Orcas Island Junior “Crew” Team Season Starts With First Practice Saturday September 8

Junior Varsity quad crew Jake Zier, Garett Pietsch, Jay Zier and Max Blackadar training with coxswain Bailey Johnson.

By Martin Taylor
Community Journalist

Orcas Island Rowing (OIR) starts its junior fall season on Saturday September 8. The first practice is 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. at the boathouse on Cascade Lake.

The program is open to all teens on Orcas who are aged 13 years or older. OIR is an active rowing club; it has a boathouse on Cascade Lake in Moran State Park where members train. It can be a stunningly beautiful place to be.

OIR offers a competitive rowing program for high school and junior high age students. There are two seasons, a Fall season starting in September and finishing in November and a Spring season starting in February and ending in May.

Rowing is an excellent sport. It uses and develops all of the major muscle groups in your body. Rowing is THE team sport. Rowing is an intellectual challenge, you can spend a lifetime in search of the perfect stroke. Once you are a rower you will be a part of a world wide family and be welcomed by rowers everywhere. If you join OIR you will become part of a tight knit family and learn how to function as part of a fun and effective team.

OIR was founded in 1996 by Mike Reid and Dave Roseberry. They boot-strapped their own rowing careers and the club. Those two guys are still  the backbone of the club as they have always been. The club built a beautiful boathouse on the shore of Cascade Lake in Moran State Park using all volunteer labor and expertise. The club and the local park service have an excellent relationship and frequently work together on projects to enhance life in the park.

OIR now has a dedicated set of all volunteer coaches lead by head coach Tina Brown. In addition to the regular coaches — Tina, Mike, Dave and Martin Taylor — parents of active juniors frequently step up and learn the ropes so they can help out. Current active parent volunteer coaches include Sam Blackadar, Becky Blackadar, Bob Nutt and Greg Bronn.

OIR also has a small but active and growing adult rowing program. It encourages experienced rowers and beginners alike to get in touch.

For more information visit the club’s web site: www.OrcasIslandRowing.org, email or phone Martin Taylor at martin@orcasdigerati.com or 376-6935. Juniors who plan on turning up at the first practice should bring a swim suit and towel for the swim test, running shoes and clothing for a 3-mile run fitness test and all of the forms  that can be found on the club website filled in and signed by a parent or guardian. Be warned many of the practice sessions start at 6:00 a.m. at the lake. So you have to be prepared to get out of bed and to the lake early in the morning. You can find a lot of photographs of junior rowing at www.EdnaGallery.com/Orcas Life.