A total of eight indigenous teams participated in the tournament, which is designed to encourage indigenes living along the east coast areas to preserve this traditional skill. The tournament has now become a major cultural activity among indigenous inhabitants in the areas.

Bamboo rafts have been key tools used to catch fish. However, advanced materials and technology have replaced this traditional method. For instance, big plastic tubes with better buoyancy have taken over the traditional bamboo, and motor engines have substituted the rowed rafts.

As a matter of fact, bamboo rafts are mainly used by indigenes to catch flyfish, which are a kind of migratory fish that swim from sea areas around the Philippines to the northeast sea areas of Yilan County to lay eggs along the island's east coast during May and June every year.

Indigenes row their bamboo rafts to catch this migratory fish, which has been the main source of food and protein. Because of overfishing, there has been a reduction in this resource year by year.

During May and June, visitors have the chance to eat flyfish in some small restaurants along the east coast highway. In addition, some indigenes sell baked flyfish as a snack along the coastal highway.