This Month In Buzz

President
Nov 9
4 min read

9 November 2025

Buzz,

It's been a busy month, with one local race and one international race. We've been welcoming new people to the team at our open days, and we're having fun at our social events too.

Social Events - Sign Up!

Before we get into the last two races of the year, this is a reminder to sign up for our next two social events.

Wing Night

Next Friday is another classic WING NIGHT to revel and support our good sponsor Wingman! Sign up on TeamApp.

The Buzz-tastic Bowl-Off

Let’s strike out the year in style!

What: The Buzz-tastic Bowl-Off (End of Year Bowling Social)

When: Sun, Dec 7, 2:00 – 4:00 PM

Where: Top Bowl Tenpin Bowling (Kai Tak)

Cost: Approx $150-200 (depending on RSVP the more the merrier and cheaper)

Food and drinks are available for purchase. Shoes are included in price.

Please RSVP on TeamApp ASAP so we can lock in the lanes.

Plus ones are ENCOURAGED!!!

Shau Kei Wan - Coaches Corner

As our final race in Hong Kong of the 2025 season, Shau Kei Wan featured a stunning venue with standard boat racing and multiple foreign teams.

Buzz entered the Open and Mixed divisions and came away with 4th in the Diamond Cup (Open) and 1st in Platinum Cup (Mixed). Excellent executions in both final races that were testimony to our improved focus and calmness, two main sources for "race confidence" and "precision power output".

Among all things we learned one important lesson: good execution at practice is one thing; having good execution in a real race (esp. Final) requires mental preparation. On that note, we were thrilled with our results.

Hualien Pacific International Dragon Boat Festival

From October 24-26, our team returned to international racing for the first time since 2019. Surrounded by a stunning landscape, it was such a privilege to race at Liyu Lake in Hualien, where we were lucky to be one of the 275 crews participating in the largest regatta there ever, competing against crews from around the world.

Day 1 - 2000m

The 2000m event tested both our physical and mental endurance. For many, competing with staggered starts, three turns, and intense right-of-way battles was new. Despite last-minute dropouts leaving Buzz Yellow with only eight paddlers for this race, the crew persevered and kept each other motivated. Buzz Green, starting as the fourth boat, paced steadily, paddled powerfully, overtook those ahead, finished first in their heat, and placed 2nd overall out of 17 teams - a fantastic 2k result, especially with seven crew members experiencing this distance for the first time.

P.S. Featuring Kevin nailing those super tight turns, left-side paddlers braving paddle clashes, and Henry powering through 11 minutes of intense drumming.

Our team at the opening ceremony!

Day 2 - 500m

Emotions ran high after an unexpected marshalling change caused Buzz Yellow to miss their first heat, but the setback fueled their determination for the repechage, where they launched with a strong start. Special thanks to Tony and Sarah for keeping everyone organized, and to Edmund for monitoring the race numbers. In the semi-finals, Buzz Green delivered their best 500m of the year - explosive off the line, steady and strong in the middle, and finishing powerfully. They placed 3rd in the semi-finals and 17th out of 60 teams overall. It’s not very often that you could experience the sportsmanship of all teams celebrating together for a great race after getting off the boats and that was one of the great things of an international race!

That evening, we celebrated coaches Henry’s 55th and Ping’s 60th birthdays at a hotpot dinner!!! We had a blast that night especially when we all saw the most humorous side of Ping... (Waaahooooo 🐺)

Day 3 - 200m

Despite the soreness from the 2k and all the laughing from the night before, we entered our final race day with confidence! After a season of countless 200m practices and races, this distance has become our bread and butter. Both crews finished top three in their heats, advancing straight to the semi-finals. Buzz Green placed third in the semis, clocking a top-eight time among 60 teams and earning a spot in the GRAND FINAL! Facing world-class paddlers, including World Championship gold medalists and national team, we finished 8th out of 60 - a fantastic end to the 2025 season.

Thank you Kevin and Hannah for organizing the race, Henry, Tony and Sarah for managing the team on ground. And most importantly, thank you to every one of you who put aside your work or life commitment to participate (and those who cheered us on by watching the live stream!) This race has definitely brought the team closer after spending time overseas for a few days (or a week for a few!). It wouldn’t have happened without any of you. We really hope to have our next overseas race soon!

Lastly, it was Dave’s last race with us! It’s been great to have him as our teammate and a wonderful sponsorship exec in the past 7 years! We’ll miss you and always save a seat for you. Wishing you all the best in Toronto!

More photos: