Rowing on gold was the sensation we had on Jimsmith Lake recently.

The lake and surrounding shoreline radiated a golden glow as the sun peeked over the hill and touched the tops of trees on the park side shore and then the homes along the residential shore of the lake. A light breeze rippled the water as we started out for a fall morning row and as we moved up the lake an eagle gracefully winged its way above us. This might be a good wind up row after a busy season for Rockies Rowing Club (RRC).

Thanks to the provincial gaming grant program and the CIP grant program through the Regional District of East Kootenay (RDEK) and Columbia Basin Trust, RRC was able to refurbish a trailer box/bed to make a boat trailer that would carry our long boats and oars.

Brian Passey, our boatman and treasurer (and grant writer), with his engineering skills, designed and had made the necessary parts that became our trailer. Our inaugural trip with the trailer was to Moyie Lake in May, with our quad (four people, two oars each) and double (two people two oars each). Moyie remained calm like glass for the entire row. The trailer was an ongoing project through the season with running lights to be affixed, painting to be done and other various needs to make the trailer ready for next regatta season so we are set up to take our own boats, with our own trailer, to races.

RRC offered ‘Learn to Row’ for several people this season. We had a good contingent from the staff at the College of the Rockies and when everyone has done LTR we can put together a quad or four from the college to enjoy early summer mornings or some touring adventures on other lakes next season.

Last season, as you may recall, we purchased a Quad sculling boat from Vernon Rowing Club thanks to grant money from the RDEK. This boat raced successfully at the Nelson regatta last year. The club decided that since some of our rowers are former sweep rowers that it might be useful to convert the quad to a four so we have both a quad and four in one boat.

Equipment was purchased from the boat builder who sent us riggers and steering device in order to use the boat as a four. The boat has become more versatile with this change. This will increase our capacity to train youth in sculling and sweep rowing so if/when they go off to post-secondary they have the experience to try for crews at their schools.

With that in mind RRC trained four rowers who are now rowing with University of British Columbia and University of Victoria. Kristen Wilson is rowing with UVictoria under head coach Rick Crawley. Kristen started rowing in 2014 and has won a few raced with her rowing partners out of Rockies Rowing Club. Danielle Macdonald, Kara Froese and Katie Clark are all rowing with UBC this season. Danielle and Katie started rowing together at RRC for the BC Summer Games in 2014 after which Danielle went on to Brentwood College on Vancouver Island.

Danielle continued to row under coach Debbie Sage where she was part of a winning 4+ (four with coxswain) at 3 Schoolboys Championships bringing home three gold medals. During that time Katie continued to row for RRC and was instrumental in winning some races through the summers including a race this August in Coeur d’Alene where she and Emily Sartorel, Katie’s younger cousin, won their double race in a borrowed boat.

Some may recognize Kara Froese as having played volleyball with COTR on the National Championship winning team. Kara learned to row at RRC through 2015-2016 and when she arrived at UBC last fall was recruited by rowers. Kara rowed last season with UBC and has taken up an oar again this season. Recent news from UBC told us that Rockies Rowing club provided two of eight (Kara Froese and Katie Clark) rowers to a Junior Varsity boat that raced at the Head and the Tail of the Gorge in Victoria and won both races.

That is exciting news for our local program. All the best to our ladies during this busy start of school and university rowing time. You will be challenged to your best.

Locally this summer, Rockies Rowing club was represented at four regattas: Vernon, Calgary, Coeur d’Alene and Priest River. In Vernon, one of our Masters rowers (those over the age of 27 are Masters) teamed up with a Vernon crew to place 21 out of 31 crews with an overall time of 21 min 30 sec for a three kilometre head race. Not shabby for a crew of ladies over the age of 55.

In Calgary our rowers Emily Sartorel (15) and Kurt Mohr (coach and masters rower) raced in singles but their race in a double (2x) was cancelled due to big winds. Emily rowed her first-ever single (1x) race in a time of eight minutes and 17 seconds for 1500 metres. Well done for a first race against some experienced University age rowers. Kurt placed third in his 1x race, well done for a full time electrician who also coaches for our club and does not have much time for training.

Coeur d’Alene was a success for Emily S and Katie who won their 2x race after a rocky start and some confusion on the race course. This was their first race together. The double (2x) winning way was followed up at the Head of the Pend Oreille (HOP) regatta on Priest River by Emily S and Rosie Vasilek from Nelson RC.

In their single (1x) races they came second (Rosie) and third (Emily). They teamed up for the Junior women’s 2x race and did their first row together on the way to the start. Rosie said as they were racing they passed a boat so she thought they would do okay. In head races it is difficult to know the result until the scores are in as the rowers are rowing against time not necessarily against other boats. The race has a start time and when the boat crossed the finish line the time is recorded and the start and finish times are used to determine the time it took to row the distance. Emily and Rosie were pleasantly surprised when the medals were handed out to find they came first in the 2x race, bringing home smiles for a job well done.

As the dock becomes slippery from frost in the morning and the fingers get cold from the chilled air it feels like time to tuck the boats away for the season. We will continue to work through the winter to keep fit for start-up in the spring.

The plan is to get in some ergometer training for cardio along with weights to build strength. Cross training works so getting out for a cross country ski and pushing those arms and legs will help.

The 2018 BC Summer Games will be held in the Cowichan region, July 19-22. Zone 1 has sent rowing crews the past two BC Games (2014, 2016) and intends to do so in 2018. If you are under the age of 17 by Dec 31, 2018 you are eligible to try out for a games rowing crew. First you need to learn to row so please contact Rockies Rowing Club at [email protected]

Wrapping up, RRC says thanks to our funders for their belief that we would accomplish what we set out to do. Thanks to our board for their support of the ideas our coaches put forward and thanks to our rowers for doing so well learning, training and striving for more. See you in 2018.

Lead image above: UBC crew with Kara Froese and Katie Clark (both learned at RRC) winning their JV8+ race in Victoria. Photos submitted

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