The first Beach Sprints Invitational Coastal Rowing Regatta in the waters of George Town, Exuma, turned out to be a complete success this past weekend as more than 30 young rowers from ages 11-18 showed up and competed.
Taking home the overall title in the Junior Men category was K. Delano Bowe Jr. from the Skullers Rowing Club (SRC) of the host island of Exuma. Naima Nixon claimed the top overall prize in the Junior Women category and Camilo Burrows was the overall winner in the Open category.
Skullers, out of Exuma, swept the top three positions in the Junior Men category with Andrew Bowe and Kody Lloyd finishing second and third respectively. Leila Valerious, of the Nassau Rowing Club (NRC), finished second in the Junior Women category and rounding out the top three was 15-year-old Destiny Rolle from the SRC. Henryk Kania and Beatrise Bethel, both from the NRC, were second and third respectively in the Open category.
“This particular event is an up-and-coming one under a new format that can grow into something spectacular event. The future is extremely bright,” said event
organizer Michael Knowles, the president and head coach of the Skullers Rowing Club. “There are several upcoming stars who can excel in rowing internationally. One of our novices finished third in the junior women and that just goes to show the talent that is out there. The sky is the limit for these rowers.”
The event was the first coastal rowing regatta held in The Bahamas, bringing together competition from Skullers and the NRC, thereby keeping those clubs active. The boats, which measured 14 feet six inches in length and two and a half feet wide, were constructed right there on the island of Exuma. The boats are constructed out of mahogany plywood and fiberglass, and cost around $1,500 to $1,800 each. There were a total of 14 rowers from Skullers in Exuma and 16 from the Nassau Rowing Club in New Providence. The timed trials and quarterfinals were held on Saturday and the semifinals and finals took place on Sunday.
“The event was a resounding success. We’re looking for it to be held every year, and we’re also looking to attend more competitions throughout the years,” said Knowles. “It was an amazing experience – to see the local community come out and support rowing and show that they believe in the future of rowing here in Exuma. The athletes from Nassau showed tremendous rowing ability but this is our style. Our overall ability to handle the conditions really stood out. The experience is the same but we were able to withstand the conditions more.”
Coastal rowing is the extreme version of flat rowing, the adventure side of rowing. It involves rowing on open water waves whereas rowing on streams or in a harbor is predominantly flat rowing.
Junior Women winner Nixon, a 15-year-old 11th grader at St. Andrew’s Anglican School in Exuma, said she felt honored to participate in the regatta, stating that her hard work has paid off.
“We’ve been working hard and practicing many hours,” she said. “At some point I thought I wasn’t going to make it, but I knew I had a goal. All my teammates were counting on me, so that motivated me to push forward. This was no easy task but my mind was made up and I wanted to make everyone proud.”
Nixon said that through the sporting discipline of rowing, she was able to learn how to be disciplined.
“As a rower you trust and rely on your teammates for the same amount of effort that you put in,” she said. “You’re working together for the common goal to move the boat smoothly and efficiently. Success does not happen overnight. You can plan and prepare as best as possible but expect that you might still fail on race day. When one person wins, the entire team wins. It is important to demonstrate good sportsmanship and respect for your opponents. Our coach really implemented this by educating us about the qualities of a true rower and that message will stay in our hearts forever.”
The young rower, just 15, is encouraging other youngsters to get involved in the sport, challenging them to take that first step and give it their all.
“I would like it to inspire and motivate the youth the same way it motivated my teammates and I,” she said. “At the end of the day I would like to thank God for the opportunity to perform, my coach for believing in me and my mother for supporting me 100 percent of the way.”
Organizer Knowles is hopeful that the Beach Sprints Invitational Coastal Rowing Regatta can become an annual event.
The post Skullers Rowing clean up at Beach Sprints Invitational appeared first on The Nassau Guardian.
source https://thenassauguardian.com/skullers-rowing-clean-up-at-beach-sprints-invitational/
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