ERG sponsored event

RGHS Sponsored left to right; Grace Bassett, Jessica Wilson, Gabby Grattan, Julia Edward,Kirsty Lickfold, Chelsie Thomas, Emily Cooper, Georgia Moberley

Rotorua Girls High School Rowing squad staged an ERG sponsored event over the weekend at the Holiday Inn in Rotorua.Over the 12 hours of erging the girls managed to cover 146.216 kms. Julia Edward, Rotorua’s rowing Olympian in the Women’s Lightweight Double Scull event at London, 2012, put in some time on an ERG too.A former RGHS student, Julia came from her rowing home at Karapiro, especially to support

the young RGHS crews.The new RGHS crew uniforms were sponsored by Holiday Inn and Red Stag.

 

 

PHOTO; by ANN WOOLLIAMS 4.4.08 Velda and Max Smith at Lake Ruatanewha , Twizel for the Maadi Cup

Lake creator 'man before his time'

http://www.stuff.co.nz/timaru-herald/news/9357871/Lake-creator-man-before-his-time

TRACY MILES                     04/11/2013     

Max Smith, the project engineer for the Upper Waitaki Hydroelectric Power Scheme in the 1970s, and creator of the South Island's top rowing venue, Lake Ruataniwha, near Twizel, died on 1.11.13.

A civil engineer by trade, Mr Smith went to Twizel to put into practice the National government "Think Big" policy, including a series of dams and canals across the Mackenzie Basin.

His legend lives on in the form of Lake Ruataniwha's international rowing course. Now central to rowing in New Zealand and an important sporting venue for the region, it was also the project that got him sacked.

Unknown to some of the heads of the Ministry of Works, as well as building the reservoir, Mr Smith was also turning Lake Ruataniwha into a community asset.

His daughter, Pip Sutherland, said: "Max was very pragmatic. If he decided he was going to do something, he did it."

"I think he felt that a lot of people thought the dams left nothing for the community at the end of it." So he decided to do something about that.

Mr Smith told the Timaru Herald in 2008, "it would be fair to say ... some were a little surprised."

Some of his bosses were keen to prosecute him under the Public Works Act after it came to light but in the end a compromise was met where he chose to retire. Mr Smith also had to spend two years fighting the government and his superiors to retain Twizel. His vision, 25 years later, sees a thriving town and rowing complex. Mrs Sutherland remembers the family's years at Twizel from 1970 to 1982. She said her father also made sure there were trees and picnic areas around Lakes Aviemore and Benmore.

After losing his job, he and wife Velda spent the next eight years developing their farm, Castle Hill Station. Having been born and bred in rural Waddington near Christchurch, Mr Smith was used to rural life. He had his 60th birthday at Castle Hill. After that, they bought a farm called Sandhurst at Weka Pass and later moved to a 121.4 hectare property at Waipara where he grew pinot gris and pinot noir grapes. Using a contract winemaker, the result was sold under the label Whitestone Wines. The couple retired to Amberley where he remained active until the middle of last year. He had been in Holmwood Resthome, Rangiora, since January.

Mrs Sutherland said Mr Smith was a good father and as children they had lots of camping holidays. "He was very probably a man before his time. He had great ideas, he loved young people and being able to help young people. His legacy made him a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM) and earned him a Queen's Service Medal, among other awards. 

Boat Shed re-racked…

A big thanks to everyone, rowers and parents, who helped re rack the sheds. We can now have extra boats in the sheds which gives us more options for training. Thanks to Mike Cox and John Coleman for the huge amount of time to rebuild the big trailer. Thanks to Rotoma Timber Supplies for donating the Timber it’s looking very smart and will soon have these three sponsors names on the trailer. Please support the businesses which support you. It’s your input to the club which helps build the club spirit and allows us to keep the cost of rowing down.

Cheers, Your Committee

 

PHOTO; Centre ; Barbara O’Donnell and Simon O’Donnell (Life Member of Rotorua Rowing Club)

PHOTO;Former Mayor of Rotorua Grahame Hall(Foundation Trust Settlor), Rt.Hon. Paul East ( Foundation Trust Settlor), Robin Parr (Commodore Rotorua Yacht Club), Sheryn Shoebridge (Pres. Rotorua Young Mariners,), James Boyce (Pres. Rotorua Rowing Club),Stuart Burns (Foundation Trust Settlor), Mayor of Rotorua Kevin Winters, on the verandah of the Rotorua Lakes Water Sports Centre.

PHOTO NAT STEPHENS (Ann Woolliams Photo) resident of Redwood Village and unable to attend due to health.

PHOTO john Kearney (Rotorua Library File Photo).

Celebrating the 20^th anniversary of Rotorua Lakes Water Sports Trust

The Rotorua Lakes Water Sports Trust (RLWST) is 20 years old on the 14^th august and celebrated with an afternoon tea at the Water Sports Centre on Sunday .

“The RLWST was born of an idea John Keaney, Rotorua’s Mayor from 1979 to 1993 had, in talks with Nat Stephens, the then President of the Rotorua Rowing Club” said Simon O’Donnell, Life Member and former Coach of the Rotorua Rowing Club(RRC).

Simon O’Donnell, John Mc Ginley (RRC Life Member and RLWST Foundation Trust member) and Stephens had to find a way to house the rowing skiffs in the city, by the water, and at a reasonable rent. There were surging school rowing numbers and their existing Lake Okareka location was no longer convenient.

“The distance of Lake Okareka from Rotorua proved difficult in our efforts to promote rowing among students from the local high schools” Nat Stephens told the Daily Post at the time.

“The water was good in the early mornings on Lake Rotorua and the school rowers could train before school”said Simon O’Donnell. “John Keaney suggested to Nat, to get together with the other water related clubs who were struggling as well.”

Stephens turned to Stuart Burns, the Yacht Club President at the time, who got the project underway.

“I am glad to see that a project that I started on following discussions with Nat Stephens has reached this milestone” said Burns.

Burns, as Trust Convenor sought two ‘settlors’ for the Trust in the Rt. Hon Paul East and Grahame Hall who was the Mayor of Rotorua in August 1993.

”Their support was of great assistance in sourcing funding and council support at that time” said Burns.

The RLWST was formed on the 14^thAugust 1993. Stage One of the existing RLWST building was finished in January 1994, with Stage Two completed in 1995. The building replaced the original Rotorua Yacht Club on the same site, and three clubs  joined together -the Rotorua Yacht Club, Rotorua Rowing Club and Rotorua Lakes Volunteer Coastguard.It was not long before the Rotorua Underwater Club and Rotorua Pleasure Boating and Fishing Club joined the Trust, followed by Rotorua Young Mariners.

20 years on, the Trust building is home to almost 80 school rowers, 20 Master rowers, 76 yachties, 180 Coastguard members, 6 Sailboarders,

18 Pleasure Boating & Fishing members and 13 Young Mariners.

PHOTO; (left to right); Julia Edward, Lucy Strack

The Women’s Lightweight Double Scull is perfectly balanced

Rotorua Rowing Club’s Julia Edward and her partner Lucy Strack have their boat balancing perfectly.  The Rowing New Zealand rowers are on their way to Chungju, South Korea to compete in the Women’s Lightweight Double Sculls at the 2013 World Rowing Championships , 25th -1st Sep 2013. Edward and Strack have their heat at 3:13pm (NZ time) on the first day.

This photo was taken by Margaret Webster,  Marketing and Communications Manager, Rowing New Zealand  on her phone at the pontoons at the Lake Karapiro Rowing High Performance Centre a couple of days before the Team left for South Korea (the 11^th August).

Hands on role helps medal success ROTORUA REVIEW 22.8.12

Photo; Ellen Pope( far right)

25yr old Ellen Pope was one of the two massage therapists assigned to the Rowing NZ Elite Rowing Team for three months up to and including the  2012 London Olympics. Among those rowers assigned to Ellen were gold medal winning double scullers; Joseph Sullivan and Nathan Cohen .

“It was great to be part of the team and play a small role. The rowers are a really great group of people-laid back and lovely athletes to work with”.

Ellen said the massage therapists work was more maintenance based.

“What we tried to do was to help maintain them at a level so they could continue to train.”                  

Ellen Pope was a well-performed rower in her teenage years at Rotorua Lakes High School and represented New Zealand at the 2005 Youth Olympics in Sydney, where she was awarded a Silver medal in the Women’s lightweight double sculls and Bronze in the Women’s eight .

She also competed in the 2005 U21 Youth Cup as part of the South Island Academy and was awarded a Bronze medal in the Women’s Lightweight double sculls .    

She gained her Batchelor of Health Studies in massage and neuromuscular therapy at the NZ College of Massage in Auckland and worked for the first time with the Elite rowing team after the 2010 World Champs in Karapiro. She spent 10 weeks with the team on its European Campaign in the World Champs in Slovenia. She will now turn her attention to her Rotorua clients though she may be back with Rowing NZ in October when the summer programme starts again.

 

Good weather ahead ?

Here are a couple of sites that are very good for wind forecasts 3 hourly and several days in advance. (Alastair )
http://www.windguru.cz/int/index.php?go=1&vs=1&sc=227615
http://www.myweather2.com/City-Town/New-Zealand/Rotorua.aspx

Here is another site I use (Chris)

http://www.windfinder.com/forecast/rotorua

 

 

Old time Blue Lake Regatta programmes from 1970 and 1967. St George's Club
own them but Christine Hobbs brought them to Rotorua recently to show me
.....i pleaded to have them but she is so stubborn!

Rowing has a Kate Middleton Lookalike

Julia Edward 6^th in the world in the Women’s Lightweight Double Sculls

Rowing in America at Ivy League level…

I have had interest from friends of friends out of town and have been meaning to do this for ages…

 

ROWING OVERSEAS Contact ;Head Coach of Crew at the University.

IVY LEAGUE ENTRY REQUIREMENTS Yale and the other 7  Ivy League Universities do not give scholarships, they give financial aid. The student has to be generally , in the ’excellence’ category in all subjects, to qualify for entry into Yale, Harvard, Princeton, Pennsylvania , Columbia, Dartmouth, Brown, Cornell. Ivy League cannot give a place to a student who doesn’t fit the academic criteria. The student will have to complete SAT 1 and SAT 2 tests before acceptance and these are carried out in Auckland approximately 3 times a year . search ‘SATS Auckland ‘

FINANCIAL AID From memory …at Yale University if the joint income of both parents is under US$65000.00 the international  student qualify for financial aid of some sort. Search eg; ‘Yale Financial Aid’ and then ’International Student’ .The total cost for 2010 was cUS$57000 per year, includes tuition, books, travel (to camps for rowing) room and board , health insurance . I think food is additional. There are no interest free loans available from Nz to study overseas, as yet.

AIR FARES Travelling AIR NZ or QANTAS generally are

Christmas 2010; NY -AK return c$4300-$4500.

Jun - Aug 2011; NY to AK return c$1300

NON-IVY LEAGUE But in saying all of this…The other universities  (non-ivy league ) do give scholarships in rowing and I would contact the Head Coach of ‘Crew’ at either University of Washington or University of California…2 of the top rowing schools in the US.

WHAT AN OPPORTUNITY There is little to be said against it (see below for that)

i)                     The fantastic opportunity of a degree from one of the Ivy League universities is undeniable. Harvard is considered the top university in the world, Oxford is 2^nd and Yale is considered 3^rd.

ii)                   The chance for an independent student  to mingle and study alongside peers in an overseas environment

IT’S NOT FOR EVERYONE Some of the disadvantages are ;

i)                     Summer school may be necessary to get the credits necessary to pass each year. That incurs costs Ivy League Universities do not pay the student to do extra work (they do subsidize though)and that can mean the student cannot come home for US summer break (our winter)

ii)                   When the student comes home for US summer break there is little possibility of a job for such a short time to gain extra money.

iii)                  The student rowing has little time to work at university. Rowing and studying is a full time job.

iv)                  Homesickness…it is hard to see family more than 2 times a year .

v)                   Rowing camps are usually  ‘spring break’ and again on the 27^th Dec to the 10^th jan and that is the Christmas break gone for parents.

 

One season ends and the next begins…

Schools Rowing …Why Row?

 Rowers belong to a very positive group of athletes and while at school they have a busy, active lifestyle

 Third formers will have 7 to 10 hours a week of supervised training – through holidays as well.

 Seniors work up to 10 hours on the water and 4 hours land training per week

 3 two day camps and about 10 x 1 and 2 day regattas through the season

 Rowing's training base and discipline will prepare athletes to excel in any other sport, particularly important if they have the talent to aspire to regional, national or professional level sport.

 Rowing also teaches less obvious things like working with a team, self discipline, self reliance, setting and achieving goals, staying controlled under pressure. You'll be pleasantly surprised at some of the changes you'll see.

 The only weight worries rowers should have is whether they are eating enough.

Costs

 In the short time your child is at school, you too will have a busy, active lifestyle as the program needs your help to succeed.

 Although coaches are volunteers and the Rotorua Rowing Club provides the boats through community grants, there are still plenty of costs. Each rower needs to pay about $100 per month from June to March inclusive, about $2 per hour of training. When you fill in the application forms we will provide you with payment details. Each rower affiliated to the club pays regularly into their groups rowing account which then pays the club and others for subscriptions, regattas, camps etc.

 Early mornings – Everyone gets used to them surprisingly quickly and there's always car pooling. The 7.45 pickup to take rowers from club to school has proved harder for many so we work together to transport all rowers to school gyms straight after rowing for showers and breakfast at the gym kitchens for DIY breakfast. The club also have showers and will soon be building more showers for girls.

Support team

 The RRC rowing program has experienced coaches who operate in a team environment, encouraging and training new coaches as they step forward to take on the challenge. They each have had many successes over the last few years.

 Mark Edmonds is the running trainer who uses Smallbone park during the summer on Monday and Wednesday afternoons at 3.30.

 Schools provide great facilities with the gym and assistance in some areas, and provide a liaison person for rowing.

 The Parents from each school have 2 representatives on the Rotorua Rowing Club committee, plus one person who organises the group – mostly via email, one person who runs the account and everyone else helps on a job by job basis – lots to do.

Getting Started

 Come along to one of the meetings we are having in May to learn more and get started

 You can then fill in the club application form and arrange for regular payments to the groups bank account.

 Although Rowing is a summer sport, our training program starts in May, working around winter sports, and builds towards NZ Schools championships at the end of March.

Enquiries: Alastair Riddle 021 447111

PHOTO: HEAD COACH ALASTAIR RIDDLE FACING THE NOVICE OARSMEN AND WOMEN. CALLUM TAFT BESIDE HIM AND TUREI CREW IN THE RED AND BLUE STRIPED RBHS SHIRT ; 3^RD FROM THE RIGHT (‘3 SEAT’)IN THE OCTUPLE SCULL ‘SHELL’ OR ‘SKIFF’. THIS BIG BOAT IS USED FOR TRAINING BECAUSE EACH SCULLER HAS 2 OARS AND THIS MAKES THE BOAT MUCH STEADIER ON THE WATER. THE BIGGEST BOAT FOR RACING IS THE EIGHT OAR SKIFF.

Being ‘on-water’ is cool...

The best thing about rowing as a sport is that anyone can start in Year 9. No one person can be better than another. Everyone starts as a ‘Novice’ or ‘beginner’. Mahe Drysdale and Eric Murray and Hamish Bond and Julia Edward all started as ‘Novvies’. You might have a little experience with a rugby ball or a soccer ball but the odds are, you will have had none in a rowing skiff. That is because it is so much easier to keep a soccer ball in the garage, than a 9m single skiff. And who can manage to get together 7 other rowers and find space for a 15m ‘eight’ next to the family sedan?

“Open day at the Rotorua Rowing Club saw a good turnout at the club last Saturday morning on a perfect morning” said Head Coach at Rotorua Rowing Club; Alastair Riddle .  In excess of 20 Rotorua year 9 and 10's came down to see what rowing is about. After some time on the rowing machines and a look at the equipment, all got on the water, with experienced rowers, to have a go.  “The ‘Learn-to-row’ program starts mid April for all ages” and Coach Riddle “ likes to run a couple of these days while the weather is warm.”

Rotorua’s Julia Edward was once a Novice; coached by Coach Riddle, right here at the Rotorua Rowing Club. This year Julia achieved Finalist in the ‘Emerging Talent’ Category of the 2011 Halberg Awards.

If you are interested in learning to row, get in touch with your Rotorua school, or phone Head Coach Alastair Riddle on 021 447 111.

Rowing in a paddock…

Last year Nigel Van Den Akker finished 6^th in the world in the New Zealand Junior Men’s Coxed Four at the 2010 World Rowing Championships in Racice, Czech Republic. This international rowing experience gives Nigel a huge advantage when it comes to having to row in a paddock beside the Wairoa River, rather than on the river. The Bay Coast Rowing Club Rowing Sheds are 2 feet underwater. Coach Rob Francis took these photos Date taken 29.1.2011

 

PHOTO; ALASTAIR RIDDLE FROM POCKET SOLUTIONS LTD

The www.rotoruarowing.org.nz website is up and going. Thanks to Alastair & Angus

Pocket Solutions Ltd. Visit them at www.pocket.co..nz

Farewell Kevin Cooney…

and a big thanks for all your hard work and dedication to the club. You will be missed. We wish you and Marilyn well and all the best with Oz.

Step Test at Home

http://www.topendsports.com/testing/tests/home-step.htm

This simple test is designed to measure your cardiovascular endurance.

Equipment a 12 inch high bench (or a similar sized stair or sturdy box), watch for timing minutes.

Procedure Step on and off the box for three minutes. Step up with one foot and then the other. Step down with one foot followed by the other foot. Try to maintain a steady four beat cycle. It's easy to maintain if you say "up, up, down, down". Go at a steady and consistent pace..

Measurement At the end of 3 minutes, remain standing while you immediately check your heart rate. Take your pulse for one minute (e.g. count the total beats from 3 to 4 minutes after starting the test).

Step Test at Home3 Minute Step Test (Men) - Heart Rate

Age	18-25	26-35	36-45	46-55	56-65	65+
Excellent	<79	<81	<83	<87	<86	<88
Good	79-89	81-89	83-96	87-97	86-97	88-96
Above Average	90-99	90-99	97-103	98-105	98-103	97-103
Average	100-105	100-107	104-112	106-116	104-112	104-113
Below Average	106-116	108-117	113-119	117-122	113-120	114-120
Poor	117-128	118-128	120-130	123-132	121-129	121-130
Very Poor	>128	>128	>130	>132	>129	>130

3 Minute Step Test (Women) - Heart Rate

Age	18-25	26-35	36-45	46-55	56-65	65+
Excellent	<85	<88	<90	<94	<95	<90
Good	85-98	88-99	90-102	94-104	95-104	90-102
Above Average	99-108	100-111	103-110	105-115	105-112	103-115
Average	109-117	112-119	111-118	116-120	113-118	116-122
Below Average	118-126	120-126	119-128	121-129	119-128	123-128
Poor	127-140	127-138	129-140	130-135	129-139	129-134
Very Poor	>140	>138	>140	>135	>139	>134

Source: Canadian Public Health Association Project (see Canadian Home Fitness Test)