by Stephanie Staples | photos by Kathryn Alvarez Photography –
It looks so easy when they do it!
Hot on the heels of the Paris Olympics, and just days after Canada medalled in rowing, I hopped in a four-person sculling boat right here on the Peninsula. Happy to have my own dream team of new and eager first-timers, and secure in the fact that our coach* was beyond over-qualified to lead us, we met at the Lochside boat launch for our “Learn to Row” lesson.
And learn we did! Starting from scratch, with no shame or embarrassment for not knowing port from starboard (in my defense, everything seems more confusing when you row “backward”), Janice helped us understand the boat and its mechanics before we even set it on the water. We learned about marine weather, how to be as safe as possible, and to prepare for things you don’t want to be prepared for.
As for the “simple task” of getting into the sliding seat, coxed quad boat? Well, let’s just say some of us (under 35) were more graceful than others (waaaay over 35s). I’m not sure how many steps there are in learning to row, but I can tell you that in our 90-minute lesson, Janice broke them down into small manageable chunks that allowed even this old dog to learn some new tricks.
It was so fun to watch the progression of our learning, so humbling to watch an experienced boat breeze by, and so cool to listen to Janice, seated in the cox position, as she expertly steered the boat and taught us one by one, piece by piece, how to row. Like a symphony, she pulled us all together and had us rowing (mostly) in unison! It was so satisfying. Each of us left the water feeling happy, accomplished and wanting to come back for more.
If it’s good news to you that you can learn to row right here on the Peninsula, we have OARCA to thank. OARCA (props for the awesome acronym, by the way!) “OAR”CA – so clever – stands for the Open Aviron Rowing Coastal Association. I did have to look up the word Aviron – it means rowing, but perhaps I’m not the only one who didn’t know that?
The club, whose mission is “to promote, support, encourage and present the sport of Open Water and Coastal Rowing in British Columbia and Canada” is in its infancy but is already vibrant, progressive and poised to make a massive impact as we can utilize our backyard ocean for this exciting sport.
Our team certainly felt welcomed and supported, and beyond the first learn-to-row lesson, OARCA has reasonably priced “Introduction to Coastal Rowing” courses, special programs for girls and women, and even endurance regattas for those experienced keeners who want to row four to six kilometres.
Beach Sprints, which will be new to view at the 2028 Olympic Games and the 2026 Commonwealth Games, will make their debut on our Island, thanks to OARCA. Stay tuned for more information as they offer training camps around this new sport which combines both rowing and running.
Having OARCA here is a huge win for our community because rowing provides wonderful low impact, health benefits for people of all ages (they have had people from 12 to 90+ out on the water) and great social stimulation (lots of laughing coming from our boat). It is a stellar workout for your mind and I imagine once you have the technique down and you don’t have to think so much, it can be a very relaxing, perhaps even meditative, stress-relieving activity.
If you think rowing may be in your future or enjoyed by someone you love, check out their ever-changing site, www.OARCA.org, and find out about their upcoming courses.
Your next adventure awaits right here on your backyard ocean.
*Our coach was World Champion and Olympic rower, four-time finisher of the Race to Alaska (and sports medicine physician) Janice Mason. What a privilege for us!
