Erg Fest 2015

16 February 2015Featherdawn F, Alex ’15; Photos by Brian Carr

The competitive spirit rose within the Brentwood rowers on Saturday, January 31 as Shawnigan Lake School rowers arrived on campus. The day of the annual erg fest had arrived, and nerves were running strong. The races are held at both Brentwood and Shawnigan, alternating each year. This year, they took place at Brentwood, on the home front. Every rower competed, racing for either two kilometers or one and a half kilometers, depending on his or her skill level. Heats were composed of about ten rowers divided into seniors and juniors. Walking into the erg room, a non-rower would be swept off their feet in the excitement. During a race the sounds of ergs—indoor rowing machines—whirring is near deafening, and the enthusiastic cheers of peers encouraging the racers makes conversation impossible. The roar can last anywhere from five to nine minutes, depending on the speed of the rowers. As the last stroke is drawn and silence descends, even onlookers can feel the adrenaline rush. The ergs are set in three lines, with about four per line. In front, projected on the wall, is a race simulation. A small boat—identifiable by his or her name—represents each rower. This is what makes these races so unique—apart from them not being on the water. Onlookers, and rowers, can see where they are in relation to the rest of the people pulling in their heat. Each race has a mixture of Brentwood and Shawnigan rowers. Watching the race is very different from actually participating. Two kilometers is a distance, like the 400-meter in track that is short enough you have to sprint, but long enough it hurts. A lot. Though this festival is fun and friendly, a little healthy rivalry is also prevalent. As two talented West Coast schools, Brentwood and Shawnigan face off at every regatta during competitive season, and results often fluctuate as a Shawnigan boat breaks ahead at the last second, or a Brentwood crew finishes first. This year, Brentwood was victorious. The results are as follows, with Brentwood winning almost every heat. Junior B Novice Lightweight Boys: 1500 meters 1st Jose GM 5:19.4 2nd Ricky C 5:55.9 3rd Enrique C 5:59.7 Junior B Novice Lightweight Boys heat 2: 1500 meters 1st Derek A 6:28.4 2nd Oliver W 5:32.1 3rd Jonathon K 5:44.7 Junior B Novice Girls: 1500 meters 1st Andrea M 6:17.3 2nd Hannah M 6:26.3 3rd Alicia G 6:30.6 Junior B Novice Girls heat 2: 1500 meters 1st Danielle M 5:55.4 2nd Carla E 6:16.4 3rd Melanie J 6:23.0 Junior B Novice Boys: 1500 meters 1st Maximillian V 5:00.1 2nd Will P 5:14.0 3rd Zaid K 5:37.1 Junior B Girls: 1500 meters 1st Kate LW 5:54.5 2nd Tasmin W 6:04.8 3rd Lucia B 6:22.1 Junior B Boys: 1500 meters 1st Lion T 4:54.2 2nd Daniel L 5:18.6 3rd Marcus T 6:05.2 Senior A Novice Girls: 2000 meters 1st Josie S 7:37.2 2nd Stephanie C 8:21.8 3rd Beth B 8:32.8 Senior A Novice Boys: 2000 meters 1st Joe M 7:01.6 2nd Jonathon B 7:22.1 3rd Frank G 7:55.6 Senior A Girls: 2000 meters 1st Petra J 7:58.7 2nd Brook M 8:00.5 3rd Renee L 8:18.2 Senior A Boys: 2000 meters 1st Alex R 6:34.1 2nd Ellis H 6:49.6 3rd Liam B 6:56.8 Senior A Lightweight Boys: 2000 meters 1st Kaali A 7:05.8 2nd Leo B 7:07.7 3rd Nate E 7:08.3 The next day, Sunday February 1, two Brentwood senior athletes traveled to Victoria to compete in the annual monster erg, a huge 2000-meter race. Sydney P, Alex ’15, finished with a time of 7:10.1 making her the fastest Junior A girl in Canada, and Elliot R, Rogers ’15, won his heat with a time of 6:21 winning the Victoria event. Looking forward, all of the Brentwood rowing coaches are bursting with excitement to see what competitive spring season will bring—these results foreshadow great things. Featherdawn F, Alex ’15; Photos by Brian Carr

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