The Rusty Dragons club is all about accessibility and fair play, with a variety of non-profit teams to fit your interest and schedule. We especially welcome new paddlers to any team. We have several teams, each with a different practice day or time, and also different number of practices or regattas (race events). Ignore the team names - just look at each team's program details.
Our focus is for all members to:
> See that they are an equal and valued member of a team, no matter their fitness level, age, gender, size, or abilities.
> Have fun in a safe, welcoming, and supportive environment. We train on scenic Outer Harbour by Cherry Beach.
> Meet new people - the camaraderie of this sport is amazing. What other sport brings people together from all walks of life?
> Learn some new skills - participate in a sport over 2,300 years old.
You can then register with a team if their program suits your interest, schedule, and budget. See the Teams menu at the top of the page for detail son each team. New paddlers are welcome on ALL teams (you don't have to start with a specific team). The Barracudas team is the only with a twice-a-week program that runs 11 months of the year for those motivated for a more competitive experience and race results. Below is a short summary of each team...
Guns n Roses - This long-time team fills to capacity quickly every year. Their long-time coach is Natalie Wong and their co-captains Shalini and Babar look after the team very well. This team trains Thursdays at 7:15 to 8:45 PM all summer, and races in three regattas (Canada Day on Toronto Island, Welland in late August, and Christie Lake near Hamilton in late September).
We Will Rock You is a newer team created in 2022 as a sister team to the Guns n Roses team. Several of it's members had previous experience with the Drag'n Angels team. They practice Tuesdays at 7:15 to 8:45 PM all summer, and their coach is Catherine MacInnis who coaches our Corporate Day events and some composite teams. The team races on Canada Day on Toronto Island, and Stratford in mid-September.
Liberty Waves / One Gorgeous Boat - These two teams are made up of members of the LGBTQ community and allies, and are one of a few teams that practices on the weekend (Sundays, with LIberty Waves starting at 11:00 AM and One Gorgeous Boat at 12:30 PM). Their coaches will be hired soon, and their team captains are Susan and Hamza. Both teams race on Canada Day on Toronto Island, but Liberty Waves has two more regattas (Welland in late August and Christie Lake late September) while One Gorgeous Boat has one extra regatta (Stratford in mid-September). As a result, the Liberty Waves team has a slightly higher cost as they have two extra practices and one extra regatta.
Libraries of Conquest - This team is made up of university library staff, including from U of T and York University, but the team is open to anyone if this fits your interest and schedule. Their team captain is Jack and their long-time coach is Ann Forbes Arndt. This team has two separate halves to their program; A Spring program (May and June) and a Summer program (July-September).
Barracudas - The newest team at the club. They have a 23 week winter training program (November through April) and a comprehensive racing program this summer, including for the Canadian Championships in Welland. They are just the 2nd Rusty Dragons team to go to the Nationals (after our visually impaired team in 2014 & 2015). Their coaches are Jonathan Navarro and Jessica Oliver for the winter program, and Terence Yu for the summer racing program. Their captains are Natalie Kassen and Graeme Kondruss. The team is recruiting people who want to work harder, get fitter, and perform well as a team when we get back to racing.
Beach Dragons - This NEW team is half-season and focussed on new paddlers or those wanting a shorter season with less time and cost. They train May and June on Tuesdays from 6:15-7:30 PM and race at the Canada Day Regatta on Toronto Island.
If you have any questions or have any registration issues, please feel free to contact team captains as details on the team pages, or to club owner Tim MacFarlane as detailed in the contact info at the bottom of this (and every) page.
