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In Canada, through the efforts of people like Mike Kerkmann from Toronto and his company, Great White North Communications, festival dragon boat racing has developed at an astonishing rate over the past 12 or more years, with community dragon boat races now being held in towns and cities across the country. Recently, it has spread to the United States.

At the international level the IDBF now organizes three levels of world championships: for corporate and community festival racers, for serious dragon boat clubs, and for national dragon boat crews representing their countries at the highest level in the sport.

Heading the list of top nations in dragon boating is Canada, which has won more gold, silver, and bronze medals across the spectrum of championship divisions (premier, junior, and senior) than any other nation, including China, the traditional home of the sport, since the first world championships were held at Yueyang in 1995. Canada also lays claim to having won the Nations Cup for the best Premier Division crew, three times in a row — a feat as yet unmatched by any other nation.