Members of the Central Alberta Rowing Club are excited about the upcoming season, packed with special events and the joys of getting out on Lacombe Lake in the summer sun.
The club’s history extends back to 2003, explained Andy Nokes, the club’s president.
Initially, members rowed on Sylvan Lake’s Halfmoon Bay, said Nokes, who joined in 2004.
“We were training for the masters in 2005, and we found that it was either incredibly windy or when it was beautifully sunny and calm, there would be powerboats more and more,” he recalled.
They later settled on Lacombe Lake, which has proven to be the ideal location.
They also eventually landed a permanent spot on which a large boathouse was constructed in 2017.
In the off-season, the club runs training sessions on rowing machines, and they host the annual Alberta Indoor Rowing Championships in Blackfalds.
Nokes, who organized the provincial competition just last month, said that 150 athletes competed in several categories.
Looking ahead, the club is hosting a ‘Try Rowing for Free’ event on May 25 from 10 a.m. to noon at Lacombe Lake, which is located about five km south of town.
Other learn-to-row dates are June 3 and June 10 from 5 to 6:30 p.m. For further information about signing up, contact Nokes at president.carc@gmail.com or follow the group on Facebook for the latest updates.
Meanwhile, there is so much about the sport that sets it apart as not just a super way to get and stay fit, but also as a means to join a friendly and supportive community, said Nokes.
“One of its advantages is that it’s also a ‘late entry’ sport — it doesn’t matter if you are 16, 30, 40, or 50 — you can start at any age. And if you are competitive by nature, there are categories for all of these age groups,” he said.
“It’s a sport that anyone can learn,” he added.
“There are adults who have started rowing well into their mid-lives, too. Again, if they have been competitive in some other sport and they’ve switched to rowing, there are races for the masters. And of course, there is recreational rowing as well.”
Today, club membership stands around a dozen, and Nokes would like to see that number grow. To that end, the introductory events noted above are a key way to have folks give it a try.
For Nokes, his passion for rowing stretches back to his high school days in England.
“I rowed in university as well, and just kept going.”
In his career as an engineer, he worked in several places and ultimately rowed wherever he was based — Belgium, France, and also for a stint in Houston, Texas.
“Physically, it’s challenging. And mentally, you have to focus and concentrate — certainly in crews. There’s a lot to the technique,” he said.
“It takes a combination of fitness training and that desire to perfect your technique. It’s a sport for life.”
Nokes pointed out that it’s also an ideal sport for cross-training, as it offers such a terrific and rather thorough workout. Another plus is that you are essentially joining an enthusiastic and welcoming international ‘family’ of rowers.
“It’s quite an amazing community as well. I’m going to New Zealand in November, and I’ve contacted one of the rowing clubs. I’ll be rowing with their masters. It’s a worldwide community, with different levels of competitive rowing and recreational rowing.”
Here at home, Nokes enjoys every minute that he can get out on Lacombe Lake with the club.
“It is beautiful out on the lake. During the summer, there is a group of us who row at 6 a.m.,” he said.
“It’s a great and energizing start to the day.”
For more information, find the club on Facebook or email president.carc@gmail.com.