Australian rowing team member Alex Hill, Australian representative rower Cara Grzeskowiak, Red Shed president John Gasson, Australian champion coxswain Kendall Brodie and Australian rowing team member Fergus Hamilton hope to see you at the lakeside for the inaugural Golden Oar Regatta. Photo: Supplied.
Emerging rowers, Olympic gold medallists and Para-athletes will descend on Canberra for a major new sporting event: The Golden Oar.
The two-day rowing regatta and lakeside festival is being billed as a global first, with a unique all-inclusive mixed format.
It will be hosted by not-for-profit rowing club Red Shed. President John Gasson said this was a chance to start a classic sporting event in the capital.
“Rowing traditionally is not a great spectator sport. We’re trying to mix that up,” he said.
“We’re trying to add excitement, we want to get spectators involved.”
The Golden Oar has been modelled on some of the world’s most iconic rowing festivals, including the Henley Royal Regatta, the Lucerne Regatta, and the Head of the Charles.
Categories include open mixed quad sculls, PR3 mixed double sculls and masters mixed quad sculls, with a prize pool of $100,000 across the events.
There’ll be a 3 km time trial along Lake Burley Griffin’s southwestern shores, a 1500-metre side-by-side showdown on a buoyed course, and a sprint finale that finishes directly in front of the festival hub.
“Hopefully it’s going to be an iconic event with marquees on both sides of the lake, and people lining up to come and watch,” Mr Gasson said.
“We’re combining elite racing with an open, inclusive atmosphere that invites everyone to be part of something memorable on and off the water.”
The lakeside festival will see Black Mountain Peninsula come alive with performances and local food and beverage stalls, all next to the finish line.
Golden Oar CEO Reuben Bettle said the event wasn’t just about creating a fantastic experience for athletes.
“It’s very much going to be for the community, the families and others who can enjoy the beauty that we have to offer at the lakeside,” he said.
The Golden Oar’s inaugural weekend is being treated as a demonstration event but already there’s been wider interest in Australia and overseas.
Rowing Australia CEO Sarah Cook said it would be an event that would hopefully become a capital staple.
“We’re creating a celebration that reflects everything we love about rowing – skill, spirit, and a strong sense of community,” she said.
“With Lake Burley Griffin as our stage and a festival backdrop, The Golden Oar is set to become one of the standout moments on the Australian sporting calendar.”
The Golden Oar will be held on 1 and 2 November, 2025.
