The Peace Dragon Warriors Paddling Club is presently a mixed (co-ed) team. A full boat is 22 paddlers, a caller (like the coxswain) and a helm or steersperson. The team holds hour-long practices thrice weekly, launching from the Riverfront Park dock on the east bank of the Willamette River in Salem. Practice is year-round, with a short break during December-February.

Our motto:      Peace work takes a warrior’s heart

"We can no longer afford to confuse peaceability with passivity. Authentic peace is no more passive than war. Like war, it calls for discipline and intelligence and strength of character, though it calls also for higher principles and aims. If we are serious about peace, then we must work for it as ardently, seriously, continuously, carefully and bravely as we have ever prepared for war."

~Wendell Berry, A Citizen's Response to the National Security Strategy of the United States of America.

Founded in 2007, the Peace Dragon Warriors Paddling Club is Salem, Oregon’s premier medal-winning dragon boat racing club, bringing diverse interests into the community through a commitment to this world-class team sport. Combining camaraderie, teamwork, and focused intensity, we seek to promote social and environmental justice and peace in every breath, both on and off the water.