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U of A Rowers Support the Edmonton Rowing Club at Annual Row for Kids Regatta

The Edmonton Rowing Club’s 6th annual corporate challenge fundraiser “Row for Kids” was held on Saturday, 10th September 2011, on Telford Lake (Leduc). The regatta invites corporate teams to race an eight oared rowing shell at a regatta over 750m. To prepare crews for this challenge, the Edmonton Rowing Club provides each team with 7 training sessions running throughout the summer. All participants are encouraged to fundraise while steeling their bodies and minds for the difficult side-by-side racing. The money raised through the event benefits the Stollery Children's Hospital Foundation and the Edmonton Rowing Club. The original concept and current organization of the event is lead by PCL Construction Management Inc., in conjunction with Golder Associates.

    Row for Kids represents an important part of the U of A Rowing Team’s commitment to the sport in general and the community at large. To make the regatta a success the UART put their quest for more boat speed on hold and headed out to Telford Lake to assist the running of the event in various capacities. Dubbed as “Row for Kids International”, “The Royal Row for Kids” or simply “The Championship” by some team members, the standing of the regatta in the estimation of UART athletes could hardly be higher. ERC rower and ex-UART member Marcus Briske was overheard expressing his wish to bring home a “Championship Gold” on various occasions.

While Marcus spent an adrenaline fuelled day steering and shouting his “Fab Shop Floaters” crew from one peak performance to the next, some squad members engaged with the project month earlier by assuming the role of head coach for one of the participating teams. In the early days of July, aspiring Row for Kids participants gathered in front of the boat bays to take their first timid steps towards eight-oared stardom. Under the expert guidance of Men’s captain Andrew Douglas (PCL “Fab shop Floaters”) and Ole Tietz (ISL Engineering), crews were taught to square early, pull hard and avoid catching crabs in a bid for the championship crown. Guest coaching honors go to Christine Henderson and UART President Jenny McGuiness.

With regatta day edging closer the buzz could be felt all around the team. Most UART members headed out to Telford Lake after their Friday afternoon classes to set up the regatta site and employ their rigging skills to fine-tune racing shells. While the teams uncompromising attitude towards training prevent the majority from being present throughout regatta day, those with coaching and coxswain duties were on the spot at 8am. While coaches Douglas and Tietz gave last minute instructions to their crews, aforementioned Briske and Dave “Newfoundland Dave” Ryan took their coxswain duties seriously by reviewing flow patterns and inspecting steering mechanisms. Although the atmosphere among the UART contingent remained harmonious throughout the day, internal squabbles for “Championship Gold” were apparent during the first heat as the PCL “Fab Shop Floaters”, coxed by Briske and coached by Douglas, employed the Henderson maneuver* on the ISL Engineering crew, coached by Tietz, racing in the lane next to them. The crowd on the bank rose to their feet, as the crews braced for impact under the waving flags of the Umpire. Cunningly, the ISL crew avoided the crash by catching a crab, before any serious damage could be done to either athletes or boats.

The dynamic duo of Briske and Douglas led the PCL “Fab Shop Floaters” crew to an excellent second place finish; with Ryan’s Dialog “B” crew coming in third and newcomers to the event, ISL Engineering, racing into a respectable midfield position.

Released from morning training on the North Saskatchewan, the rest of the team headed out to Telford to join the assembled coaches, relatives and ERC members for the awards ceremony and to celebrate this year’s fundraising achievement of over $150,000. This brings the money raised since the regattas inception in 2005 to over $500,000, a phenomenal effort by all participants. The UART would like to thank the Edmonton Rowing Club for the opportunity to participate in such a fantastic event. Club President Rob Swart and “Row for Kids” Coordinator Mei Wah Fong have been instrumental in leading the project. Thanks to all those UART athletes who sacrificed their time to make the regatta a success.

    With the scores on the board and the regatta history for another year, Briske reflected on his “Championship Gold” ambition. Having joined PCL in late August after finishing his Engineering degree at the U of A, Briske was outdone by another PCL crew in the “Row for Kids” grand final. The buildings division of the company raced to a narrow one length victory over PCL’s industrial division. Although the title stayed with his company, Marcus is not the type to look for consolation. His personal training regime is underway with the ERC’s competitive team, while crew practices will resume at two sessions per week from the beginning of May 2012. After the race is before the race.

by Ole Tietz

*Henderson maneuver, the: Steering pattern used in rowing racing, involving at least two crews and generally restricted to coxed boat classes. Cox “A” steers boat into the path of another boat “B” with the aim to impede progress of boat “B”. Generally leads to the disqualification of either or both crews.