Beyond The April Rain: The Epitome of Spring Rowing

12 April 2023Novella R, Hope ‘25; Photo by Brian Carr

From March to June, our rowers spend their weekends competing against local and international clubs, preparing for the nationals, the CSSRA (Canadian Secondary Schools Rowing Association) Regatta in June. In the long weeks of training, the dedication and determination of each rower are tested as they push themselves beyond their limit, whether it is in the heavy April rain or on the Foote Centre ergs.

The competitive racing season kicked off to a successful start at the Elk Lake Spring Regatta at the start of March. It was the first regatta for many of our rowers, introducing them to the competitive environment. The team worked hard despite the bone-chilling weather and received podium finishes in almost every event. Two weeks later a select group of rowers from each program went to Burnaby Lake for the annual Training Camp. The rowers and coaches sacrificed a week of their spring vacation to focus entirely on the development of technique, speed, and team dynamic to get each crew on the podium at CSSRA’s. Mr Brian Carr, Junior Women’s Rowing Coach, explained, “It is about the final steps. It is about putting the puzzle together and that puzzle starts in the fall with however many students sign up for the sport and we say, ‘Let’s put this puzzle together’. As we get closer to the competitive season, I am excited to see how that puzzle fits.”

For many, the camp was an eye-opener to the potential that some crews have, which gave them hope and inspiration for the upcoming races. Mr Matthew Ward, Junior Men’s Rowing Coach observed, “ I think the club competition aspect of rowing is what everyone looks forward to and is what excites people the most.” At this camp, on a small lake where the coaches drive their athletes in white vans blasting every genre of music on full volume, the athletes start to realize the community they are part of.

Since our return to the choppy Mill Bay water, the crews have been focused on developing speed and finding the near-perfect technique. Anika E, Rowing Captain, explained, “I love the third term because of the competitiveness. I am excited to watch everyone’s gains through this season because I think we can thrive and dominate during this competitive season.” Likewise, Mr Ward stated, “I think it brings out the best of us in terms of our ability to commit, and our ability to really put in the work, and see how well we have done and what kind of work has allowed us to thrive in the spring.”

In the upcoming regattas, including our own Brentwood International Regatta, the crews will start to make a name for themselves heading into the most intense part of the season. Conor P, Rowing Captain, observed, “As the volume starts to pick up the guys seem to bond a lot more, and it is awesome to see. I am most excited about battling with some fast crews and making the Brentwood crews turn heads once again.”

The competitive season looks bright for the rowers like the sun after the gloomy April showers. They all dedicate numerous hours to their crew to make this a very successful season. In the coming weeks, including the Maple Bay Regatta this Saturday on Quamichan Lake, our crews will compete at three more events before the national championships in June. Every minute of every practice is used with purpose. When we see our rowers on the podium we must remember the long hours of hard work that got them there.

Novella R, Hope ‘25

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