By Barley Lewis-McCabe

A rowing fan only needs two things to appreciate the sport: a good jacket and a better imagination. Early in the morning, a hefty crowd gathered at the finish line to await the bombastic conclusion to an action packed race they’d only heard about up to this point. Dozens of people stood locked in suspense, comforted by an assumption that their beloved Lumberjacks were at the front of the brigade. 

“It’s a really great way to start my morning every single day,” sophomore Lily Storseth said. “I love going out and getting to see the sunrise. There’s something just super cool about being out here with the strongest group of women I know and pushing ourselves together.”  

At 8 a.m., under a blanket of thick cloud cover and above cold water, the men’s varsity rowing club took to the bay for the first race in the Blue Heron Regatta. Early on, the Jacks held a strong lead as they stayed true to their namesake and chopped through the water four oars at a time, cutting through the competition until they won in an unsurprising — but no less enjoyable — finish. 

Afterwards, the Jacks women’s NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) Division 2 varsity team faced Division 1 team Saint Mary’s College out of Moraga, Calif., in a match that would not be forgotten. As the boats crested into view, the audience could see a Saint Mary’s boat begin to swerve into other lanes. 

“It was a little bit chaotic, because we had six boats and some of them were kind of drifting into our lane,” sophomore and second semester rower Emily O’Keefe said. “That kind of messed us up a little bit, and it wasn’t perfect. But, I think our rowing was the best it could be and I feel really good about that.”

Nevertheless, the Jacks zig-zag across the water brought them a victory in a close race. The crowd was especially unified and had a consistent routine when it came to cheering. When the race began 2000 feet down the bay, people were obviously energized, but commotion turned to scattered claps until they eventually returned to ambient conversation — but suddenly,  everyone went silent. The crowd could see them. Rapidly approaching the finish line, a green and gold torpedo glided through the water with a precision that can only come from exuberant passion and the skill to back it up. 

The Jacks delivered strong performances throughout the regatta. While they may not have been at the top of the podium, they were the snarky puppy biting the heels of a D1 school, never letting any of the other racers get too comfortable. 

“We were able to build a gap to the boat behind us and stick as close as we can to the boat in the front,” junior coxswain Elise Evans said. “And I didn’t crash, so I call that a success. Especially considering the competition here and how hard we competed in each and every race, I think we did amazing.”

Barley is the opinion editor and an untraditional reporter who focuses on social change and stories with a real human impact. If you’d like to reach him for whatever reason email bl258@humboldt.edu.