Hapag-Hustlers Win Again at the 25th Atlanta Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival!

September 10, 2022 marked the 25th anniversary of the Atlanta Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival. Not only was Hapag-Lloyd AG a main sponsor of the event, but we also had dozens of participants that participated in the races to fill two 20 paddler boats! “Thousands of competitors and spectators join to cheer their favorite teams, witness cultural events during the opening ceremonies, and indulge in cuisine from around the world.” (dragonboatatlanta.com)

The day started early, with volunteers waking up as early as 4:00am to get to the event and help set up and pick up breakfast and coffee for the team and spectators. It was a dreary day with cooler than normal temperatures, rain, and a lot of wind, which made it challenging for the paddlers. Samara, the daughter of Hapag-Lloyd Manager Abida Thompson , kicked off the morning by brilliantly singing the National Anthem. ?

After the first two heats, including one where another dragon boat collided with one of the Hapag-Lloyd teams, both teams qualified to be seated in the final race as medal contenders. The Hapag-Hustlers were easily the loudest and most enthusiastic teams, both on the water and on land, chanting and cheering for each other.

Senior leadership, including President of region North America, Uffe Ostergaard , showed up to cheer on the teams to victory. But the participation from senior leadership did not stop there! Uffe hopped in the boat and paddled with the team that brought home a bronze medal in the final! We also had participation from multiple senior vice presidents that also paddled with the team and helped the Hapag-Hustler’s second boat bring home a Silver medal! That’s right, Hapag-Lloyd won two out of the three medals awarded to our division. First, second, and third place were so close that less than a second determined the difference between each team’s placement.

Hapag Hustlers team captain Todd Roy stated, “a huge THANK YOU for the great turnout given weather challenges. The weather improved as the day went on and what a fantastic day! Seeing so many family members and friends of staff come out to participate helped make the day even more fun with our large fan base!” He also gave a shout out to all the volunteers that helped to make the event a success.

With the regional headquarters now re-located to Atlanta and many more employees now all under one roof at the new Ravinia building, we are looking forward to an even bigger, more exciting event for next year’s Dragon Boat Festival! “When I say Hapag, you say Lloyd!”