7/5/10 – Establishing a new tradition for the 4th of July, the entire Sawbill crew celebrates with a mock dragon boat race. The race is not taken lightly. In the hour they had to prepare, teams put on intimidating face paint and developed elaborate strategies. In real dragon boat races, teams of at least 22 (and up to 80!) paddle a specially made dragon boat, like a long skinny canoe. Well, we don’t have any dragon boats here, so we improvise by jamming four people into our two-person Wenonah MN II Kevlar canoes. This year, four teams competed. Team Topless Pirates, with Cindy, Andy, Luke, and Sarah, was expected to win, even accused of being stacked by other racers. However, after a furious start, Team Dragon Force raced ahead by successfully butting the other teams onto the tip of a point. Team Dragon Force maintained the lead and won, becoming the Sawbill Dragon Boat Champions of 2010. – Kaj

Pat Eidsmo is the embodiment of Team Tucan spirit.

The Sawbill crew racing down Sawbill Lake with natural fireworks in the background.

Leif Gilsvick, Clare Hansen, Liz Foot and Kaj Snow in the post-race glow.