Get Ready! HOCR 2022 Is Just a Few Days Away

Our favorite fall head race is shaping up to be a legendary one. (Aren’t they all?) As a New England small business with deep roots in New Hampshire, the Rowing Pad team looks forward to the Head of the Charles each year with enthusiasm and fondness. From the incredible racing talent to the feel-good vibes of the rowing community that gathers on the banks of the river, it’s truly a weekend of pure rowing joy.

This year, the 57th installment of the event, we are particularly proud to be cheering on our founder, Victor Pisinski, as he rows once again in the Men’s Grand Master Eights (Event 16). What pad will bring with him to take on the three-mile course? Rowing Pad’s 20MM Boat Pad with Non-Slip.

Victor’s first Head of the Charles was the third rowing of the event, in the fall of 1967. He has made many appearances on the Charles since then, but he always makes sure to give deference to HOCR’s perhaps most infamous repeat competitor, his great buddy Jim Dietz, who has rowed in every instance of the annual race except for one! This year Jim will be rowing in the Veteran Singles event on Friday, October 21.

On Saturday morning, October 22, Victor will team up with fellow Northeastern University rowing alums to try to top their effort last year and make a great showing among the other Grand Masters entries. He’ll be joined in his boat by lifelong rowers and familiar faces on the New England rowing circuit, like Larry O’Toole, the founder and owner of Gentle Giant Moving Company, who will be rowing in seat 5. Four of the eight men in the lineup this year are over the age of 70! If you see them out on the docks or the course, give a “hooray” for Rowing Pad and good old NU.

Key Facts About the 2022 Head of the Charles

This year’s installment of the Head of the Charles takes place October 21 – 23, Friday to Sunday, on Boston’s famed Charles River. The event, started in 1965, draws competitors from around the world—this year competitors total more than 11,000—for a three-mile race upstream full of notorious sharp turns and iconic bridges.

Attending for the first time? The HOCR website gives some helpful pointers about the best points from which to view all the action on the river. Don’t miss the fun (and food, drinks, and merch) at the Weld Exhibition and Reunion Village gathering areas (special entry tickets required for the latter). We hope to see you there!