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Oak Hollow Lake, High Point, NC – The Triad will welcome 400 rowers from across the southeast region of the United States on Saturday for the 2016 High Point Autumn Rowing Festival. Rowers from twenty clubs, universities and high schools will converge at Festival Park to race a 5,000 meter winding course on Oak Hollow Lake.

“This is a new record for Autumn Rowing Festival,” says High Point Rowing Club founder Gene Kininmonth. “Participation in rowing is exploding in North Carolina. High Point is now at the epicenter of this remarkable growth.”

The regatta is open to the general public and admission is free. Free parking is also available. The majority of Oak Hollow Lake will be closed to fishing boats during the boat races.

Rowers are travelling from as far away as Annapolis, Maryland and Atlanta, Georgia for the regatta.

The festival has attracted a number of marquis college names including local favorite High Point University, as well as NC State, Wake Forest, and Davidson College.

Also competing are Masters (adult) and youth programs from Atlanta, Raleigh, Charlotte and Asheville. All teams will launch from Festival Park at Oak Hollow Lake.

Round the Duck

Boat racing at the rowing festival is a 5,000 meter time-trial. Crews will line up their sleek rowing shells at the Skeet Club Bridge end of Oak Hollow Lake and then race out to the center of the lake where they will row a 180 degree turn “Round the Duck” back to the main channel before turning toward the finish line at Johnson Street Bridge.

That’s right. There’s a duck. A giant bright yellow inflatable duck. Race officials decline to disclose the actual size of the duck but it clearly dwarfs the rowers on the water.

Racing begins at 9:20am and runs through 3:30pm. Following the races the duck will return to shore for children’s photographs.

Use 1841 Eastchester Drive, High Point for GPS directions.

MEDIA: PRESS INFORMATION
Media Center
Media headquarters for the 2016 Rowing Festival will be the Media Center at
Oak Hollow Lake. The Media Center is equipped with Wi-Fi access. The Media Center will also accommodate interviews at the conclusion of each event. Race winners will be brought to the interview area for media access. Limited parking is available for daily print, online and television media (advance notice requested). All television stations that will be bringing in satellite trucks should call Gene Kininmonth (office: 336-257-9009) to arrange for vehicle access.

Photographers
Photographers wishing to obtain action shots on the racecourse may be accommodated in a media boat on a first-come, first-served basis. The media boat will be restricted to designated sections of the course and cannot “race” to keep pace with competing boats. Please arrive at the Media Center 60 minutes before you need to be on the water.

High Point, NC – High Point Rowing Club celebrated its 4th Anniversary this past weekend with an Anniversary Row & Class Races, which included all of the club’s available rowers, followed by a potluck brunch for rowers, families and friends at Oak Hollow Lake. Included in the festivities were almost 40 rowers from the club’s newly formed chapter in Greensboro, known as Greensboro Crew.

All nine of the club’s available eight-man crews, as well as three fours, lined the start of the race course at Skeet Club Bridge to race the full extent of Oak Hollow Lake to Johnson Street Bridge. High School crews were assigned line-ups by class year and the Masters were assigned boats by the decade of their birth.

The race was a procession for the high school Sophomore Crew led by coxswain Morgan Epling, which led from start to finish.

HPRC – 4th Anniversary Row from Carolina SkyWorks on Vimeo.

Next up for the club is the season opening home race at the High Point Autumn Rowing Festival on Oak Hollow Lake on October 1.

The following week the club will send its youth squad to Virginia for the Head of the James Regatta in Midlothian.

Boys and girls attending any Triad area school (Yrs 7 -12) are currently eligible to join the team. No experience necessary. Adults will have the opportunity to join a learn to row class in October. Email contact@highpointrowing.com or see the Registration page for details.

Rowing Blazers is the monumental book by Jack Carlson.

This is the ultimate coffee table eye candy for the rowing enthusiast and High Point Rowing Club is pleased to be able to offer this book for just $35 (retail price is $50).

Order online today and receive your copy signed, in person, by Jack Carlson at the Celebration of Rowing banquet at High Point Country Club on November 19.

O R D E R  H E R E 

Rowing, the centuries-old sport of choice for Ivy Leaguers and Englishmen, owes much of its highbrow fashion to the pomp and circumstance that surrounds many high profile regattas (not least, the Royal Henley). The earliest incarnations of rowing blazers were designed for collegiate clubs, and they helped lay the groundwork for the blazer, in a larger sense, to become its own wardrobe staple.

This 250-page glossy looks at the classic preppy garment that has defined a sport as well as a fashion genre. The book is hardcover and features over 250 color photographs. Rowing Blazers is published by Vendome Press and Thames & Hudson.

Book orders must be received by September 30 to arrive in time for the Celebration of Rowing banquet and be signed by the author. Order today to avoid disappointment.

C L I C K  T O  O R D E R  O N L I N E

Rowing Blazers in the News:

Esquire Magazine

Boston Globe

The Guardian in England

Try out youth rowing for just $10!

If you are in grades 7-12, this is your chance to give rowing a try. It is fun and easy!

No experience necessary.

TIME: 4:15pm – 6pm, Monday, August 29th to Friday and 9am on Saturday, September 3rd (all days, weather permitting).

Start any of these days and row all week.

WHERE: Our team is located at Oak Hollow Lake in High Point – for GPS directions use 3700 Waterview Road, High Point, NC. When you enter the park, our boats are located to the right end of the parking lot. We meet Monday through Friday at 4:15pm at the lake.

This Sneak Peek Week opportunity is for students who have never tried rowing before. It is the perfect way to try a new sport to see if it is for you.

Note, this is the last chance for new students to join High Point Rowing Club this Fall and be prepared to race.

R E G I S T E R 

A parent must accompany each student to their first row and bring the signed waiver and swim form stating that their child can swim. These forms can be downloaded on the Registration page. Bring $10 cash or check payable to “High Point rowing Club.”

Also bring the following:
• flip flops (we walk the boats into the water)
• water bottle
• dress in close-fitting shorts/t-shirt (Loose clothes get caught in the sliding seat of the boat).

Questions? Just email our coach, Gene, at contact@highpointrowing.com or call him at (336) 257-9009.

Greetings High Point Youth Parents,

Please note that the Autumn Parent Meeting is scheduled for Saturday morning, August 20 at 7:45am at Oak Hollow Lake. We will serve coffee at 7:15am to give parents an opportunity to mingle informally before proceedings begin at 7:45am.

A limited supply of apparel will be available for sale also on this occasion. Please note that the regular afternoon practice schedule begins on Monday.

Cheers,

Gene Kininmonth
Head Coach

Oak Hollow Lake, High Point, NC – The date has been set for North Carolina’s largest annual rowing event. The 2016 High Point Autumn Rowing Festival will take place on Oak Hollow Lake on October 1st.

“We expect to welcome over 160 boats from across North Carolina and surrounding states to Oak Hollow Lake as host of the 2016 High Point Autumn Rowing Festival,” says High Point Rowing Club founder Gene Kininmonth. “Participation in rowing is exploding in North Carolina. High Point is now at the epicenter of this remarkable sport.”

The festival has attracted a number of marquis college names in the past, including local favorite High Point University, as well as UNC, NC State and Davidson College.

Also competing are Masters (adult) and youth programs from Atlanta, Raleigh, Charlotte and Asheville. All teams will launch from Festival Park at Oak Hollow Lake.

Round the Duck

Boat racing at the rowing festival is a 5,000 meter time-trial. Crews will line up their sleek rowing shells at the Skeet Club Bridge end of Oak Hollow Lake and then race out to the center of the lake where they will row a 180 degree turn “Round the Duck” back to the main channel before turning toward the finish line at Johnson Street Bridge.

That’s right. There’s a duck. A giant bright yellow inflatable duck. Race officials decline to disclose the actual size of the duck but it clearly dwarfs the rowers on the water.

Racing begins at 9am and runs through 3:30pm. Following the races the duck will return to shore for children’s photographs. Use 1841 Eastchester Drive, High Point for GPS directions. The regatta is open to the general public and admission is free. Limited free parking is also available. Oak Hollow Lake will be closed to fishing boats during the boat races.

MEDIA: PRESS INFORMATION
Media Center
Media headquarters for the 2016 Rowing Festival will be the Media Center at
Oak Hollow Lake. The Media Center is equipped with Wi-Fi access. The Media Center will also accommodate interviews at the conclusion of each event. Race winners will be brought to the interview area for media access. Limited parking is available for daily print, online and television media (advance notice requested). All television stations that will be bringing in satellite trucks should call Gene Kininmonth (office: 336-257-9009) to arrange for vehicle access.

Photographers
Photographers wishing to obtain action shots on the racecourse may be accommodated in a media boat on a first-come, first-served basis. The media boat will be restricted to designated sections of the course and cannot “race” to keep pace with competing boats. Please arrive at the Media Center 60 minutes before you need to be on the water.

Try out youth rowing – this is ideal for true beginners!

If you are in grades 7-12 at any Triad area school, this is your chance to give rowing a try. It is easy!

No experience necessary.

WHEN: Sneak Peek Week is next week from Monday – Friday, (May 16-20) . Start any of these days and row with the youth squad for any or all of these days for only $10.  Arrive at 4:15 pm during the week.

WHERE: Our team is located at Oak Hollow Lake in High Point. For GPS directions use 3700 Waterview Road, High Point, NC.

This Sneak Peek Week opportunity is for students who have never tried rowing before. It is the perfect way to try a new sport to see if it is for you.

R E G I S T E R  H E R E 

Students must bring the waiver signed by a parent. These forms can be downloaded on the Registration page. Bring $10 cash or check payable to “High Point Rowing Club.”

Also bring the following:
• Flip flops and wear general sporting attire
• water bottle

Still have questions? See our Rowing FAQs page or email our coach, Gene, at contact@highpointrowing.com or call him at (336) 257-9009.

Oak Ridge, Tennessee – High Point Rowing Club’s youth squad showed broad improvements across the depth of its squad in racing at the Dogwood Regatta over the weekend. And the squad impressed the coaches in more significant ways as well.

Oak Ridge welcomed 2,000 youth rowers from all over the Southeast and Midwest to compete in the Dogwood Junior Regional Regatta. The regatta is one of the largest in the Southeast.

A crew’s performance at the event will be considered heavily for seeding purposes at the USRowing Southeast Regional Championship in Sarasota, Florida in May, where rowers compete to qualify for the Youth National Championships.

High Point’s top crews for Sarasota are the women’s youth varsity eight, and the men’s youth quad sculls.Both crews easily qualified for Saturday’s afternoon finals at Dogwood, with some of the fastest times recorded in morning racing.

But when the sound of thunder began booming over the race course, High Point coaches Gene Kininmonth and Allie Davis convened and decided the conditions for the finals were unsafe to launch crews. “We would not launch crews in practice at home in such conditions so it makes no sense to do so for a race,” explained Gene. “The very first rule of boating is if you are not sure, stay on shore.”

Meanwhile, the grand finals continued without High Point’s rowers who watched from the banks of Melton Lake. “Making a safety decision like this is easy. Living with it though can test your constitution as you watch other crews racing,” added Gene. “I award immense credit to our rowers for truly buying into our club philosophy of always putting safety first. That shows great maturity.”

Soon after the women’s eight final was over, lightning and thunder rattled crews to the extent that race officials called all boats off the lake. Soon after referees returned to shore and racing was cancelled for the day.

On Sunday the weather cleared and Adam Alt and Kyle Koval qualified their double scull for the afternoon final, where they finished fourth. In the next race Austin Young and Kevin Capps finished second in the B final of the lightweight double sculls. The four scullers will combine at youth regionals to race the quadruple scull.

In women’s racing highlights, Emma Lloyd, Jaclyn Hronich, Shelby Reece, Olivia Corriere, and coxswain Morgan Epling qualified for the final of the women’s youth fours event with a second place finish in the first round of six. With Title IX scholarships boosting women’s rowing interest in high schools across the region, the women’s fours event was one of the deepest fields at the regatta and the crew went on to finish 6th in the afternoon final.

High Point then finished second in the Division II fours event just behind Asheville. The crew comprised of coxswain Elizabeth Knoor, Victoria Goldin, Aliute Udoka, Junior Ognovich, and Maddie Mullins finished ahead of Nashville, Upper Arlington, RA Hamilton and Parkersburgh South.

The two women’s fours will combine to race the youth eight at Regionals.

FULL RESULTS

Oak Ridge, Tennessee – High Point’s youth rowing squad arrived in Tennessee today for for the conclusion of its regular spring racing season at the 2016 Dogwood Regatta.

Oak Ridge will welcome about 2,000 junior rowers from all over the Southeast and Midwest to compete in the Dogwood Junior Regional Regatta. The regatta is one of the largest in the Southeast.

A crew’s performance at the event will be considered heavily for seeding purposes at the USRowing Southeast Regional Championship in Sarasota, Florida in May, where rowers compete to qualify for the Youth National Championships.

High Point has entered the women’s youth varsity eight, and the men’s youth double and quadruple quad sculls events in Sarasota.

Youth rowing, for those under 19 years old, has grown by leaps and bounds in the southeastern United States during the past 10 years. Whether due to the extensive opportunities for rowing college scholarships or the general improvement in quantity and quality of rowing programs offered, junior rowing is quickly becoming one of the fastest growing sports in the nation.

Rowing races will begin at 7:30 a.m. Saturday, April 30, and continue throughout the weekend, ending at 5 p.m. Sunday, May 1. The race distance is 2,000 meters.

FULL SCHEDULE

Festival Park at Oak Hollow Lake, High Point – High Point Rowing Club’s youth squad will be looking to continue its winning ways against Triangle RC, the premier rowing club from Raleigh, at the High Point Regatta on Saturday.

High Point’s boys’ and girls’ crews have swept Triangle in the blue ribbon eights events in each of the past two years and will go for three in a row on Saturday morning.

The girls varsity eight is the hot favorite to win on Saturday. Coming off a strong victory at the James River Sprints in Richmond, VA last weekend, the crew looks to have maintained the form that earned them a grand finals appearance at the 2015 USRowing Southeast Regional Championships.

The girls squad is deep and will be racing three divisions of eight-oared crews against Triangle, each of which they won in 2015.

On the boys side, High Point may enter Saturday’s race as a slight underdog, based on 2015 Autumn performances. Coach Gene Kininmonth says that while the boys squad has improved, so has the opposition.

“Two years ago we raised the bar on North Carolina rowing. Triangle has made some tremendous improvements in the last six months on the boys side of the roster. Now they have met that bar with strong recruiting and I give full credit to them for that. Saturday’s racing is something to look forward to for both clubs because nothing is a foregone conclusion.”

The boys varsity eight-oared crew is also coming off a run away victory at James River Sprints last weekend.

Significant to this weekend’s racing is the adoption of sculling on the team. Both the boys and girls will race a quadruple scull and Adam Alt and Kyle Koval will also race the double scull.

Masters racing is also on the slate for Saturday with squads from Belmont Rowing Club, and Raleigh Rowing Center entered to compete against High Point in various boat classes.

FULL SCHEDULE HERE

Day 102 of 366: Bear with me this is a little long, but it seemed worth saying.

Today is my rowing anniversary.

When I drove to the lake one year ago, as the sun was just coming up, my nerves were in overdrive.

I was starting something new, ready to learn and eager to meet new people (something that usually fills me with dread) but also incredibly nervous.

There’s no way I could’ve guessed that my life was about to be changed.

That may sound a little melodramatic, but this sport and these people have come to mean more to me than I ever dreamed.

I signed up for an 11-week session, and after the first few practices, I thought, “I will just get through these 11 weeks.” They were paid for, and I didn’t want to waste all that money.

It was hard — so much harder than I expected. Not just physically but emotionally.

I came home from practices exhausted with aching muscles and blistered palms. I could accept — even be proud of — the pain, but I hate doing things I’m not good at. The struggle of learning skills everyone around me knew was the harder part. Showing up knowing how bad I was and feeling like I was frustrating the people in my boat — that was not fun.

Most of the people were very nice, but it was harder to fit in that I thought, too. The veteran rowers were connected in a way I couldn’t be after just a few weeks, and there weren’t many opportunities to chat with the other newbies while staring at the backs of their heads for an hour.

I wanted to quit so many times, but I didn’t. We had a regatta at the end of the session. I thought I would race once, just to say I’d done it, and be finished.

But something changed that day too.

I spent 24 hours with my teammates.

I came to understand that other new rowers felt exactly like I did. I learned that even the veteran rowers were a little nervous on race day. We sweated, ate and rowed together. We won and lost together. We laughed and cheered and celebrated together. We bonded through all of that.

I was hooked, and here’s why:

Not to get too deep, but it’s taught me a ton about life. You know all that cliched advice we spout off to children? … Don’t quit just because something is hard. Do your best. Practice makes better. Be helpful. Remember, other people are probably feeling the same things you are. It’s OK to be a little scared of new things. Your team needs you. No one does something perfectly the first time. … They’re all things I’ve probably said to my son over the past few years. Well, the past year has reminded me of all that advice and forced me to take it myself, again and again.

It’s made me stronger. Not just physically — though there is a great sense of strength that comes from hoisting heavy boats out of the water and carrying them over your head and a pride that stems from rowing or erging 10,000 meters (more than 6 miles!) while your body is screaming at you to stop before you die. It takes intestinal fortitude to get up before dawn, head out into the cold and walk boldly into frigid waters to row on a 37-degree morning. It requires a mental toughness (and maybe a bit of stubbornness) to ignore that blister on your hand or that heron flying by or that boat creeping up behind you and continue to row through the distractions or setbacks.

It’s given me a kinship, a sense of camaraderie, like I haven’t had in years. These are my people, my friends, and I care about them. When we’re in the middle of a race, and I’m exhausted and my lungs are burning and I feel like I can’t pull one more stroke, I keep going because of my teammates. They are depending on me. I will give my all for them because I know they are doing the same for me.

So, today, I’m thankful I gave this rowing thing a chance. It’s given me a lot — so more than I imagined — in return.

High Point Rowing Club’s youth squad will head to Midlothian, VA this weekend to open the 2016 Spring Racing Season at the James River Sprints.

Final line ups for the High Point crews will be announced at practice this evening. All rowers are advised to have many layers of warm clothing for the regatta as the forecast is for frigid temperatures and wind. “This is cricket jumper weather,” says Coach Gene.

RACING SCHEDULE

High Point, NC – The water has warmed up and High Point Rowing Club is excited to announce a new season of “Masters Rowing” for adults – the ‘Second Spring’ Session! Rowing will take place on Oak Hollow Lake.

Now is your chance to register to join High Point Rowing Club and row with the coolest folks in the Triad. No prior rowing experience is necessary.

Rowing has taken off as a new way of ‘community living’ through a recreational and competitive activity.

Format: Participants with no prior experience will start with a learn-to-row format. As technique and stamina improve, a more competitive format will be adopted.

Dates and Times: Participants may sign up for either weekday or weekend sessions, or both.

Weekday Sessions: Tuesday and Thursday mornings starting April 26 ending June 16, 2016. Choose to attend either morning sessions from 8:45am to 10:15am or evening sessions at 6pm to 7:30pm. (16 sessions, fee $195).

Weekend Sessions: Saturday mornings at 7:30am and Sunday afternoon at 6pm starting April 30 ending June 12, 2016. (14 sessions, fee $170)

Unlimited Sessions: attend any or all of the above scheduled sessions for $270. (Note, Masters Unlimited also includes Mon & Wednesday night indoor rowing in Jamestown at 6:15pm).

Competition: For an additional fee of $45, all participants will have the opportunity to compete at the Virginia Masters Sprints on June 18 in Richmond, VA. Even the new rowers!

Attire: Tee shirt, form-fitting shorts, and running shoes are usual attire. Loose fitting shorts will likely catch in the “slide” (where the rowing seat moves back and forth on the rower). Bring a water bottle too!

Address: 3700 Waterview Road, High Point, North Carolina. This is Oak Hollow Lake.

More Info: Call Gene at 257-9009 or email contact@highpointrowing.com

REGISTER NOW

Note: Space for the Spring Session is limited so please make your reservation early to avoid disappointment. Your registration is not complete until payment is received. 

Jamestown, NC – High Point rowing Club will host a week of Open House sessions at its Jamestown Indoor Rowing Studio this week for middle school and high school students interested in rowing.

Known as “124C” for its address at 124C Wade Street in the Warehouse District of Jamestown, the studio has gained great popularity in the Triad for the high energy, low impact, full-body workout for people of all ages. Students will increase endurance, train all the major muscles, and enjoy a fun team environment in the process.

No prior experience needed. Suitable for all fitness levels.

March Youth Open House Dates ($10 for the week) – Monday through Friday (3/7 – 3/11): 4:15pm – 6pm. Students travelling from further away can arrive at 4:35pm.

Attire: anything you would normally wear to the gym. Bring a water bottle too!

Address: 124-C Wade Street, Jamestown, North Carolina.

More Info: Just show up with payment and the waiver signed by a parent. Call Gene at 257-9009 or email contact@highpointrowing.com

Jamestown, NC – 130 rowers from across North Carolina and as far away as Philadelphia will be in Jamestown on Saturday as High Point Rowing Club hosts the 124C Erg Sprints.

Competition will take place on Concept2 Model D rowing machines in categories for Youth, Collegiate, Cross-Fit, and adult Masters over varying distances.

“This is now North Carolina’s premier indoor rowing competition and we are certainly proud to be hosting this event,” says Mary Hollingsworth, who serves as the regatta chair. Mrs. Hollingsworth says entries are up 25% over last year, indicating the growing popularity of the sport in the region.

A big highlight of racing action will be fierce duel between High Point University and Wake Forest University. Both universities have entered deep fields in the collegiate events.

While rowing is traditionally a team sport, erging competitions place the individual athlete in the spotlight.

First up in the morning, middle school rowers will race over a 1,000 meter distance. Later in the morning, high school and collegiate competitors will race over 2,000 meters and then Cross-Fit and Masters will race over 1,000 meters. After lunch, all competitors will have the chance to race a 500 meter sprint.

Registration for this event is still available on RegattaCentral. Entry fee is $15 per athlete and free for spectators.

Click here for the race schedule.

We can’t wait to see you in Jamestown tomorrow!

There were lots of wonderful duels between rowers at High Point Rowing Club’s 2016 Ergathon and this was just one of them.

JAMESTOWN, NC – Indoor rowing is taking off across the country. Whether your goals are to get in shape or stay in shape, indoor rowing will help you get there. It is a low-impact way to give yourself a full-body workout.

And now the sport is available with instruction for adults in the Triad year round by High Point Rowing Club. The sessions are led by the club’s Masters Coach, Allie Davis.

Rowing Club founder Gene Kininmonth says the indoor rowing machine, or ‘erg’ as it is more fondly known as by those in the sport, is still probably the most unloved exercise machine in the typical gym. “And yet when you are rowing in a group environment it is likely the most fun way to work out.”

Science has shown that social connection adds to endorphin release.

“You get in the erg room and from there Allie Davis takes you through your concierge workout. Some sessions feel better than therapy.”

Kininmonth says everyone does the same workout but at their own intensity level. “When you hear the rowers around you cheering each other and their own progress you feel the energy levels go up in the room and this incredible endorphin rush.”

Recent studies show that erging improves mental as well as physical health, and helps to combat negative emotions.

“But so many people feel they are just not even in good enough shape to even push themselves enough to receive these benefits,” explains Kininmonth. “They have to stop and then the opposite happens. They feel like they are failing and negativity creeps in, which is the opposite of what you want. When you are rowing you are sitting down. Your body weight is supported and you can go for longer periods of time without a break and that gets you to the point of endorphin release.”

Even people who are in shape can struggle at maintaining regular exercise. A survey of 4,904 runners by retailer SportsShoes.com found that runners in the gym were more likely to not exercise, citing reasons including being “too tired” and lacking motivation.

Indoor rowing takes no special innate talent to do well. It is as simple as riding a stationary bike but significantly more comfortable. No experience is necessary and beginners will be guided through the correct rowing technique in the first lesson.

Adults can take an introductory class for $10 during any of the regularly schedule adult ‘Masters’ sessions at High Point Rowing Club’s Indoor Rowing Studio at 124C Wade Street in the Warehouse District in Jamestown.

Click MASTERS for details.