Photo cred - Pierre Claude

A dragon-shaped whole has been left in our hearts when the Montreal Dragon Boat Festival stopped happening, but thankfully the Montreal Dragon Boat Challenge is here to fill that void. Being held for the second time, Montreal's Dragon Boat Challenge aims to be the largest dragon boat gathering and competition the city has ever seen.

Organized by H2oplayground and 22 Dragons, the Dragon Boat Challenge will simultaneously be a community-based event and professional competition, being the second part of the Triple Crown Circuit. Teams from the U.S. and across Canada will compete, so expect some stiff competition.

Anyone can register, with races being divided into three categories: men, women, and mixed. Fundraising will also be an aspect to certain divisions, the women's race for breast cancer survivors being an example.

For those totally in the dark as to what the hell a dragon boat is, just think of it as a super-long kayak that's able to house entire squads of people and originated in China thousands of years ago. The 'dragon' name stems from the  association between water and dragons in Chinese culture.

Montreal's Dragon Boat Challenge will take place on July 26-27th, at Parc Jean-Drapeau. Food vendors will also be on-site, to feed all those hungry spectators like yourself.

To get all the info on the event, check out the event listing and the Triple Crown FB event page.

Will you be checking out the Dragon Boat Challenge?

For more on all things Montreal, follow Michael on Twitter @MDAlimonte