flies back and forth in the boat, for example -- comments on Eric's new hat, speculation about whether the steersperson has fallen overboard, or why Dale is so quiet. Seeing eagles, herons and several species of ducks up close. The beauty of the lake surrounded by forested mountains.

If you'd been out with us in the boat last Wednesday, you'd have seen the setting sun split the clouds to light up Mount Cheam in all its snowy glory. We stopped paddling in awe of that.

We were a bit damp around the edges when we arrived back at the dock, but nonetheless invigorated by a great full body workout on the water. I wouldn't have missed it for anything.

2011 THUNDERSTROKER REGATTA SCHEDULE

** This is our Club Regatta.  We would appreciate it if anyone could volunteer their time to help us make this year’s regatta a roaring success. For more information, please call 604.799.8464 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Okanagan Super Sprints - July 2010

At Skaha Lake on a sunny July 3rd morning the ThunderStrokers dragon boat team paddled their way to victory in the annual Okanagan Super Sprints.  They set the pace in their first race, covering the 250 metre course in 1 minute 7 seconds.  That time stood as the fastest finish for the day.  Despite being 1 paddler short, the team brought home the grand prize in the mixed division - a case of wine donated by Lake Breeze Winery.

"We've got a strong team this year, and everybody has been working hard to improve their technique and endurance," captain Trisha Kjemhus said.  "It really shows when we go up against other teams."

The ThunderStrokers' next competition will be at the Harrison Lake Regatta on July 24th.  Teams from around the Province will race in this event hosted by the Fraser Valley Dragon Boat Club.