Some people spend summer avoiding the midday heat. Others head to Inner Mongolia to compete in the Five Continents Ice Dragon Boat Challenge, racing across frozen lakes at –20°C. Naturally, our very own Kristi Barrow chose the latter — and made history along the way.

So… what exactly is ice dragon boat racing?

Before you picture something mildly chilly and vaguely canoe-shaped — think again. Ice dragon boat racing is exactly what it sounds like: teams racing dragon boats… on ice… using spiked paddles… in sub-zero temperatures that make your eyelashes reconsider their life choices.

The Five Continents Ice Dragon Boat Challenge, held in Xiliinhot, Inner Mongolia, is one of the newest (and coldest) international sporting events on the calendar. Launched in 2025 and organised by the International Ice Dragon Boat Federation, it brings together hundreds of athletes from across the globe — from Canada to Pakistan to Australia — to compete, freeze slightly, and bond over shared disbelief.

It’s not just a race; it’s a cultural exchange, a test of grit, and a gentle reminder that “out of your comfort zone” can sometimes mean minus twenty degrees.

The interview: Kristi Barrow on ice, adventure and saying yes to the slightly outrageous

Can you tell us about why you went to China — what was happening there?

I went to Inner Mongolia in China to compete in Ice Dragon Boat racing. No Australian team had ever been before, and we were really lucky to have the opportunity to go. We were invited by the local organising committee to send a team from Australia to compete.

We didn’t have much lead time, but we were able to pull together a team of paddlers, a name — Great Southern Ice — and a logo in only a few weeks!

The team was made up of regular dragon boat paddlers, predominantly from Sydney, but also from Far North Queensland and the New South Wales South Coast. We had a mix of ages and genders, including a lot of current and former Australian representatives.

We hear you competed under some icy conditions — what did it actually feel like to compete? Was it as cold as it sounds?

I’ve never really experienced anything like the weather. I’m not sure it got above –8°C the whole time. On the first day, during the welcome concert, it was probably around –20°C, and at one point I couldn’t feel my fingers. It was cold!

We were lucky that on competition days the sun was shining and it warmed up slightly to about –10°C.

What was involved in the competition itself — and how did you go?

The competition was the Five Continents Ice Dragon Boat Challenge, with teams from all over the world, including Nicaragua, Pakistan, Canada and the Philippines. We were proud to be representing an entire continent!

The biggest challenge was learning how to “paddle” on ice — the technique is completely different to water paddling. In fact, all our bad habits from water paddling — like entering the paddle at a negative angle and using the outside arm — suddenly became useful! It was a struggle but we managed to get the hang of it.

As for results — we did really well considering we’d never done anything like this before. We made two semi-finals and one quarter-final. We were unfortunately disqualified in the turns race after hitting the marker a few times… but we had an absolute blast trying to drift around it. We almost made it!

Did you get to explore China? What stood out?

We had a few days in Beijing beforehand and visited part of the Great Wall of China — you can take a chairlift up and toboggan down, which was absolutely amazing.

We also did the usual tourist things that I recommend. We visited the Forbidden City, had Peking duck, and explored the older parts of the city.

One surprising thing was that people don’t really use credit cards or cash — everything is paid through apps like WeChat or Alipay. Luckily, we were prepared.

Not much English is spoken, but many people use translation apps and were happy to help us.

In Inner Mongolia, we tried local food, including cheese and fermented yak milk, and I bought boots made from horsehair and sheep wool. I wore them during the competition and ended up on local Chinese TV — something like “Foreigner wears local grassland Ugg boots”!

We also went snow tubing and ice cycling. It really was a fun trip.

What was one unforgettable moment from the trip?

The opening concert. After a Mongolian heavy metal band finished playing, about 100 wild horses were released and ran across the arena!

I have never seen anything like it — and I’m not sure I ever will again. It was the ultimate mic-drop moment — the best one I’ve ever witnessed!

What are your key takeaways — and would you do it again?

If you ever get the opportunity to do something that seems a bit crazy — just do it.

I was a little apprehensive at first. I’d never been to China, didn’t speak the language, and it’s not the easiest place to travel compared to Europe. But it was absolutely amazing and I had so much fun.

Would I do it again? Absolutely. We’re already talking about how we might train for next year — maybe with a trolley at Macquarie Ice Rink in Sydney!

A quick note about Kristi (because this is not her first impressive moment)

Kristi Barrow is at the heart of the HEIA story — a long-time community storyteller through both HEIA and its predecessor platform, Estonians in Australia (eesti.org.au), which she led and shaped over many years. (Yes, she’s a tech wizard, writes, and casually competes internationally. Because of course she does.)

Alongside her work in community storytelling, Kristi is an experienced dragon boat paddler who competes at a high level, including participation in world championships. Her journey reflects something quietly powerful: showing up consistently, saying yes to opportunities, and occasionally finding yourself representing an entire continent on ice.

Ready for the full scroll?

Five Continents Ice Dragon Boat Challenge (official)
International Ice Dragon Boat Federation (Facebook)
Competition rules
Great Southern Ice (Facebook)
Great Southern Ice (Instagram)
Watch the action on Instagram