Olympic Qualification
Nestled amongst the Swiss Alps is the town of Lucerne and the site of one of the most gruelling races in the sport of rowing. In an Olympic year, many of the world’s best rowers descend upon Lucerne, Switzerland with the hopes of earning one of the last remaining qualifying spots at the Olympic Games. On account of the regatta’s importance the event is commonly known as the “Regatta of Death” and the feature of a short YouTube documentary that chronicles the trials and tribulations of the 2021 Olympic Qualification event. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vlapnKcijnc
The 2024 event, which takes place from Sunday May 19th through to Tuesday May 21 features Alberta’s own Curtis Ames. Curtis and his teammates will look to qualify the Canadian Men’s 8+ for the 2024 Olympic Games in France. We at the ARA send Curtis and all of Canada’s crews best wishes in Lucerne.
Coastal Coaching
Coastal rowing is one of the fastest growing segments of our sport and the ARA is in need of qualified coaches. On Tuesday May 21, and Thursday May 23 from 4pm – 6:30om MST RCA will provide a hybrid coaching workshop that will deliver virtual and in person (beach) modules in 2024 – times and location TBD.
RowOntario will host the initial virtual coach training but subsequent training and deliveries will be offered in 2024. Coaches interested in participating in this initial online workshop are encouraged to email the writer directly at albertarowing@gmail.com. Coaches that do not get access to this first delivery will have the opportunity to attend future training.
Marketing Initiative
For the better part of the last nine months the ARA has been working with a marketing firm to develop a series of videos that looks to build interest in our sport here in Alberta. Two of those three videos are now available and can be found via this link. We hope you like the final product (we at the ARA think they are unique) and encourage all athletes, coaches, parents, volunteers and officials to post the videos on your social media accounts to build interest in our sport in your local community.
Edmonton Boat Race
Rowing is one of the world’s oldest sports and the races that have come to define it are some of the most storied traditions the world over. In England there is the “Boat Race”, a 165 year-old competition between Oxford University Boat Club and the Cambridge University Boat Club
In the United States the Harvard Yale regatta has over 150 years of tradition and is America’s oldest collegiate athletic competition. Here in Canada there is the McGill – Queen’s Challenge Boat Race, and on the west coast there is the Brown Cup – a boat race between the University of Victoria and the University of British Columbia and now Alberta has a boat race of its ow
Thanks to the efforts of the ERC board and its coaches the 2024 version will be held in conjunction with a 50th anniversary celebration of the ERC. The event will be held on Saturday May 18th on the North Saskatchewan River with Junior, Novice and Master races along with an Alberta race featuring the best 16 male and female athletes across the province. Here is hoping for a great day of racing.
Save the Date
Registration for the 2024 Lakeland Rowing Camp is now open. The camp held is open to athletes of all ages and skill levels. We hope that everyone will mark the dates of July 19 through to 21, 2024 in their calendars and come out to Vermilion to participate in this year’s event. To register simply follow this link.
Rowing Stories
This past week the ARA mourned the loss of Bev Hoskins. Bev was a long time board member with the ARA and was been pivotal in developing the sport of rowing in both Edmonton and Alberta abroad. The proud mother of two Olympic athletes, Andrew (2004) and Zoe (2008) Bev’s impact on our sport was profound. The ARA sends its condolences to the Hoskins family and the broader ERC community.
Upcoming Events ERC Boat Race – May 18 – Edmonton Alberta