Keeping the Green Lake Tradition Alive 1

28 October 2012Joel B, Ellis ‘13

Started in 1999, the annual training camp between Brentwood College School and the Green Lake Rowing Club helps both clubs develop while meeting new rowers and friends. This year, the 14th annual visit happened a little differently than previous years when the weather and the water had been near impeccable, the training conditions perfect.

This year, as the Green Lake rowers piled out of their bus on Friday afternoon, they were met with a little west coast treat: strong winds and pouring rain. Anyone who lives on the west coast knows that between the months of October and February it can pours buckets. After quickly rushing inside, the visiting rowers met their Brentwood hosts. Together they braved the stormy seas in eights. The practice, however, was cut short because the winds were becoming untenable.

After returning to shelter, soaked and looking like drowned rats, the eighteen Green Lake athletes each met their new roommates for the weekend, and headed to their rooms for a warm shower and a change of clothes. As it happened, the interhouse Geography Challenge was on Friday night and this allowed our visitors to get a taste of our interhouse competition.

Due to the severity of the wind and bad weather on Saturday morning, we decided against launching boats onto the choppy water. Instead, we visited the erg room for a relay competition.  Later, the rowers got to watch as their Brentwood counterparts frantically rushed to clean their rooms for the dreaded “Number One” Inspection.

The weather had still not cleared by the afternoon keeping us frustratingly landlocked, but since Green Lake had done a workout during our Saturday classes it was decided that we had had enough training for a day and went up to the field for a friendly game of British Bulldog.

Since Saturday night was the Whittall Open House, we got to have a break from the rowing and bad weather for a night of fun and dancing. Too bad we couldn’t stay up too late since we all had to wake up early on Sunday morning for one last row. 😉

On Sunday morning the weather had improved slightly, enough to get out on the water and do one last piece. All four boys eights were able to race the white line (a set course that runs along the north shore across from the school) side by side. Being able to practice side by side with other crews is a proven method to make boats faster. All the rowers came back to the docks with smiles on their faces; a competitive practice on good water is all we could ask for.

Although, thanks to Mother Nature, we may not have gotten as much rowing as we would have liked, we were still able to enjoy the weekend. In the end, the Brentwood and Green Lake tradition is an enjoyable and important annual event on our rowing calendar. It is an event to be looked forward to by next years rowers.

Joel B, Ellis ‘13