Happy New Year!
A Happy New Year to all of our coaches, officials and athletes. We at the ARA hope that we can build upon our successes that our clubs and university programs witnessed in 2024 and make 2025 an even more memorable year than last.
Canada Cup 2025
The Canada Cup Regatta is a U20 event that will see the nation’s best young athletes our sport has to offer compete against one another. To assist with the planning process, athletes should be aware of the following.
- Selection for the 2025 Canada Cup Regatta will transpire sometime in June. Selection for the 16 spots will be competitive and preparations should start ASAP.
- Athletes who wish to be considered eligible for the games should be aware that performance on the erg is an important factor in the selection process. Heavyweight athletes should now be aware that a 2K erg standard of approximately 6:40 men and 7:40 women will be required to attend the selection camp. (The ARA understands that the erg standards are aggressive but are reflective of a standard required to compete at an event like the 2025 Canada Cup Regatta.
- Let history show that those athletes who attend practice on a regular basis within their club environment witness significant progress on the erg during the winter months. Athletes who are interested in attending the Canada Cup event are encouraged to attend practice with their local clubs regularly.
- The ARA will be planning a series of preparatory camps throughout the spring to assist aspiring athletes in preparing for the event. Additional details on these camps will be provided in the months ahead.
2025 – an important year ahead.
For those athletes who are not Canada Cup eligible, the ARA sees the upcoming season as a year of endless opportunities; with regattas for the young and “youngish”, and events for athletes of all skills and abilities. Here is just a small list of events planned for 2025.
Alberta Erg Championships – March 1, 2025 Blackfalds, Alberta
Invermere Rowing Camp – April 18-20 – Invermere B.C (We know that is also Easter Weekend)
RCA Speed Order Regatta – Date Unknown but potentially April 2025
Edmonton Boat Race – May 2025?
West Small Boat Trials May 17-18 – Duncan., BC
Canada Cup Selection Event – June 14-15 (Tentative)
Prairie Regatta Circuit – May, June and July
U23 World Rowing Championships – July 23-27 – Poznan Poland
Vermilion Training Camp – For athletes of all ages in July of 2025
2025 Royal Canadian Henley Regatta in St. Catharines, Ontario – August 3-10, 2025
2025 Canada Cup Regatta – August 11-17 – Niagara Region Ontario.
2025 World Masters Championships – September 10-14 – Banyoles Spain
2025 World Rowing Championships– September 21-28 – Shanghai China
The 2025 Canadian University Rowing Championships – November 2025
We at the ARA are hopeful that our athletes can achieve considerable success in 2025
Rowing Canada Coaches Conference
The Rowing Canada Coaches Conference is an annual gathering of coaches, officials, volunteers and athletes from across the country to learn about all things rowing. The 2025 conference will be held virtually this year providing everyone the opportunity to hear from leading experts in the sport of rowing right from your living room at a very reasonable price. We at the ARA believe this is a tremendous opportunity for all interested to hear from a worldwide panel of experts within our sport. Anyone interested in attending is encouraged to follow the link https://rowingcanadaaviron.regfox.com/2025-rowing-canada-aviron-national-conference
Rowing Stories
When we think of memorable rowing stories we immediately think of our high performance athletes and the challenges they overcame to succeed at the highest level. However, we all have a story to share within the sport many of which we can all relate to at some level. In scouring the internet, the following article from Jaybie Cantey of Virginia caught my eye. This story takes me back to my first day; and possibly yours as well.
I remember distinctly the first water practice my novice year…thirty or so of us, only two of which had rowed in high school, were shuttled out to the boathouse in buses. Lineups were posted and we prepared to launch, and that was when we realized we were in for a rough learning curve. My boat very nearly destroyed an 8 attempting to get it down from the racks, everyone took the wrong oars down, and one boat walked its stern man off the end of the dock into the water. The actual practice was basically thirty two individual rowers thrashing around to the calls of “4 seat, you’re late, 2 seat, you’re early, 5 seat, you’re skying, 7 seat…what the hell are you doing? AAAAAH!” *thump*. But the end all was after practice. The boat behind us rolled up out of water and split to shoulders in a flawless execution…unfortunately, the coxswain neglected to get out of the way and was knocked out cold by the rapidly descending bow deck. Over the rest of the year, we would get better and faster, but no matter how long I row, I’ll always remember that first day on the water…and wonder how I survived.
Upcoming Events
RCA Coaches Conference January 24-25 – Virtual Conference