The second week of summer is coming to an end already! If you haven't signed up for rowing yet, check out our schedule here!
This Summer's Events!
Mark the weekend in your calendar and come row (or spectate) one, some, or ALL of the events on August 13 & 14!
The events are:
Muskoka Poker Run
We'll be kicking off the weekend with a 22km singles-only race/row, open for both flat water and open water shells, with about 40% being suitable for flatwater shells and 60% better suited to open water shells - you choose:). It starts in Port Carling and follows the top of Lake Muskoka on a loop, finishing back in Port Carling. We have a video of the course from a motorboat you can check out.
The Muskoka Poker Run is a great race/row to train for every year and if you think you might be up for it, let us know! If you can row comfortably to the red buoy on Lake Muskoka and back (aka 7km) in 1 hour or less and have a fitness level that would allow you to comfortably row for a few hours straight then you're in great shape for signing up! If you're not sure -- talk to us about it and we'll let you know what we think!
See the back of Hatchets for our sign-up sheet!
Indian River Relay
This is our annual local regatta to bring rowers of all abilities together in a sprint relay race. ALL ROWERS ARE WELCOME! Teams of 4 of mixed abilities are created on the day of the race from the registered rowers. Racing takes place in two touring singles, in which teammates take turns rowing 600m. The fastest team time for the day wins a big high five and the painting of their hand prints on the dock!
In anticipation of the (not so) big relay, we will be practicing the course to the first green buoy and back in the next few weeks. But no practice is necessary, if you are comfortable rowing a 20/20 and want to join in for a fun-spirited relay with other local rowers, sign up here!
Row to Windermere
For the Row to Windermere, we begin and end in Port Carling from Hatchets which makes the logistics easy for such a fun outing. We start by rowing up through the locks in Port Carling, then we wind our way through many islands on Lake Rosseau to end up at Windermere beach for a rest, washroom break, and some refreshments (pack your own but we often share). Just bring yourself, your rowing clothing/sun/rain gear, some food and snacks and water for along the way, and a bit of money for a treat at our rest stop.
If you think you might be up for this row -- let us know! As long as you are comfortable sitting in a rowing shell for a while, this row will be fun for you. We will have a coach boat which we can swap people in and out of if the trip is getting long! Sign up here!
Distance Challenge
Starting next week we will begin our distance challenge, where each rower can keep track of the km they row each day! At the end of the summer we will count up all the km and the rower with the most km will win the distance challenge!
Hatchets Snack Nook
If you've always wanted a good coffee or tea after a nice morning row - now we have it! Check out the Hatchets Snack Nook in the front of Hatchets, we have lots of drinks like coffee, tea, Gatorade, and iced tea. And some Clif bars and freezies for snacks! Sour Keys coming soon!
This Week's Focus is Grip!
This week's focus is grip! Remember to keep your wrists flat and use the muscles in your fingers and thumbs to turn the oar from square to feather. Think about pulling your hands across a tabletop and practice grip by doing piano fingers at the catch with a relaxed grip!