ARA Erg Championships
The Central Alberta Rowing Club played host to the 2026 ARA Erg Championships on Saturday March 7. 2026. The ARA Indoor Erg Championships is now the third largest indoor rowing competition in Canada, with a record 169 athletes from seven different Alberta clubs participating in this year’s event (Yes I counted). For those who were in attendance on Saturday the level of excitement throughout the day was so encouraging and another example of how far this event has come in the past 20 years. The growth of this event is a testament to the dedication of our coaches, officials, volunteers and clubs all across the province. Not to be forgotten is the efforts of the organizers of this annual competition – the Central Alberta Rowing Club who seemingly build upon their successes year in and year out. Thank you all for a great day.
Results from the event are posted online under the link:
https://www.regattacentral.com/regatta/results.jsp?job_id=10260
A great article promoting this year’s event can be found via the following link
https://centralalbertaonline.com/articles/indoor-rowing-showdown-saturday-in-blackfalds
Invermere
The ARA intends on facilitating its annual training in Invermere B.C from April 17-19, 2026. The camp is designed to assist athletes in preparing for the on-water season and will be open to all Proficient rowers* (Junior through Masters) across the province.
Please note that athletes who are not deemed to be proficient rowers* may still be eligible to attend, but will not be permitted to row beyond the beach area without the consent of the ARA. Further details associated with the camp will be distributed in the coming week.
** Proficient Rower implies one who is comfortable rowing a single for 10+ KM in moderate winds.
Alberta News
The 2026 National Indoor Rowing Day was held on Saturday February 21, 2026. 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 2026 promoting the sport of rowing in a number of unique and innovate ways. A great job to all.
RCA Coach Certification
A Couple of weeks ago the ARA sent out an Expression of Interest to clubs across the province regarding interest in the RCA Coach Certification program. From that feedback the ARA is looking at the possibility of hosting RCA Coach Weekend #1 the weekend of May 2-3 in Calgary, Alberta. The cost for the program will be $100.
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.
Coaches interested in the program are asked to email albertarowing@gmail.com ASAP. The program will be open to all coaches across Alberta.
Rowing Stories
Over the years there have been a number of compelling stories and documentaries on the sport of rowing, but few (if any) have ever come close to matching the passion, and intensity like the four-part documentary Turning the Tide.
Turning the Tide is a four part documentary that follows athletes in the lead up to the Oxford – Cambridge Boat race. While only two of the four documentaries have been released (thus far) for this year’s boat race (2026) , everyone is encouraged to follow the lead up to last years race. Rarely does a story capture the hearts and imaginations of its audience but the 2025 version (Episode 3 for sure) brought tears to this writer’s eyes. Take a look and judge for yourself. The videos are provided below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRXenmNnC8s – Episode 1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VyK1MMoMAbY – Episode 2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9FMd5J81ho&t=5s – Episode 3
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Seoflvz-OnM&t=3s – Episode 4
Upcoming Events
ARA Training Camp– Invermere, British Columbia – Tentative
RADAR Submissions Due by March 31, 2026