Your cart is currently empty!
Tag: Amoskeag Rowing Club
Don’t Miss These Great New England Fall Rowing Events
Don’t Miss These Great New England Fall Rowing Events
By the time September rolls around, most “fall” rowing programs in our charming corner of the country are well under way. But as New Englanders, the RowingPad team still regards September and October as the autumnal glory days, full of classic local regattas and the global highlight that is the Head of the Charles.
As supporters of rowers local (RowingPad is a proud sponsor of Great Bay Rowing’s juniors program) and international, we follow each of these events with equal enthusiasm and even, when we can, take part in some respectable masters and alumni racing.
Here are some excellent rowing events taking place across New England this fall. We hope to see you at one or more!
Courtesy @criboston CRI Fall Classic Regatta, September 21, 2019
This early-season 3-mile head race on the Charles River hosted by Community Rowing Inc. is in its 10th year. Featuring a buoyed course and supervised by U.S. Rowing refs, it welcomes rowers of all levels to its 40-plus races, including adaptive events. Originally called “Rumble on the River,” the first installment coincided with the organization’s move to its new Harry Parker Boathouse in 2010 and featured rowing plus a battle of the bands.
The course and scope of the event evolved rapidly, and as the group’s website says, “In 2015, the event became the CRI Fall Classic Regatta to reflect its development into the premier early fall rowing event in New England. In 2010, the first regatta had about 40 entries. The 2018 regatta last fall had about 302 entries, including competitors from many New England states and New York, as well as a number of new youth crews.” That’s something to celebrate! If you are spectating, partake of the yummy food truck fare and make sure to check out the beautiful boathouse.
Head of the Merrimack, September 28, 2019
The Essex Rowing Association hosts this fun day of racing on the Merrimack River in Methuen, New Hampshire. The 5K race, which includes juniors, high schoolers, and masters levels and is a regional favorite event among the private rowing clubs in the area, traces some of the river’s most scenic spots along the Methuen shore.
An old event logo, courtesy of Putney Rowing Club. Green Mountain Head Regatta, September 29, 2019
Putney Rowing Club, based out of the idyllic town of Putney on the Vermont-New Hampshire border, hosts this charming and beloved local race along the northern Connecticut River. Why do we say “charming”? Well, the event traces its origins to the 19th century, and despite the illustrious rowing figures who have participated over the years, the awards still feature maple syrup for first place, a bag of apples for second and a gallon of cider for third. Join approximately 350 racers (a fair number of them in wooden boats) for the stake race, launched in intervals, that runs 1.5 miles upstream, around two buoys and back again. If you’ve never seen a stake race, this is truly a fun event for spectating!
The Textile River Regatta, October 6, 2019
This year marks the 40th anniversary of this vibrant head race on the Merrimack River in Lowell, Massachusetts. Schools and clubs from throughout New England, New York and Pennsylvania compete in nearly 60 different events across all levels—so the energy level will be high. You can even tune in to the Textile River Regatta Radio, the event’s own radio station featuring live calls on race day. Check out the stunning photos captured at last year’s event and plan your trip to partake in the live action the first weekend in October.
The launch point at Head of the Housatonic, courtesy of New Haven Rowing Club. Head of the Housatonic, October 12, 2019
We’ve seen plenty of New Hampshire and northern Massachusetts regattas in our day, but the Head of the Housatonic Regatta, held in the southern reaches of Shelton, Connecticut, offers a different kind of race format. At this popular annual event, hosted by the New Haven Rowing Club at Indian Well State Park along the Housatonic River, competitors launch from the sandy beach by walking boats into the water (there is no dock). Boats follow a very specific traffic pattern involving colored buoys—we’re intrigued to see how this all works in the thick of the race!
New Hampshire Championships George Dirth Memorial Regatta, October 13, 2019
Can you handle back-to-back weekends of intense fall rowing competition? If the answer is yes, then head to the George Dirth Memorial Regatta, which takes place the weekend before Head of the Charles and has the distinction of being the largest New England rowing event north of Boston. How large? More than 2,000 athletes rowing nearly 400 sculling and sweep boats.
Hosted by the Amoskeag Rowing Club in Pembroke, New Hampshire, the 3-mile head race begins upriver on the Merrimack and finishes at Memorial Park. In addition to providing a wonderful day of racing in a beautiful fall setting, this year’s event honors George Dirth, a former member of the rowing club and varsity rower at Oregon State University who died tragically at age 27, and awards a New Hampshire Cup team trophy for the best overall team performance.
A RowingPad founder and his crew during HOCR 2016. The 55th Annual Head of the Charles, October 19-20, 2019
Want to learn a fun piece of RowingPad trivia? One of our founders, Victor Pisinski, has quite a record with this beloved Boston regatta. The first HOCR was held in 1965. Victor made his debut on the Charles River course in year three…and he has raced in the event many years since! Unfortunately, 2019 marks one of the first years in a while Victor will not be able to compete due to a pesky foot injury, but you can bet he will be there in spirit!
This year’s installment of the Boston head race, the largest two-day regatta in the world, is sure to bring some fresh elements, including a brave push for sustainability and lessening environmental impact, and heightened racing with Tokyo 2020 on the horizon.
Want to hear more from RowingPad?
Keep informed of all our sales and promotions as well as interesting happenings in the rowing world by following us on Facebook, Instagram or subscribe to our e-newsletter.
June 2nd Is National Learn to Row Day: Get Out There and Try It!
June 2nd Is National Learn to Row Day: Get Out There and Try It!
This Saturday, June 2, 2018, marks the 17th annual observance of National Learn to Row Day, an occasion sponsored by U.S. Rowing and Concept2 in an effort to bring the joy of rowing to people of all ages and fitness levels.
Across the country, rowing clubs and health clubs will be hosting special events and promotions to increase awareness of the sport and attract new participants. Current competitive and recreational rowers are encouraged to bring friends and family to a workshop, class, or exhibition so they can test the waters (or an ergometer) for themselves.
As a company founded by rowers for rowers, RowingPad is passionate about spreading the good word about our sport and its many benefits. To celebrate National Learn to Row Day this year, we are offering free shipping on all purchases for the entire month of June. (Use the code “RPLTR” at checkout.)
Looking to get involved in a Learn to Row event in the New Hampshire area? Check out our roundup of several great ones taking place this weekend and hosted by some pretty wonderful rowing clubs and organizations in our local area. For those farther afield, check to see if your area has a local rowing club or search for a registered event on the U.S. Rowing website.
We hope this year’s Learn to Row initiative brings the joy of rowing to many lucky people—both in our backyard and in the many beautiful rowing communities around our country.
NEW HAMPSHIRE AREA LEARN TO ROW EVENTS
Photo courtesy of Great Bay Rowing Club Great Bay Rowing Club (Dover, NH)
Join the Great Bay Rowing Club at the Dover Boathouse on River Street from 12 to 4 p.m. for special learn to row programs along the banks of the Cocheco River. This wonderful local club, which operates out of both Jackson’s Landing in Durham and Dover and shares facilities with UNH, offers everything from learn-to-row programs and sculling classes for juniors (grades 8 through 12) and adults to competitive racing for all ages and levels. (You might even catch one or two RowingPad representatives there taking part in the on-water fun and checking out the new docks just installed by the boathouse!)
Essex Rowing Club (Methuen, MA)
Photo courtesy of Essex Rowing Club For those who live closer to the NH-MA border, the Essex Rowing Club is an active, award-winning rowing club committed to providing athletes of all ages the guidance and resources to reach their potential in the sport. This Saturday, get insider access with a boathouse tour and guided introduction on that notorious indoor rowing machine, the erg. Then head out to the scenic Merrimack River for a taste of on-water rowing. The club specifies that absolutely no experience is necessary to participate, saying “Don’t worry, our boats have training wheels!” The free event runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 656 Lowell Street.
Amoskeag Rowing Club (Hooksett, NH)
Those along the more northern reaches of the Merrimack River should head to the Amoskeag Rowing Club Boathouse in Hooksett this Saturday for a morning of introductory rowing fun. From 9 to 11 a.m., stop by for a tour of the facilities and some instruction on rowing technique, then hop into a boat for a little on-water lesson. Who knows? You might want to sign up for one of the adult or junior learn-to-row sculling programs on the spot and find yourself participating in the annual Blue Heron Regatta come August. (The club also has a solid FAQ section on its website that might answer any question you have about the sport or the on-water rowing experience in general.)
Concord Crew (Concord, NH)
Photo courtesy of Concord Crew If you have a young person in your life who has expressed interest in rowing (or perhaps just enjoys the outdoors or water activities in general), head to the Concord Crew event from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. this Saturday. This nonprofit, competitive regional rowing team based on the Merrimack focuses on teaching boys and girls in grades 8 through 12 sweep oar and sculling, and this weekend it’s hosting an open house for both middle and high school students. Take a tour of the boathouse (located at 15 Loudon Road), try out the rowing machines and even head out on the water with some of the club’s experienced rowers and coxswains to get a feel for the sport. The club emphasizes the team aspect of rowing: “All of the students—boys and girls, everyone from varsity first boat to sixth boat—train together, practice together, race together.”
Independence Rowing Club (Nashua, NH)
For those along the Merrimack in southern New Hampshire or northern Mass, stop by the Independence Rowing Club’s newly completed boathouse at 75 Crown Street. From 10 a.m. to noon, the IRC will be offering free instructional rowing out on the water to guests of all ages who are interested in checking out the sport. This well established club, which was founded in 1973 by a handful of competitive rowers from New Hampshire and Massachusetts and counts Olympic and National team rowers among its ranks, offers programs that covers all stages as newbies progress from introductory learning to preparing for popular local head races as well as private lessons. What better way to foster a newfound love for rowing than among some of the sport’s most talented members?
Want to hear more from RowingPad?
Keep informed of all our sales and promotions as well as interesting happenings in the rowing world by following us on Facebook.
DON’T FORGET! Use coupon code “RPLTR” for free shipping for the entire month of June!