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.
