Playing with dragons is becoming a popular summer activity within the University of Alberta campus community.

The university fielded four teams in the 11th annual Edmonton Dragon Boat Festival, Aug. 17, 18 and 19. The Health

Promotion and Worklife Services' U of A Dragonladies, 22 Scientists in a Boat, from the Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology and the Cortus Ordinary Least Paddlers, from the Department of Rural Economy, were all returning U of A teams this year.

A new group of paddlers came from U of A International. The team's name - United International Dragons - was a play on the United Nations.

Curiosity led grad student Rajarshi Maiti to try his hand at the ancient Chinese sport.

"I was free on the Sunday, the day of the free paddle, so I just came to be out in the sun. I decided to join the team as it

was not too difficult and I wanted to enjoy the summer as much as possible," said Maiti, who came to the U of A from India.

"Initially, it was just following commands from our coach, but as the team members became friends and we were having a great time on the river, I was looking forward to each practice."

As Maiti's skills grew, so did his competitive spirit.

"As the practices progressed and we started to improve on our timing and strokes, I slowly got hooked on it," he said.

"The thought of racing against other teams made us try even harder and to push ourselves for the couple of gruelling minutes that each race lasts."

All the hard work paid off. The team earned a bronze medal.

One summer of splashing has Maiti convinced he'll return.

"The experience and the atmosphere during the race will definitely make me come back to the water next year," he said.