ARA Erg Championships
The Central Alberta Rowing Club played host to the 2025 ARA Erg Championships on Saturday March 1. 2025. The ARA Indoor Erg Championships has become one of the largest indoor rowing competitions in Canada, with 153 athletes from six different Alberta clubs participating in this year’s event (I counted). While attendance figures were down slightly from the record 159 athletes participating in the 2024 event it was refreshing to see over 50 Novice registrants which bodes well for the future of our sport. The ARA commends our coaches, officials, volunteers and clubs for the success of this year’s event and a big thanks goes out to the Central Alberta Rowing Club for their efforts year in organizing this annual competition.
Results from the event are posted online under the link:
https://www.regattacentral.com/regatta/results.jsp?job_id=9570
A great article on this year’s event can be found via the following link
Alberta News
The 2025 National Indoor Rowing Day was held on Saturday February 22, 2025. The event is designed to get Canadians active and help grow the sport of rowing across the country. Once again, Alberta rowers showed up in full force in 2025 promoting the sport of rowing in a number of unique and innovate ways. A special acknowledgement goes out to two – 10 person teams in Calgary who participated in a 24 hour erg relay attempting to break the current world record.
Congratulations to the team of Amelie S, Barb H, Carol H, Courtney K, Geni A, Wanda M, Kasia G.W, Pam E, Patty, Lisa and Martina setting a new world record in the 30-39 age category of 2:08.1 over the 24 hour time-span.
RCA Coach Weekend #1
For the first time since the COVID -19 pandemic the ARA is pleased to offer RCA Coach Weekend #1.
The RCA Coach stream is designed for those coaches working with athletes who intend to participate in inter-club competition especially athletes at the Train to Train and Learn to Compete stages of long-term athlete development. To obtain the RCA Coach Certification coaches must complete the two-day coaching workshop that comprises Weekend #1 followed by a second RCA Coach Workshop – RCA Coach Weekend #2 a few months later. Upon fulfilling these requirements coaches will work on completing their portfolio before being evaluated to obtain the RCA Coach Certification.
RCA Coach Weekend #1 will take place on Saturday April 19, 2025 and Sunday April 20, 2025 from 9am – 4pm. The course will be held at 112-4th Avenue S.W, Calgary, Alberta. To cost to register for the two day course is $75.
To register simply email albertarowing@gmail.com The program is open to all coaches across Alberta.
Canada Cup 2025
As noted in past submissions the, The ARA is committed in sending a strong team to represent Alberta at the 2025 Canada Cup. Final selection for the event will be based on performance in a 1x or 2- at a camp to be held in June. Attendance at the camp is by invite only and will be based solely on erg performance. While the ARA continues to “tweak” its standard, athletes who hit a 2,000m score of 6:40/men and 7:40/women by April 30, 2025 will be given automatic invites.
The ARA knows that there are a number of athletes within striking distance of these standards and is eager to send out additional invites with the next round of erg testing.
Calling all Coaches
The 2025 Canada Cup is shaping up to be a preeminent event in the 2025 Calendar year. To help in developing coaches across our province the ARA is looking to send two coaches to this event who are currently working with athletes in the Training to Train, Learning to Compete phase of Long-Term Athlete Development. Coaches who may be interested in assisting the ARA with coaching duties at this event should email albertarowing@gmail.com expressing their interest.
Rowing Stories
The Assault on Lake Castitas by Brad Alan Lewis is arguably one of the most compelling books ever written on the sport of rowing. Rower Brad Alan Lewis was determined to make it to the 1984 Olympics. Having missed the chance to compete in 1980 due to the United States’ boycott of the Olympics and knowing that he would probably be too old to compete in the 1988 games, Lewis’s vision became singular: to compete in the double sculls at the Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
Lewis failed to make the national rowing team several times, once by as little as nine-tenths of a second. Lewis partnered with Paul Enquist, a commercial fisherman by trade who had also been cut from the team. The pair used somewhat unconventional training methods which paid off. The pair defeated the national team double scull entry at the Olympic trials, demonstrating that despite not being selected by the national team coaches, they were still a powerful team capable of victory.
Ultimately, Lewis and his double scull partner, Paul Enquist, came from last place to win the gold medal at the 1984 Olympics. They won the United States first gold medal in rowing since 1964 and the country’s first gold in the double sculls event since 1932.
Throughout the book, Lewis details his thoughts, on the path to the gold medal and take the reader on a journey of how one man can overcome all of the obstacles thrown at him and still succeed at the highest level. A truly inspiring read.
Upcoming Events:
ARA Training Camp– Invermere, British Columbia – Tentative
RADAR Submissions Due by March 31, 2024