Good afternoon!

Welcome to the ROTY Edition of Oar Talk!

In today's newsletter...

• Rower of the Year Awards Wrap Up
• Head of the Charles
• New Rowing WA GM Operations Announced
• NIF Resources
• Coastal Rowing Come & Try - Mullalloo SLSC
• Upcoming Hour of Power: Mysteries of Telemetry - Interpreting Biomechanical Data 
• Upcoming Presentation: The Pathway, Made Simple (US Rowing Scholarships & the Aussie-based HP Pathway) with John Bowes
• Coaching & Officiating Conference
• Vale: Philip Pascall
• The Oar Talk Podcast
• Medal Design Competition
• Southwest Talent Search
• State Blazer
• Perth Rowing Club's 90th Celebrations
• Aquinas on Canning Regatta

Banner photo thanks to ANA Rowing Club

ANA, Fremantle break drought

Saturday night at Cottesloe Surf Life Saving Club saw the annual Rower of the Year awards kick off in style. Some took the Cocktail dress code more seriously than others, but the spectacular sunset did its best to outshine even the sparkliest squinned outfits (cough... Sarah Black). Pete Doyle was our honorary MC who was entertaining as always and we have him and his efficiency to thank for having dinner on time!! 

 The Pennant awards saw a continued run of 2023 success for Fremantle, with their first A Grade pennant win since 1967!! This is of course off the back of their historic first ever CWO8+ win at State Champs - no surprise that they had a great night to cap off a successful season. Congratulations to Fremantle as they have also been named as a finalist for the Rowing Australia Club of the Year Awards.

Fremantle RC members with their pennants & trophies (I did try to find a photo where they're all looking at the camera!!)

 ANA Rowing Club were always a bridesmaid never the bride for the top prize... until this year when they pipped UWA and their winning streak for Champion Club of the Year! Congratulations ANA on your holistic growth across the year, and commitment to developing your club in all areas - your hard work and smart club management is well and truly paying off. 

L-R: DLGSC Executive Director of Sport and Rec Matt Hayes, ANA Rowing Club Captain Mark Easterbrook, Croker Oars representative Brett Woolfitt OAM

For those who went home without a guernsey, rest assured that next year will be bigger & better than ever - and how good is it that our community is so competitive and continues to strive for higher and higher standards  - besides, maybe the real treasure was the friends you made along the way? 

Dan announced the next General Manager of Operations (scroll down for more on that), and reminisced on everything the WA rowing commuity have achieved over the last 12 months. We were thrilled to have some VIP Presenters in attendance from DLGSC, Sport West, WAIS, VenuesWest and Croker Oars. We are so grateful for their support! 

Congratulations to every person who has played a part in building their club & the sport over the last 12 months - you all have a lot to be proud of!!

WINNERS

Healthway Act Belong Commit Competition Winner - Fremantle Rowing Club

BRO Encouragement Award - Michelle Davis (FRC)

BRO of the Year - KG Dassanayake (CLBC)

Rowing WA Volunteer of the Year - Winner: Kath McGuckin (PRC), Finalists: Simone Burge (SRRC), Annie Kenwery (ANA), Rosalba Vicario-Adams (SRRC)

Club Volunteer of the Year - Winner: Pete Holliday (FRC), Finalists: Ken Edwards & the SRRC Masters (SRRC), Conall Hansford (Curtin), Cassandra King (ANA)

Club Coach of the Year- Joint Winners - Keely Atchison (FRC) and Jake Sangster (Shenton), Finalists: Nick Bretland (WARC), Graham Scattergood (ANA)

Coach of the Year - Winner: Jamie Hewlett (WAIS), Finalists: Mark Beer (SRRC)

ROWING AWARDS

Male Masters Rower of the Year - Winner: Richard Ralph (ANA), Finalists: Nigel Lucas (ANA), James McGrath (ANA)

Female Masters Rower of the Year - Winner: Celia Cornwell (PRC), Finalists: Nancy Ralph (ANA), Alex Thornton (SRRC)

Age Oarsman of the Year - Winner: Alex Rossi (WARC/WAIS), Finalists: Johnson Daubney (SRRC/WAIS), Riley Rees-Turner (SRRC)

Age Oarswoman of the Year - Winner: Jacqui Swick (SRRC/HPNTC), Finalists: Lyla Fievez (FRC), Becky PRetorius (SRRC/WAIS), Greta Spencer (SRRC)

Oarsman of the Year - Josh Hicks (SRRC/SRC/RBNTC), Finalists: Jack Cleary (WARC/RBNTC), Alex Rossi (WARC/WAIS)

Oarswoman of the Year - Annabelle McIntyre (FRC/HPNTC), Finalists: Bronwyn Cox (UWABC/HPNTC), Giorgia Patten (WARC/HPNTC), Jacqui Swick (SRRC/HPNTC)

PENNANTS

Novice Sculling Award - The UWA Boat Club

Masters Pennant - ANA Rowing Club

Head Race Pennant - Fremantle Rowing Club

D Grade Pennant - West Australian Rowing Club

C Grade Pennant - The UWA Boat Club

B Grade - Fremantle Rowing Club

A Grade - Fremantle Rowing Club

Overall Premiership Pennant - Fremantle Rowing Club

Champion Club of the Year - ANA Rowing Club

A huge thank you to Rowgear who donated the $500 prize for the Novice Sculling Award, and Croker Oars who donated towards a pair of oars for the Champion Club of the Year.

Annabelle, Ben shine on the Charles River

The Head of the Charles is a very cool regatta - insane atmosphere, fantastic racing, and known for the inevitable crashing of crews!! Held on the Charles River in Boston since 1965, it attracts over 11,000 athletes and tens of thousands of spectators, and is truly one of the world's most spectacular rowing events.

Home-grown talents, Annabelle McIntyre (FRC/HPNTC) and Ben Scott (FRC/Harvard), both took to the water in their respective events over the weekend.

We know they're pretty good over 2ks - who knew they'd be good over 3 Miles? Actually we could probably have guessed that too. But now we have proof!

Annabelle, racing for the California Rowing Club, won both the Women's Elite Invitational Pair and Women's Championship Four events. She raced the pair with Jess Morrison in their Aus zooties, and teamed up with friends and USA W2- rowers Meghan Musnicki and Alie Rusher plus coxswain Caroline Ricksen. The crew listed the legendary Mike Teti as coach! Jess has a history with the CRC - she raced for that club at Henley Royal Regatta 2022 where she and Musnicki won the Hambleden Pairs Challenge Cup.  

Annabelle & Jess on their way to winning the Women's Elite Pair (peep the Bunnings Warehouse headwear). Photo: Row2k

L-R: Jess, Annabelle, Meghan, Alie, Caroline. Photo: @megmus

Ben Scott swaps the Cambridge blue of the Fremantle Rowing Club zootie for the real-life Cambridge, Massachusetts when he heads back to Harvard for college each year - and this weekend he and his @harvardheavies crewmates were one of the fastest crews of the whole weekend as they won the College Championship Men's Eight. Even more impressive - they beat an impressive Leander crew and were barely five seconds behind the US Men's Eight who raced at the World Championships this year.

Ben Scott (second from right) with the Harvard Men's VIII. Photo: @harvardheavies

Read a Row2k interview with Annabelle ('Fancy Racing the Charles in a Pair?' here

VIDEO: Head of the Charles: Story of the First 50 Years (33 minutes)

VIDEO: 2013 Charles Desctruction (1:54)

Browse the full results here

Following an extensive recruitment drive, Nick Wakeford has been appointed to the position of General Manager of Operations.

Nick was born in South Africa, where he rowed for his school and then the country as a Junior. He then moved to the UK where he rowed for the Nottingham Boat Club and Nottingham County Rowing Association (a High Performance Institute), and raced at Henley Royal Regatta. Nick is well known to the WA rowing community from his days at WARC where he was Captain and then Vice President of the club between 2013 and 2019. He has also made appearances in the WA Kings Cup, proving his chops as someone who knows the community inside and out!

Nick will start in mid-November, just before Sarah heads back to Tassie.

Welcome Nick!!

It's time to pay attention - for the sake of our athletes

There's a new Netflix/ABC documentary you might have seen promo for - Harley & Katya. If you've watched it all the way through, you'll have been rocked by the tragic consequences of a lack of support for athletes & everyone invovled in sport. The issues brought to light by this doco were the catalyst for what is known as 'Katya's Law' - officially, the National Integrity Framework.

The National Integrity Framework is essentially a set of rules that all members of a sport need to follow when it comes to their behaviour and conduct in sport. It outlines a system to protect athletes and everyone else involved in sports that have signed up. It's world-leading and we are so proud that Rowing, as a sport, has signed up. 

So far, the NIF has flown a little under the radar while it has been in its early days. Now that they have really got their processes into shape, more sports have come on board, and it's time to pay attention. 

There have been a number of workshops & opportunities for clubs to learn what their obligations are, but not everyone has been able to get involved.

So - over the next few months we'll be sharing important pieces from the NIF, so everyone in our community has an opportunity to access the most critical info. You should do your best to stay informed - not because you have to, but because it's the right thing to do.

This week's NIF Resources

Video - Introducing the NIF (1:34)

5 Pages - Electronic and Online Communication Guide (guidelines for communicating with young people and children - especially important for communications officers, coaches, parents, club volunteers, athletes over 18)

3 Pages - The NIF Complaints Process: Step by Step

Register Here for the November 11 Come & Try!

It's locked in for the LA Olympics - maybe you want to see what all the fuss is about?! We came back from the 2023 Coastal Rowing & Beach Sprints National Champs totally convinced that this is a really fun version of the sport we know and love - and not just fun, but actually requires some skill & fitness!!

So this is the perfect opportinity to come and try rowing a Coastal Boat in a safe and fun environment!

DETAILS: 8 - 11am, Ocean Reef Marina (and if the weather's nice we'll row from Mullalloo Beach)

No cost involved whatsoever!

Register here: https://www.rowingwa.asn.au/events/212085/

VIDEO: World Rowing Beach Sprints 2023

Are you doing your Level 3 Coach assessments, or wanting to get prepared to do your Level 3 in the future?

Maybe you're just interested in the science of making boats go fast...

The topic of Telemetry features heavily in the Level 3 course, and often stumps coaches who have little experience with telemetry technology such as the Peach system. One of Australia's leading biomechanists, Damien OMeara (NSWIS), will take you through how to use the data from the Peach system to analyse acceleration data, body segment motion and custom force analysis. Damien will provide case studies & visualisation of data to make it totally accessible to coaches. 

Register for this VIRTUAL Hour of Power here!

And Read more about Damien's work on rowing here

📆 Date: 15th November 2023

⏰ Time: 6pm - 7pm AWST

 📍 Location: Virtual Teams Meeting. The teams link will be sent out to all registrants before the presentation takes place. 

Fancy rowing for Harvard?

Maybe you want to be a Husky at The University of Washington, or a Longhorn at The University of Texas? 

Maybe you want to stay close to home and take your rowing to the next level through the Institute system?

Those opportunities might be closer than you think...

John Bowes, legendary coach & currently the Rowing Australia Pathways Transition Manager, is running a presentation all about the options available for you to keep rowing after school.

Did you know that there are a huge number of full and partial scholarships on offer for Australian rowers to US Colleges? Do you know what the process is to make it onto an Aussie team?

There are some amazing opportunities out there, but you need to be careful about how you approach them - Bowesy is the guy with all the answers.

This session is open to all - we encourage all Underage athletes, parents of athletes, and school and club coaches to join Bowesy for this important presentation.

Sunday 5th November, 12pm @ Swan River Rowing Club

Followed by a BBQ lunch

9 DAYS TO GO!

Hurry & grab your ticket now to what has now grown to TWO DAYS of conference fun!!

One lucky ticket-buyer to the Coaching Stream will win a SESSION WITH RA PATHWAYS HEAD COACH, JASON LANE. 

Jason (RA Pathways Head Coach) will go out with you in a tinny as you coach one of your crews or athletes. This is an unprecedented opportunity to get one on one advice for YOUR crew and YOUR coaching from one of Australia's greatest coaches. Imagine the nuggets of wisdom & insights you could gain from this - truly game changing.

Jason has coached multiple Olympic and World Championship level rowers. He was a coach at WAIS from 2000 - 2008, then Head Rowing Coach at SASI, before taking on his role as Pathways Head Coach in 2022. 

All you need to do to be in the running for this incredible prize is to register for your ticket.

All existing ticket-buyers have gone into the draw already. A random draw will be conducted to determine the winner. The winner will need to make themselves and some athletes available on Monday 6th November (to be confirmed closer to the date).

Rowing WA was saddened to hear of the recent passing of Philip Pascall, who died peacefully at his home last month.

Philip was a giant of the mining industry but was also a significant supporter of rowing across his lifetime. In the many years he has been involved with Rowing WA and the sport more widely, his contributions have made a number of key initiatives viable - he was a foundational donor to the Making Waves program, and donated The FQM Umpire Boat in 2010 which is still in use at every Champion Lakes regatta. He became a Co-Patron of Rowing WA in 1998.

Our gratitude to Philip for a lifetime of generosity - his legacy will be felt for many years to come.

You can read the full Vale here.

FOLLOW THE POD!

THANK YOU for all your support of our new podcast!! 

We have had hundreds of listens across our six episodes. We've had some great feedback about how much fun they are to listen to - a HUGE thank you to our guests so far, and our legendary host Gen. 

LATEST EPISODE: Fuelling for Rowing (and much more) with Eliza Kelly

NEXT UP: Outlined: The High Performance Pathway

If you want to know exactly when the next episode is released - FOLLOW THE POD on Apple Podcasts or on Spotify

Thank you to everyone who has given us a 5 Star review - it's a huge help, as it means the podcast will be suggested to more people, and all the great conversations will be heard by more people!!

Prepare to unleash your artistic talents and seize a golden opportunity to leave your mark on the upcoming rowing seasons!

We're thrilled to announce the launch of our Design a Medal Competition, and we're counting on your innovative spirit to make it an absolute triumph. In this competition, we've got not one, but TWO exciting categories that promise to set your creativity on fire:

🏆 State Championship 2024 Medal

🏆 All Schools Medals/Pennant Medals/Head Race Medals

The gates to this artistic battleground are officially open, and they will remain so until the clock strikes midnight on 13th November 2023. It's time to channel your artistic energy, so whip out your design tools and send your creations to our General Operations Manager at gmoperations@rowingwa.asn.au

Your designs will be scrutinised and celebrated by a distinguished panel of judges, featuring a current Australian Rower and our very own Rowing WA CEO.

The winners of each category will be announced on November 17th, 2023 in OarTalk - so mark your calendars and stay tuned! Your designs will be the crowning jewels of these championships, proudly worn by the victors as they celebrate their achievements.

As a token of our appreciation for your creative brilliance, winners in each category will be awarded a $100 Visa Gift Card.

So, what are you waiting for? Let your imagination run wild, sketch your ideas, and send them our way. We can't wait to witness the incredible designs that will elevate these regattas to new heights.

The future of rowing medals is in your hands, and we're excited to see the outstanding designs that you'll create.

Discover your potential!

Calling all 13 - 18 year olds in the South West region

As we gear up for the home Olympic Games in Brisbane 2032, the South West Academy of Sport are looking for the next generation of Western Australian Athletes. If you are aged between 13 and 18 years old you are invited to test your potential to be successful in rowing.

Make sure to pass this onto any families in the region who might have kids who want to be Olympians!

Register here

Register here

Order yours now!

If you meet the eligibility requirements, it's time to get your order in for the official Rowing WA state blazer!

Rowing WA is coordinating the design, manufacture & delivery of these blazers. We'll have ordering windows annually and keep evberyone in the loop when those windows open so you can proudly show off your dedication to your sport. Imagine wandering around at Henley next year with your State Team blazer on!! 

The Rowing WA site has more info - click here to check it out and here to order.

Or - get in touch with us (Sarah or Izzie) to purchase a Blazer Gift Voucher for the rower in your life (as long as they meet the eligibility requirements)

Please use this link to take you directly to the registration page!

Click here to go directly to the registration page!

This Saturday, the first PSA regatta of the 2024/25 seaon - the Aquinas on Canning Regatta -  is being raced from approx. 9 - 10am

Over 40 Schoolboy Eights will be competing & so the start area & course will be very busy from about 7:30am onwards.

The PSA has booked the course with DOT and schools have been sent the river rules.

If you row at Canning Bridge on a Saturday please be careful.

More info including a course map and where to find results & the draw is available here: https://rowingmanager.com/regattas/6013

Good luck to all crews!