LWRC
NEWSLETTER
April 2008
Climbing, Always Climbing
Tina Cha
A
s rowers, the best way we could describe The Big
Climb, a 69-floor race up the Columbia Tower, was
that it’s “longer than a sprint; shorter than a head race.”
We were expecting a quad-burner and lung-scorcher as we
set to scale the state’s tallest skyscraper.
Our team of LWRC members, friends and family was
organized, well-informed and ready, thanks to our team
leader, John Alberti. Experienced stair climber Tyler
Peterson, who is consistently a top finisher in this race,
brought some family, cousin-in-law David Peabody and
sister-in-law Rachel Peterson. Nickie Lustig traveled from
Spokane to join us; Howard and Amanda Lee, KC Dietz,
Conor Bullis and I rounded out this diverse group. Jody
Wilhelm, who earlier in the month participated in the
Firefighter Stairclimb (like The Big Climb, except she
carried 65 additional pounds of fire-fighting gear and wore
a breathing apparatus … now that is hard core), volunteered
to be our logistical grounds crew on race day.
Climbers started in 5 or 10-second intervals, much like a
head race. Our game plan meant we seeded our team so
that the fastest in our team went last. Rachel and I started
the group and Tyler finished us up.
Earlier, Jody had suggested that, if by the 5th or 6th floor
we felt like we were going a bit slow, we were probably
going at a good pace. I thought that was excellent advice,
then proceeded to forget it. I started out a bit quick, much
like a sprint start, then settled in after about seven or so
floors. While John encouraged us to create individual race
plans and even assisted in helping us determine split times
and averages, ultimately my only plan was to do whatever
it took to get myself up to the top.
In This Issue
Big Climb Report
1
Manager’s Scoop
2
New Shoes on the Dock
3
Inspirational Race at Greenlake
4
Captain’s Corner
4-5
Rowing 101 Race at Lk Stevens 5-6
Big Climbers still smiling after all those stairs. Back Row: Howard Lee,
Jody Wilhelm, KC Dietz, Nicole Lustig, Tyler Peterson, Rachel Peterson,
John Alberti, David Peabody, Conor Bullis. In front, ready to do it all
over again: Amanda Lee, Tina Cha
Lake Washington Rowing Club
910 N Northlake Way, Seattle, WA
Open Water Racing in
San Francisco Bay
7-9
Coaching Staff
10
Board Members/Contact Info
11
206.547.1583
lakewashingtonrowing.com
LWRC
NEWSLETTER
Climbing, Always Climbing
(cont.)
I’ll admit I found a perverse joy in passing a few climbers
who were stopped at the stairwells, leaning against the
door with their head in hands, trying to catch their breath.
As I passed this scene more than once I couldn’t help but
think, it’s good to be a rower. Thank you, erg. And to my
rowing teammates who joined me at the Howe Street stairs
on Sundays to climb and climb and climb, thanks.
With 10 floors to go, race organizers were kind enough to
count down each floor as they came upon us. They couldn’t
have come upon us any quicker, though. The quads burned,
I was growing short of breath but I knew I was almost there.
Once at the top, I was so tired that I didn’t even care to
check out the view from the 73rd floor of the Columbia
Tower. I’ll see it some other time, I said to myself.
The LWRC team finished quite admirably. The top three
finishers, Tyler (who, at 9:03.6, finished 16th overall),
David and Conor, pushed us to place 10th in team time.
Nickie, our leading female, came in at 11:53 (11th in her
age division). Everyone on the team made it to the top
with their humor and lungs intact -- not an easy task. Find
all results online at http://results.racecenter.com/2008/
bcfltms08.htm
Including Jody’s Firefighter Stairclimb, individuals
from LWRC raised about $6,300 for The Leukemia and
Lymphoma Society. In total, more than 80 friends and
Manager’s Scoop:
Ways to Volunteer for LWRC
family donated to the cause.
To all of our donors, thank
you! The list of LWRC
members who contributed
to our fundraising efforts
is much appreciated. Your
generosity and kind words
of support remind me why
I am so proud to be part of
this community.
John Alberti and KC Dietz are
downright happy about the
prospect of racing up 69 flights of
stairs. Who wouldn’t be?!
LWRC Potluck Mixer
You’re invited to a post-Saturday practice
potluck brunch! Join your old friends and meet
new rowing buddies on Saturday, April 12, at
8:30, upstairs. We’ll provide coffee, you bring
something to eat. And even thought it’s NOT
a meeting, we’d like your dreams and ideas for
LWRC. This year we celebrate the club’s 50th
anniversary. We’ll be hosting a gala dinner in
the fall, but we’d also like to pick your brains
for ideas to improve the club as we go forward
to LWRC’s 100th anniversary. Please join us,
introduce yourself to folks you haven’t yet
met, and dream big!
Conor Bullis
L
2
ake Washington Rowing Club survives on the volunteer
hours of its members. With the amazing efforts of the
hundreds of members who have been a part of LWRC, the
club has thrived as a premier rowing facility on the West
Coast and in the country. The floors, the boats, the docks,
the programs and the website were all built and developed
by LWRC members.
Volunteer work force is important to the success of LWRC.
Without the time commitment from you and those in the
past this club would not exist in its present form. Using
volunteer hours, LWRC has been able to keep the fees low
in comparison to other clubs in the country and to develop
a tightly knit group of rowers all dedicated to the success
of the Lake Washington Rowing Club.
To continue to build and develop the club, you can
contribute some elbow grease at a work party, be a volunteer
coach for a Learn to Row class, help the Experience Rowing
Class, join the 50th Anniversary Celebration committee,
work for the 2008 Head of the Lake Regatta or offer any
help you can to other club endeavors.
As a reminder, all members are asked to volunteer 10
hours per year. If you would like to help with any of the
volunteer opportunities listed above, please send Conor an
e-mail and he’ll gladly put you to work!
April 2008
April
2008
New Shoes on the Dock
Newest Martha’s Moms Members
A
nn Vandor. I come to rowing by way of good friends
and the allure of water. When the Moms took on novice
rowers in spring ‘07, four friends — mothers of Lakeside
boys of ‘06 — signed on. Although one returned to land
temporarily, three of us caught the fever. Now rowing and
life seem so entwined. My husband Steven and I take in
the sights and sounds of Lake Union from an “empty nest”
overlooking Lake Union. (Sounds? Yes! As I returned from
a recent Saturday practice, Steven wondered who might
have been the recipient of patient coaching to “hang on
straight arms.” Hmmmm.)
I work in marketing, and
recently
became
the
information architect for UW
Educational Outreach. Aside
from family and friends,
books and movies, food and
wine, my greatest passion
is being board president for
First Place, a non-profit that
offers education, support
services, and housing to
children/families who face
homelessness.
As a pre-Title IX rower, I’m loving the team experience. It’s
humbling to be an awkward beginner but it’s wonderful to
participate in a sport that seems to know no age limit.
M
arcy Heffernan. Hey, those are my shoes…and I
took them off to climb into my first boat last May in
a novice learn to row class. I quickly became hooked on
both the sport and the
camaraderie among the
women in my group.
Our coach, sweet,
young dreamer pup that
he was, entered us into
a race after we’d been
rowing for about six
weeks, and although it
was pure insanity and
we were wildly erratic
in our rowing, it was
a hoot. It was one of
LWRC Newsletter
those “what the hell” moments where I thought to myself,
“What the hell am I doing here? Who cares? It’s fun!” I still
feel that sense of fun and adventure every time I climb into
a boat—I’m also always thinking in the back of my mind,
“Might be a good idea to learn how to swim one of these
days.” Off the water some of my favorite things to do are
playing with my kids and husband, romping with our big
dog, reading, beading, eating chocolatey things…I have a
lot of favorite things.
C
arrie McCabe. After spending five years watching
the boats row by my office window overlooking the
ship canal I jumped at the opportunity to join the Martha’s
Moms novice program in 2007. I have thoroughly enjoyed
the camaraderie that only a sport that begins at 5 a.m. can
bring and I hope to row for many years to come. Off the
water I work for the American Red Cross as a disaster relief
director, snow ski in the winter months and enjoy cross
training for triathlons.
K
im Manderbach. Rowing with the Martha’s Moms
novice group, the LWRC intermediate class, and
now with MM club has been the highlight of my year.
After rowing, I head to work at South Seattle Community
College. I am dean of student services and manage entry
and support services for students enrolled in college transfer
and professional technical
programs. We have a very
diverse student body with
more than 32 languages
represented.
The most
satisfying part of my job
is the opportunity to
meet with international
students.
My
husband
Richard
and I live in the Bryant
neighborhood of Seattle.
We have two adult
children—India, a doc
candidate in Public Health at UNC and Evan, who is in
his senior year of college in San Antonio. When I have
the time, I enjoy travel, cycling, and skiing. The photo
includes my English springer, Jackson, who monitors my
off-the-water training program.
3
LWRC
NEWSLETTER
Inspirational Race at Greenlake
Captain’s Corner
Julie Smith
Ginny Senear and KC Dietz
I
Opening Day - May 3, 2008
n two seat in Sammamish Rowing Association’s victorious
W Mst 8+ at Green Lake Spring Regatta sat something of
a medical marvel.
Her name is Dorothy Stenson. On January 3 this year,
she suffered a brain aneurysm directly behind her left
eye. On February 5 she was back practicing with her SRA
teammates. On March 15 she raced with her crew to a
winning time of 4:05 minutes. (Dorothy’s friends among
Martha’s Moms were stunned to see her and chagrined to
lose to her boat by 9/10ths of a second.)
For those who know this woman with the snappy, Boston
accent and the stylishly short-cropped white hair, it’s
amazing not only that she’s nearly back to normal but it’s
astounding that she’s alive at all.
Dorothy’s husband, Jim Stenson, tells the statitistics:
According to the neurosurgeon who performed Dorothy’s
surgery, 50 percent of people who have an aneurysm like
Dorothy’s die before reaching the hospital. Of the 50
percent who make it to the hospital, more than 50 percent
die within the first 30 days after the rupture. Among
survivors, about half suffer some permanent neurological
deficit.
Jim says, “The aneurysm didn’t damage any other part of
her body. What was affected was her brain.” Dorothy was
initially paralyzed on her right side when she awoke from
surgery. With therapy and time she regained her control
and is back to normal in just about everything except the
speech area of her brain. Jim says she’s expected to regain
full function with therapy.
On the morning of the Green Lake race, SRA christened
a new eight in Dorothy’s honor. Named the “Smooth
Recovery,” it has these words painted on the hull; at the
bow, where Dorothy usually rows two seat: “For Dorothy.”
A blog was created to help inform all of the people who
wanted to follow Dorothy’s progress. To date there have
been almost 12,000 visitors. If you would like to read
the blog, please visit http://www.caringbridge.org and
type in the user name dorothystenson1, the password is
pray4dorothy.
4
L
WRC has been invited to participate in the women’s
40+ eight and the mixed 50+ eight. The selection
process is well underway. We are expecting to put very
fast boats together, and hope to have the rest of the club
members cheering our boats on. Thanks to everyone who
has participated in pairs trials.
USRowing Northwest
Sweep Camp
Masters
Development
USRowing will be offering a sweep camp at the University
of Washington from June 26-29. Bob Ernst and Erica
Schwab will be the head coaches for the camp. The camp
consists of two full days and one half-day of on-the-water
training and video review with coach discussion, as well
as strength and core training. If you are interested please
contact Suzanne Lewis at [email protected]., or
register on-line at the USRowing site:
Http://www.usrowing.org/uploads/docs/08nwmascampreg
istrationform_MGL600.pdf
New Boat in the House
We are waiting for the riggers for the Susan Kinne double.
Word has it that they will be arriving soon. Look at the
web site for information on the inaugural row by Susan and
Dave Rutherford. The boat will be a restricted use boat.
Spring Racing Opportunities
San Diego Crew Classic
GOOD LUCK MST WOMEN!
Lake Stevens Sculling Regatta
April 12 • Lake Stevens
Lake Whatcom Open Water Classic
May 3 • Bellingham
Commencement Bay/Sound Rowers
May 17 • Tacoma
NW Masters Regionals
June 21-22 • Vancouver, WA
April 2008
April
2008
Captain’s Corner
(cont.)
Boats for Sale
• Dreadnaught heavyweight men’s single, $1,500.
• Iolanthe men’s C fiberglass single, c. 1990, $900.
Can accommodate rower 165-220 lb.
• Mahogany Kaschper single, price to be negotiated.
Boat Storage
We have moved many private and club boats at the
Fremont boathouse in order to accommodate the needs of
our members, and will likely be moving more boats in the
future. Thanks for your cooperation.
attending the coxswain meeting and novice clinic. Then it
was off to adjust foot stretchers, spacers and get ready for
their first race. Keeping levity in the midst of chaos and
jangled nerves, Steve Hertzfeld, the mild-mannered former
coach of some of the 101 members, was most supportive—
finding a bolt at the last minute to nail down a loose foot
stretcher—and quietly uttering about the other boat, “Don’t
worry, I loosened all of their riggers...”
We still have ample space in the Garfield Boathouse for
singles, at the low price of $200/year. It has funky charm, a
dock attached to the boathouse for those who don’t want to
carry your boat very far, and peace and quiet on the busiest
mornings. Also, consider putting your boat in cold storage
(up high in the racks) if you aren’t rowing. You can reduce
your fees and provide an accessible space for private boat
owners who row frequently.
Flip Tests
As I am writing this it is snowing outside. However, it can’t
last forever. So, in hopes that the weather turns warmer
soon, the first session of flip tests is scheduled for April 19.
Remember, you need to do a flip test before taking out club
singles and doubles/pairs.
Rowing 101 Team Takes on Lk Stevens
Lori Hunt
I
t started as a small notion: to create a space for novice
rowers to increase their knowledge and skill while bridging
the awkward gap between beginner and competitive level
rower. With approval from LWRC’s manager and under the
tutelage of Melissa Hayes, the intermediate sweep class
(now being called the Rowing 101 Program) was launched
in October 2007 with four Learn to Row graduates. After a
few short months the class grew from four to eleven and, in
March 2008, with the support of LWRC’s manager and board
of directors, became what LWRC is now calling the Rowing
101 Team. Meeting at 5 a.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and
Fridays, the group began training for their first race which
took place on Saturday, March 15th at Lake Stevens.
The team arrived at the sleepy town of Lake Stevens early
enough to stop at a little latte café and get coffee before
LWRC Newsletter
Sue Bell, Nancy Himmel, Ann Dalton, Lori Hunt, Erica Lovelace, Megan
Kruse, Chris Mahoney, Deb Atkinson and Patty Carr give it their all
racing against the Lakeside Juniors
The team’s first race was against each other in two 4+s.
Both boats had great starts and the race was incredibly
close, with the boat coxed by Sue Bell and rowed by Deb
Atkinson, Patty Carr, Megan Kruse and Chris Mahoney
holding off the boat with Erica Lovelace, Lori Hunt, Nancy
Himmel and Ann Dalton for three quarters of the race.
Only at the sprint was the other boat able to overtake them.
Both boats were happy with their performances, but Sue’s
boat was especially pleased considering they raced against
a boat with an experienced cox, a former collegiate rower
who graciously filled in at the last moment as stroke, and
two 30-year-old rowers.
With the completion of their first race the team had their
first experience with hot seating. Arriving back at the
recovery dock they quickly grabbed their oars and sprinted
to the launching dock (sans shoes) where the Lakeside girls
had graciously put the 8+ in the water. Switching quickly
from the mindset of competing against each other to that of
rowing as a unified team, the 101 team paddled out to race
the Lakeside boys. Once again the 101 team had a great
5
LWRC
NEWSLETTER
Rowing 101 Team Takes on Lake Stevens
(cont.)
start and was ahead for more than a quarter of the race
when the boys decided they weren’t going to be beaten by
a group of women (especially when one of those women
is the mother of a teammate). The Lakeside boys pulled
ahead in the last moments and the 101s finished the race
hearing Sue yell, “That horn’s not for you! Keep rowing!”
Although the team lost their second race they were
comforted by Yohan, Chris’s son and a Lakeside member,
who said afterwards, “Mom, hot seating is really hard. You
guys did great; those boys couldn’t have done that!”
After completing their last race the team went to lunch to
reflect on the day. “It was really fun with a great sense of
accomplishment,” said Deb Atkinson. “Suffice it to say, our
four was not looking forward to racing the 4+ with a backto-back race but now that we did it and did it well, it feels
great.” Commented Carol Fahrenbruch, another member
who was unable to participate in the race, “I was able to
watch the 1K practice from the launch on the Wednesday
before the race and was really impressed with the rate,
the stamina, and the technique demonstrated by all eight
rowers, encouraged on by our super cox, Sue. It’s exciting
to see the progress we’ve made on the water and coming
together as a team.”
Overall, the team showed tremendous strength in their
races, unity on and off the water, and grace under pressure
with hot seating and racing teenage boys, none of which
could have been accomplished without the tireless efforts
of Melissa Hayes, affectionately referred to as “Coachie”
by her team. The 101 team is incredibly grateful to have
such a gifted teacher and coach who demonstrates on a
daily basis a remarkable passion for rowing and for life.
Chris, Megan, Patty and Deb receive race instructions from referee
Melissa Hayes in her debut ref experience
“I owe much of my high opinion for LWRC and the rowing
community at large to the example that Melissa sets,” said
Magdalene Adenau. “She is tirelessly generous with her
knowledge, her time and her energy. She embodies a level
of integrity and passion that is truly inspiring to me.”
With regards to Melissa and LWRC as a whole, Virginia
Crynes, another IRT member adds, “LWRC intermediate
rowing class coached by Melissa Hayes has been a very
positive experience for me. I especially like the professional
coaching, inclusiveness and flexibility demonstrated by
LWRC. I am looking forward to the continued camaraderie
in our upcoming practices and races.”
The 101 team is most appreciative of the Lakeside crew
and parents for providing a second coxswain, loaning their
boats, equipment, and helping to carry boats so they could
complete back-to-back races at Lake Stevens. THANK
YOU LAKESIDE!
6
“All for one and one for all!” Rowing 101 Team members, left to right
back row: Lena Himmel, Nancy Himmel, Sue Bell, Megan Kruse, Chris
Mahoney, Patty Carr, Erica Lovelace (MST); left to right front row: Deb
Atkinson, Lori Hunt, Ann Dalton
The Lake Stevens Regatta is a nice capstone to the team’s
progression through the winter session and sets the tone
for the season ahead. As one member summed up, “The
whole experience was very empowering for me as a preTitle Nine woman who did not have the opportunity to
compete in sports as a youngster or in college. Many of us
have spent countless hours encouraging and watching our
children compete and it is so fun to be on the other side.
Our motto, ‘finish with dignity,’ coined by Virginia, was
definitely upheld in the Lake Stevens races.”
April 2008
April
2008
Open Water Racing in San Francisco Bay
Howard Lee
I
n September last year, Evan
wrote about the Blackburn
Challenge and how different it
is for those of us accustomed
to a 1,000 meter sprint with
six straight, buoyed lanes.
Amanda and I would like to
add to his thoughts about
getting you out to try new
water and rowing in an open
water event.
In April 2007, Amanda and I raced in one of the most
beautiful and challenging regattas: the Open Ocean Regatta
at Sausalito. The natural beauty of the San Francisco Bay
rivals our Lake Washington and Puget Sound. Add rowing
underneath one of the most beautiful man made icons,
the Golden Gate Bridge, and you experience something
incredibly unique to the rowing world.
We had warm, sunny weather and very little wind, a nice
change from the cold Seattle spring that we left behind.
The sun highlighted the shore in a beautiful amber glow,
which we appreciated all the more after a long winter in
Seattle. The start line is opposite downtown Sausalito, and
the regatta was scheduled to begin with tide coming into
the Bay. After the first two miles of relatively sheltered
water, we pointed our boat toward the Bridge and the
open ocean. At this point we could hear the ocean surf
pounding the opening of the Bay. We then “hit” a boat
stopping current right underneath the Bridge.
I call a water potato patch.
We were prepared to handle
the current and even rip
tides, but here the rip tide
“waves” were larger than
we anticipated. Rather than
going with the current in a
horizontal direction, they
were like a geyser lifting
straight up to what seemed to
be a height of three feet. The
first time the geysers hit us,
we were thrown about 90 degrees off course. The second
time I was completely in the air and missed a full stroke.
Amanda was muttering that I was trying to kill her and this
was completely a bad idea. In typical fatherly fashion I
shouted to Amanda, “look up isn’t the view of the Bridge
beautiful!” She responded with some utterances that are
not fit to print in this newsletter, though she would have
made the boathouse pirates proud. I uttered an apology to
Strauss, the chief engineer of the Bridge, for Amanda’s lack
of appreciation of the beauty of it all.
These conditions were like river running at its finest –
except instead of going upstream it seemed as though
we were trying to climb a waterfall. After the fourth or
fifth time of being bounced around we were still making
progress when mother nature decided to throw two waves
Amanda and I have experienced rough open water racing
in several regattas, most notably the Great Cross Sound
race, and in very bad water in our lake. We’ve even surfed
a double wherry off large rollers in the Sound. And that
is the fun of racing in open water – you have to use all
your skills. But nothing quite prepared us for the water
hydraulics of the San Francisco Bay. Every six hours the
tide brings 528 billion gallons of water through the narrow
gap between the Pacific Ocean and the Bay, with currents
as high as 6 miles per hour. Combine the volume of water
running into a very small physical gap of about 1.5 miles
with a vertical underwater shelf dynamic – the water depth
goes from 300+ feet from the ocean to less than 40 feet
underneath the Golden Gate Bridge – and this creates what
LWRC Newsletter
7
LWRC
NEWSLETTER
Open Water Racing in San Francisco Bay
(cont.)
at our boat simultaneously. The next thing we knew our
boat was completely submerged and we were listing about
60 degrees in the water. My starboard oar and rigger were
completely under water, my fat butt was sliding off the seat
and my port oar was waving uselessly in the air. I thought
we were both going to be dumped into the cold Bay and
crazy current.
The good news is that from time to time we could see a
rescue launch nearby with the driver keeping a watchful
eye; the bad news was the realization that a self rescue
or even an aided rescue was not going to be easy in this
water. Amanda was in the stroke seat and with a few deft
flat slide strokes she righted the boat. I silently thanked the
LWRC coaching gods of Hugh, Matt, Bill and Frank who
taught Amanda how to row.
the moment when you need to be right on the shore. And
reason three – we didn’t know better. The locals row this
all the time and know that the water is almost eddy-like
about 30 feet off shore. But the challenge of it all is the
fun part. Rowing in tough water makes you focus on
getting the most out of each stroke, teaches you patience
in getting what you can from each stroke and makes you sit
up navigate. I think we are better rowers for it.
The row toward the open ocean with the turn around at
Pt. Diablo was uneventful and quite frankly breathtaking.
(Note the comment “row.” We lost enough time in the rough
water that we no longer had our racing edge, and though
we rowed hard the last half of the race it just wasn’t our
racing pace.) The beauty of the hills coming down into the
Bay, the warm light of the
sun, and the spectacular
Bridge combined for an
amazing scene to behold.
We were completely swamped at
least three more times before we
steered out of the potato patch,
so we quickly became pros at
We tried to use the tide on
digging ourselves out of trouble.
the way back underneath
The Maas 2x that we used was
the Bridge to our advantage,
amazing; this is the true SUV
but unfortunately it was no
of the rowing world. Even in
better than it had been on
these terrible conditions, with
the way out. So we went
the foot wells completely full
back along the shore, found
of water, the boat responded Amanda and Howard close the gap between themselves and
good water and rowed
beautifully. Amanda and I were other crews as they approach the Golden Gate Bridge en route
across Sausalito Bay and
to Pt. Diablo
able maneuver well and the self
around to the finish. The
bailers worked fast to put the water back in the Bay where
post-race barbeque was great and the regatta hosts were
it belonged. I like to describe to people that the Maas 2x
extremely hospitable and gracious. Amanda and I won the
has a “gear“ that no other boat has when you need to get
mixed double event – we were the only participants in the
out of the “mud.” Kind of like a real SUV that can fix its
category. Sometimes just showing up makes you really a
own hubs and transmission. It is also fast in flat water and
winner. If people knew that Amanda was only 15 they
is just built well. Thank you Sue Danridge for loaning us
might have disqualified us.
your beautiful and safe boat!
Why is this a great regatta? You won’t find a more beautiful
So now you are thinking, what the heck kind of regatta is
course anywhere. I thought the Blackburn challenge was
this, and how can it be fun? One of our mistakes was that
enjoyable, as was the Great Cross Sound Race, but the mix
we were off course. A key piece of local knowledge is that
of natural beauty and man made beauty at this regatta is
we needed to be closer to shore by about 150 feet. Why
very unique. There is something for everyone with three
weren’t we? Reason one – we were trying to pass a boat
courses: a short course for beginners that is sheltered from
and were therefore slightly pushed out. Reason two – the
the currents, a moderate inside the Bay course and the
sound of the surf is so unnerving that you feel that you are
the difficult ocean course, so there is something for every
too close to shore and instinctively move away at exactly
skill level. The regatta is very well managed with safety
8
April 2008
April
2008
Open Water Racing in San Francisco Bay
(cont.)
launches and a team of people who obviously love to row.
But the best endorsement comes from Amanda: she would
like to race it again. In a single. Though she won’t say it
out loud, I think she’s tired of bailing me out.
While I would like to make it an annual event, I can’t
attend the regatta this year. But I plan to row the North
American Open Water Championship Regatta in July; see
http://www.openwaterracing.com. The North American
Open Water Championship will be held there with a
slightly modified course. For those of you who don’t know,
Tyler and Evan won the event two years ago when it was
hosted on the Great Cross Sound course. They finished a
close second last year on the Blackburn Challenge course
(20+ miles). I believe they are going to the NAOWC in July
along with a few others from the club.
Open water racing is both immensely challenging and
immensely rewarding.
Sometimes the straight and
narrow needs to be mixed up with beauty and the natural
challenges of potato patches.
Make Like a Boy Scout
and Be Prepared
A few notes from Howard on equipment and safety for
any open water race, although these are necessary skills
whether you row open water or on our lakes.
Water Practice
Take a swim in the lake to make sure you know how
to swim in open water. It’s not the same as a pool and
never hurts. Practice the self-rescue, and try to make it as
second nature as possible. Want to practice open water
conditions without rowing in the Sound? Try rowing in the
Montlake cut on a busy Saturday or Sunday afternoon. You
won’t experience anything worse than the Montlake cut in
summer. Sometimes the fun is just to challenge yourself in
extreme situations.
Equipment
Wear your PFD. There are waist inflation
PFDs that allow you to row. If you are caught
in a current there is a chance that you will be
separated from your boat. If your PFD is attached to
your boat and the boat is moving away from you, it won’t
LWRC Newsletter
do you any good. If you really insist on not wearing a PFD,
practice putting one on in the water. It is very difficult;
self-inflating ones are easier to put on but normal PFDs are
difficult to almost impossible if you don’t have a method
worked out prior to an emergency. Another note: adjustable
oars are no longer capable of serving as a flotation device.
They will not float enough to support your weight for an
extended period of time.
A whistle can be a lifesaver, too. If Amanda and I dumped
underneath the Golden Gate Bridge, there would be no
way for anyone to hear us because of the surf. With a
whistle we had a fighting chance for the rescue launch and
others to hear us. Thankfully we didn’t need to use it. Note
each of us had a whistle – because if you are separated
from your doubles partner you’ll need to find each other.
We use this plastic whistle from
www.stormwhistles.com as I had bad
luck with a metal whistle that was
rusted and not useful when I needed
one 20 years ago.
Bring a cold weather beanie type ski hat – not
a baseball cap. If you get cold, you can wear a hat to
conserve 20%+ of your body heat. The ocean is cold and
even in the summer the hat can be a godsend in dicey
situations for you or someone you might need to help.
Not necessary to bring on the boat, but nice to have just in
case: a GPS with a bright screen, a wrench to help tighten
bolts, a spare top nut and small roll of duct tape to fix holes,
oar locks or oars. Duct tape fixes just about everything!
PFD
Whistle
Tools
Self-rescue
Duct Tape
Safety First!
9
LWRC
NEWSLETTER
LWRC Coaching Staff
Theresa Batty Developmental Sculling
Theresa trained with the National Team pre-elite lightweights
from 1986-1989. In 1989 she was selected as an alternate
for the National Team. She won several U.S. titles and
competed in Canada and Europe. Theresa started the crew
program (with Cath Johnson) at The Evergreen State College.
She has coached at Green Lake, Mt. Baker and Stockholm
Rowing Club.
Coach to All
Frank started rowing as a schoolboy in 1937. He stroked
during his years at Harvard, winning numerous races. His
heavyweight 8+ at Harvard was inducted into the Rowing
Hall of Fame in 1975. Frank has coached Seattle Junior
Crew, Lakeside School Crew and many LWRC crews.
Hugh Lade Intermediate/Advanced Sculling
Anna joined LWRC in 1995, as part of the collegiate summer
program. Since then she has competed in both sculling
and sweep events, for a variety of clubs at numerous races
throughout the U.S. and Canada. She has coached youths
and adults, sweep and sculling, beginners and advanced
rowers.
Bill Tytus Frank Cunningham Melissa Hayes Anna Noble Intermediate Sweep
Sculling Technique
Hugh raced in college (and summers at LWRC in the mid’60s) and as a Master, winning U.S. and Canadian national
titles. He leads the twice-weekly Sculling Technique sessions
and instructs both beginning and intermediate Learn-ToScull classes.
Competitive Scullers
Bill has raced at the national level since high school. He won
Junior Nationals (4+), placed 2nd at IRAs in college (8+),
finished 2nd in Diamond Sculls at Henley (1x), stroked the
US 8+ at European Championships, 2nd at PanAm Games
in 1x. Bill has also coached the UW Men’s lightweight crew.
An LWRC member for nearly 40 years and an LWRC coach
for almost 20, Bill has coached Masters and Junior National
Champions.
John Tytus Mixed Sweep Team
John rowed four years in college, training at many USRowing
and Elite camps. Highlights include the silver medal at the
National Championships in the Senior 4-. John began
coaching the MST in 2001. His crews have won gold in
regattas across the country.
Molly Zeaske Evening League
Molly has been coaching the Evening League since 2004.
She previously rowed for the Mixed Sweep Team and in
college at the University of Puget Sound.
LWRC Programs
Do you know someone who is interested in rowing,
or just want to learn something new yourself?
Visit our Web site for more information on the following:
Experience Rowing Class
Learn to Row
Competitive Sculling
Sculling Technique
10
Fridays with Frank
Evening League
Martha’s Moms
Mixed Sweep Team
April 2008
April
2008
2008 Board of Directors
Contact Info
President
Marcie Sillman
206-322-4476
[email protected]
Vice-President
Bill Tytus
360-579-4155
[email protected]
Co-Secretary
Kate Brooks
206-218-6555
[email protected]
Co-Secretary
John Robinson
206-236-1994
[email protected]
Treasurer
Ben Porter
206-523-7344
[email protected]
Easy Fundraising!
Buy books through Amazon.com and Amazon
gives a percentage of the sale (5-15%) back
to LWRC! Every time you enter the Amazon
site, remember to go through the LWRC link
(www.lakewashingtonrowing.com) and LWRC
will make money on whatever you buy at no
additional cost to you. Try it!
Co-Captain
KC Dietz
206-284-8384
[email protected]
Co-Captain
Ginny Senear
206-525-0943
[email protected]
Program Manager
Experience the power of
pulling together as a team
Boat Bay: 206-547-2668
The Rowers’ Code
Conor Bullis
206-547-1583
[email protected]
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Always do what’s best for the team.
Every seat has equal value.
No talking in the boat (it’s not what you think).
Balance the boat.
Timing is everything.
Carry your load.
The coach is in charge.
Everything stays in the boat.
-Marilyn Krichko, Founder, The OARS Program
866.599.OARS
LWRC Newsletter
www.oarsprogram.com
11
Facility Rental Available!
Searching for the perfect location for
an upcoming party, banquet, meeting,
wedding or reception?
Host your next event at
Lake Washington Rowing Club
For facility rental inquires,
please contact Andi Day
206 . 714 . 5087
or
AndiDay1 @aol.com
Lake Washington Rowing Club
910 N. Northlake Way
Seattle, WA 98103-8831
Presorted Standard
U.S. Postage
PAID
Seattle, WA
Permit # 1445
“A Tradition
of Excellence”