Yes! The rumors you heard are true… AZDBA has purchased six (6) additional Champion 20-man festival boats, and we are currently trying to work out the shipping situation from China to get them here as quickly as possible. We are hopeful that we will receive them by late October, but they will definitely be here in time for the next festival in March. Stay tuned for more updates as we head into the Fall…
In the meantime, we trust that all the AZDBA teams are enjoying the “upgrade” in the practice boats when we swapped out the older festival boats to replace the ones that were nearing their useful life. We’ve also received good feedback from paddlers that they are enjoying the use of the foot braces that are built into these festival boats that weren’t available in the previous practice boats.
Just as an FYI, AZDBA donated two of our older (but still sea-worthy practice) boats to the Phantom Dragon team in Colorado earlier this year, and has plans to sell one to the City of Tempe for display purposes. The remaining boats are in heavy need of repair, and we are still trying to decide whether to dispose of them or possibly renovate them. If you or someone you know has interest in these boats, or you have some ideas, please contact us at board@azdba.org
