Winners of the Golden Oar cash prizes. Photo: Supplied.
Rowing in Australia has, for too long, been viewed as an elitist sport, with the bulk of participants sourced from private schools.
The sport would become stagnant in Canberra without a broader participation base.
In many ways, Red Shed, a not-for-profit community rowing facility situated on the Black Mountain Peninsula, is playing a significant role in breaking down stereotypes through its learn-to-row programs, which cater to people of all ages and backgrounds.
So how can the benefits of rowing be showcased to potential participants in the ACT?
It’s a sport many have only seen on television once every four years at the Olympics and Paralympics.
Enter John and Jeanette Gasson. John, who started rowing at Telopea Park High School, met Jeanette through the sport. Together, they have pursued their passion for rowing to build a community facility for all. It’s called Red Shed.
And what better way to showcase all the sport has to offer than stage a regatta involving the entire Canberra community, not just those involved in rowing.
The Gassons set their sights high and, with a group of like-minded people, they put together one of the more ambitious sporting events in Canberra: the Golden Oar.
They drew on expertise across a range of portfolios, driven by John, Jeanette and Monique Gasson.
Reuben Bettle, with experience at many of the world’s major sporting events, was appointed as the event coordinator with Peter Wright as the on-water coordinator.
With over 100 volunteers, Angus Reid was tasked with coordinating all those involved.
Down to the serious rowing at the Golden Oar regatta. Photo: Supplied.
Infrastructure was put in place by Shane Byrne.
Brendan Lynch drew on his experience from the Sydney 2000 Olympics and served as the event secretary.
Canberra Airport came on board as the major sponsor, with a long list of Canberra businesses backing the event. The expertise of Rowing ACT Boat Race Officials and staff provided invaluable support.
Then there were the rowers. Many are part of Rowing Australia’s National Training Centre.
With this combined effort, the Golden Oar, staged over the weekend, was a brilliant concept in many ways, as it managed to merge rowing with a regatta, even including a cardboard raft competition and a lake swim.
Achieving the impossible: rowing in a cardboard boat at the Golden Oar regatta. Photo: Supplied.
Of course, rowing was the main attraction, but the Golden Oar brought others along for the ride, potentially opening the sport to others within the community.
The Golden Oar also managed to bring the sport into the mainstream consciousness with racing as close to the shoreline as possible, showcasing firsthand the incredible athleticism of elite rowers.
Rowers, like we have rarely seen that close and on the shores of Lake Burley Griffin and in rarely-seen mixed combination quads of two men and two women, contested a prize pool of $120,000.
There were Olympic and world champions in the same boat as relative novice rowers in the corporate challenge.
The Croatian triple Olympic champions Martin and Valent Sinkovic proved to be an enormous attraction, combining elite rowing with a sense of showmanship.
To bring the action even closer, the indoor rowing relay challenge demonstrated how fast you need to go in the gym to match it with an Olympic rower.
Rowing has always been accessible to anyone who desires to take up the sport in Canberra, with several clubs available, including Black Mountain and the Canberra Rowing Club. However, overcoming perceptions of inaccessibility remains an issue.
The inaugural staging of the Golden Oar has been a huge step forward in breaking down those barriers, perceived or otherwise, showcasing the sport at the elite level but remaining accessible to novices anxious about taking up a new sport. This was combined with Red Shed’s appeal in attracting lapsed rowers back into the sport.
It was a bold move to stage such an event, but an investment that will reap rewards for the sport for many years to come.
