‘Seawolves’ and ‘Wolf Pack’ Represent Stony Brook at 12th Annual Dragon Boat Race Festival

Two Stony Brook teams took to the picturesque waters of Port Jefferson Harbor for the 12th Annual Dragon Boat Race Festival, which brought together local and regional teams for a full day of recreational racing and cultural celebration.

Hosted by the Greater Port Jefferson Chamber of Commerce, of which Stony Brook University and Stony Brook Medicine are members, the September 19 festival saw spectators arriving early with lawn chairs and blankets to enjoy food vendors, music and entertainment before the final races concluded around 5 pm.

Representing both Stony Brook University and Stony Brook Medicine, the teams 'Seawolves on the Sound' and 'Wolf Pack' competed early in the day. While the students, faculty and staff didn't make it to the final round, they still enjoyed a full day of festivities, including land dragon races, DJ sets and countless performances.

"It was fun. It was the first time I did this, and I think we did amazing, even though we had really good competitors," said Juliet Guerra, a junior economics major who joined the event after being intrigued by it last year.

"I didn't really know what it was, but I told myself maybe this year I can make it," she recalled. "I was in the Union walking, and I saw the club and thought, 'I want to be part of that.' And it was amazing. If this comes back next year, I'll be back. It was really fun just to be part of everything, and I like how we were all just having fun together."

The day began with the traditional Eye Dotting Ceremony, one of the most visually striking and meaningful customs of the Dragon Boat Festival. According to legend, the dragons on the boats remain dormant until this ritual is performed, and only by dotting their eyes with red paint can they be brought to life and guided safely through the water.

Community leaders and youth volunteers from Long Island Youth Development Inc. were invited onstage as the dragon head was brought forward. They dotted the dragon's eyes, forehead and tongue with red paint.

Teams then competed in three-lane heats along a 250-meter course, with teams composed of 20 paddlers, a steerer and a drummer who kept the beat for the entire team's rowing.

For Yanying Liu, a junior majoring in social work, the festival has become a yearly tradition.

"I joined this team my freshman year, 2024, and it's pretty fun. I really enjoy the community," she said. "Last year I didn't even know how to drum. I watched a couple of videos and then started to focus more on the team and the teamwork, the drummer, where we should go."

Liu said the sport has shown her a lot about the surrounding community.

"It's been a really good experience to do this and to have very good teamwork with each other. I definitely recommend this event to other people. It's a pretty good event to join the broader Stony Brook community, and you can meet a lot of people over here."

The teams raced in three divisions: A, B and C. In Division C, Poor Jeff Dragons took gold, followed by Long Island Youth Racers with silver and North Shore East Elite with bronze. In Division A, GWP Family Dragon Boat claimed the gold with a time of 1:08.7. New York PD earned silver, while Dallas Fury took bronze. In Division B, FDNY Phoenix Society finished first for gold, with Water Warriors earning silver and Keeping the Faith taking bronze.

Barbara Ransome, director of operations for the Greater Port Jefferson Chamber of Commerce, closed the day with words of appreciation.

"We want to thank all our sponsors, teams and vendors," she said. "We're grateful for the beautiful weather and calm seas today. Mark your calendars; we'll be back next year on September 18."

- Lily Miller