Welcome to BAIR ISLAND NEWS, BIAC's electronic newsletter. The purpose of BIN is to communicate with members about the Center's activities and programs, to promote a greater sense of community within BIAC, and to spread awareness of BIAC's activities beyond the membership list.

Your comments and contributions are always welcome. Please email them to the editor, Craig Canine. Thanks!

IN THIS ISSUE

GENERAL BIAC NEWS

  • Member Profile: Julie Dickson

  • South Bay Opening Day

PADDLING NEWS

  • WaveChaser Paddle Series Completed

  • OC6 Practice Starting Soon

  • Canoe Blessing

ROWING NEWS

  • BIAC Junior Crew Updates

  • Serra High School Crew Updates

COMING EVENTS

GENERAL BIAC NEWS

BIAC Board President David Abraham is a high-energy kind of guy who doesn't walk around the boatyard when he can run. His exuberance hit a high point recently when he got word BIAC rower Julie Dickson that she was making a $1,000 contribution to the Center. Not only that, but Julie's employer, Barclays Global Investors, was matching her gift with another $1,000.

Remarkably, Julie had been a BIAC member for only two months when BGI transferred her to London for a one-year stint. BIN caught up with her there (but only by email, unfortunately) to ask her about her rowing experience and about what prompted her generous gift to the Center. Here is her reply:

I joined BIAC in October 2002, in the women's advanced program. I was really excited to be rowing again (rowed at Cornell 1990-1994), and was thinking, literally as I stepped into the boat for the first time in almost ten years, "I've been in Redwood City for five years and it's taken me this long to do this. . . what have I been thinking???"

Getting back into rowing has been great. Getting back into rowing with such a fun group of individuals who share the same passion I do has been indescribable. Rowing past the Stanford boathouse and appreciating what it means to have funding is what triggered my desire to give something back to such a program as BIAC. Fact is, unless you plan on rowing at the elite level, once your college rowing career is over, there aren't that many options left. It's sad that such a noble sport -- the ultimate team sport -- that so carefully blends strength and technique, individual ability and unity of movement, is left so far behind compared to other sports. It's a tragedy.

I want BIAC to be successful, not just to survive. Making a donation with a corporate match was, in my mind, the best way to accomplish that. In the two-three short months that I rowed with BIAC before heading to England, I had the opportunity to race, to be coached, and to experience the results of an under-funded program: jumped tracks, corroded bolts, shoes that need duct tape to keep in place, and cox-boxes that don't work. That is simply not right, and I am hoping that my contribution will help in obtaining the very basic equipment the club needs to run a great program.

I have been in London since the end of November and my schedule has not allowed me to row here. Besides, most clubs here are a bit more fanatical than I expected: They practice four times a week on land (Mon-Thurs), and row four hours on Saturday (8am to 12pm) and four hours on Sunday (12pm to 4pm). That's juuuuuuust a bit much for me!

I plan on returning to Redwood City in the fourth quarter of this year, and rowing with BIAC is high on my list of things to do when I get back. I am very much looking forward to it!

We ran across this item recently in the newsletter of the Lake Washington Rowing Club and thought it was worth "borrowing" as a reminder for rowers and paddlers here in the Port of Redwood City. Thanks to LWRC for this timely review of traffic etiquette on the water.

Now that the entire local rowing community has come out of hibernation and is back on the water, we need to review some issues regarding traffic patterns.

When steering, first and foremost, stay to the right. At no time should we be in the middle a body of water, and we should never be to the left. There will be occasions when coaches give the directive to line up in the middle of a body of water to do pieces. They request this configuration only when they can see that there is nobody headed toward us. Then, and only then, is it okay to line-up in the middle of the lake.

Otherwise, keep right. Say it with me, Keep Right! Be a rebel - you can do it.

When necessary, the person sitting in the stroke seat should feel free to communicate to the coxswain when a boat is approaching from the stern. In addition, if the stroke notices that the boat might possibly be on the wrong side of the waterway, ask your coxswain if they are able to move right. Occasionally moving to the starboard side isn’t an option, due to other crews ahead of you, wind, etc.

And finally, unless directed otherwise by a coach: When spinning a boat, spin the crew so that it is pointing to the opposite side of the channel, row the crew straight across, and finish your turn on the correct (right-hand) side of the waterway.

Saturday, April 12, is "Opening Day" in the South Bay -- the symbolic opening of the boating season. Festivities include a parade of decorated boats, model yacht demonstrations, boat exhibitions, a Coast Guard helicopter demonstration, a youth sailing regatta, and more. This year's Opening Day theme is "Waves of Freedom." Go to the SBOD Web page for more information.

That evening at 5pm, BIAC members have been invited to attend a barbecue dinner at the Peninsula Yacht Club, our next-door neighbor on Maple Street. Dinner tickets are $12. For dinner information, call PYC at 650-369-4410 and ask for Dan, Lynn, or Phil.

PADDLING NEWS

The 2003 edition of the WaveChaser Paddle Series, organized by BIAC's paddling program, is now history. BIAC paddlers took many of the overall series awards, including first, second and third places in the OC1 men's division, plus firsts in the surfski, OC1 senior master men's, OC2 men's, and OC1 senior master women's divisions.

Here are BIAC's top overall series finishers:

Men's OC1 -- 1st Kevin Thompson; 2nd Chris Cornejo; 3rd Mike Ng

Surfski -- 1st Dave Jensen

OC1 Sr. Masters Men -- 1st Gary Kunsmen

OC1 Sr. Masters Women -- 1st Betsie Span

OC2 Men -- Shaka Madali/Alan Romero

Photos: top left, Chris Cornejo; top right, Kevin Thompson; bottom left, Dave Jensen; bottom right, Gary Kunsmen.

In the outrigger canoe racing season, winter is the time for training and racing in single boats. Summertime means training and racing in the 6-person outrigger canoes (OC6).   This season's first OC6 practices are starting late this month, and Northern California's the first OC6 race (which is hosted by the BIAC paddling program) is on April 26.

In the tradition of Hawaiian outrigger canoeing, canoes are blessed prior to their use.   Hui Wa'a Outrigger Canoe Club (now part of the BIAC paddling program) has always done its canoe blessings in the ocean. On March 23, our two new OC6 canoes were transported to Santa Cruz for their blessing and initial use.

ROWING NEWS

  • Congratulations to the BIAC Juniors Men's Novice 4 for competing in their first race at the Novice Regatta on March 1st. The young men had excellent form and are on their way to a great season.

  • Congratulations to the entire BIAC Junior Crew team for competing in our first league race against: Serra H.S., Pacific Rowing Club, Berkeley H.S., Peninsula Athletic Center, and Silicon Valley Crew. We decided to enter everyone (despite the fact that a solid six of our members have been on the team for less than a month). Great job to everyone for a great attitude and effort in their races. Congratulations to the Men's Novice 4   for finishing 2nd in their event.

  • Please go to the Juniors page for a copy of our race schedule. BIG THANKS to David Abraham for coming out to cheer on the kids on March 8th!

  • It's fundraising time again! The BIAC Jr. Crew is selling gourmet cookie dough for $10 per three-pound bucket. See our special fundraising page on the BIAC web site or contact Ally Bocchieri for additional information.

  • Reminder: Drinking water is available in the boathouse (in the office) for $.50 a bottle. As we head into the warmer months, please stay hydrated and help support the juniors.

The Varsity 8 came in third out of three in a tight race; they were just 10 seconds behind first place and 3 seconds behind second place. The JV 8 tied for first with Berkeley, and the 3V boat came in second out of two, 12 seconds behind Berkeley.

"The freshman are understanding what the sport is about and having a great time," said Coach Cunningham. "There is some great potential ahead." Go to the Serra Crew page for a calendar of the spring season.

Fans of rowing movies (or of the Cal crew) won't want to miss the documentary film, "All For One: In the Spirit of the Race," on Saturday, March 29th. The screenings, which are being held in conjunction with the Windermere Crew Classic, will take place at 1pm, 5pm, and 8pm at the Sofitel Hotel, 223 Twin Dolphin Drive, Redwood City.

"All For One" chronicles the Cal crew over an 18-month period in 1998-99. The documentary is narrated by Cal varsity men's coach (and rowing legend) Stephen Gladstone. Flashbacks tell the history of rowing from its inception as the world's oldest intercollegiate sport with the Oxford-Cambridge race in 1829.

For more about the film, visit: http://allforonemovie.com/.

COMING EVENTS

  • March 29-30 - Windermere Crew Classic, Redwood Shores - More info

What Rowing (and Paddling) Teaches

Those of you who get the Masters e-newsletter from USRowing may have seen this article in the latest (39th) issue, but anyone who didn't see it may be interested in reading these thoughts on a psychological aspect of rowing (equally applicable to paddling) written by a judge named Don Owen Costello. Thanks to Judge Costello and USRowing for writing and publishing this piece.

Although few of us realistically can aspire to medals and athletic glory, by sticking with rowing (in my case, for 37 years) many of us have set ourselves apart in who we are, what we do, and how we do it, often in ways not obvious even to ourselves.

Last year, I attended a retreat for lawyers and judges - mostly Buddhists - who are actively engaged in meditation. The discussion centered on how we, in the legal profession, can better serve the public by increasing our spiritual awareness through meditation and other contemplative practice. Frankly, I was not sure why I was invited, as I did not see myself as one steeped in those skills. But it sounded interesting, so I went.

After the first day of group discussion, I was surprised to be approached by several serious meditative practitioners asking how I had become so advanced in my meditative practice. I replied that I was honestly not aware of ever having meditated.

Then one fellow, an internationally respected Buddhist scholar, said, "It's the sculling." At that moment, it dawned on me: a goal of meditation is to learn to focus and "be in the moment." The ability to be in the moment is what keeps a sculler on the boat, rather than in the water. That same ability is an essential judicial trait. This unexpected realization of connection served to rejuvenate my enthusiasm for both my sport and my profession, and, I think, was what prompted five of the two dozen people who attended the retreat to ask where they might learn to scull!

So here I sit, a 54-year-old, overweight machine rower, about to hit the water seriously again for the first time in more than eight years. I may not have the speed, but I got the message.

GO BAIR!