Xenia Surie

“I started dragon boat because my now-husband had a national championship, and I came to watch the race. The coach asked about my weight and if I’d like to drum. So I did. I’ve always been very shy and quiet, but on the drum, I had to open up. It was very hard for me in the beginning, but I did it. I support the trainer in and out of the boat, give the paddlers something they can work on personally and as a team, and always try to evaluate after the races to go for the best results.

When World or European Championships come up, I read all the guides with the steer so I’m prepared. It’s very important as a drummer, just as it’s important to know safety procedures and communicate with the first bench and the steer. People usually see a drummer as a burden and it pains me because they don’t know what they’re missing out on. I’m very grateful to have stumbled upon this sport because it has taught me so much and I have grown a lot as a person since.

In Hungary, there was an official claim against me because I drummed ‘too loud’, in their opinion... I find it the biggest compliment I can get! It means that a team actually paid money to make a claim against me and when I heard that from the officials, I laughed! It meant whatever I was doing worked; my different rhythms with my double drumsticks. My own team gets an adrenaline push whenever I do my thing well, but these other people just got annoyed. I thought it was a win-win situation, really.

I was also asked how I could stay on that little chair without holding on to it. My response was that I used a rope as a seatbelt to stay on. Not true, of course, but her reaction was priceless! Most teams use a drummer because it's a necessity. But I’m part of the team. I train with them, I improve as well as they are. I help them and they help me.”

[Xenia Surie (Netherlands), drummer on the Dutch Dragons.]

093