The Weyburn Rowing Club will be hosting a Beach Sprints event on Saturday, August 2nd, at Nickle Lake Regional Park.
Club Founder and President Sheila Leach, said they're looking forward to sharing this opportunity with the community while everyone is already out at the park for Nickle Lake Day.
Thanks to community grants, the Beach Sprints competition is completely free for anyone who wants to participate. However, those who are not experienced with rowing should first attend their free Learn to Row event on Friday night from 6 to 8 p.m.
"Friday is the trying and learning how to do it, so then you can be part of it on Saturday with the other clubs."
She said the coastal boats are wider and less likely to tip over than regular rowing boats.
"We're having them brought down from Regina, and we're going to have people in the coastal boats who will teach you how to get in and get out and make turns and go down to the buoy and come back. This is all in preparation for Saturday, because we're having other clubs coming on Saturday from Regina, Saskatoon, and Yorkton, and we're going to have a fun rowing day, and you can then be part of that fun."
"The intent of a Beach Sprint is you start on the sand and they'll say, "Go!', you run to the boat, you get in the boat, you do the course, you do a zigzag turn around the buoy and come back, and then you get out and you run across the sand again to the finish line."
Leach said there will be time to accommodate quite a few participants, as each race will only take three to five minutes.
With regular rowing, rowers enter the boats at the dock, then row to the start line, do the course, and return.
"So this is a lot more fun. It's a shorter course and you have crowds cheering and can see it all, and part of it is a running race as well."
Beach Sprints, noted Leach, only became sanctioned in Saskatchewan two years ago.
"We had it with another rowing regatta, and we're going side by side, and we had a while for the rowers to actually pick up on trying it, but once they tried it, they had a blast, and everybody was laughing and wanting to do it again. So this is the new thing, and world rowing is pushing the coastal rowing or the beach sprints, and they're putting a bid in for it to be in the Olympics. So this is the front edge of everything."
"We'll put inexperienced people or novices in with the more experienced. We have boats that have two seats and one that has one seat, so you'll be paired with somebody else. You don't have to feel like you're going to fall in the water," she explained. "Just come out and have fun. It's just going to be a blast."
To participate in the Learn to Row and the Beach Sprints, find the link to register on the Weyburn Rowing Club's Facebook Page or find it HERE.
"We'd prefer everybody to register, so that insurance is covered for you at that time in case anything goes wrong. Rowing Canada has the insurance to cover us for that, but also it allows me to know how many people are coming and make sure everybody has an equal and fair amount of time."
Rowing typically is for ages 13 and up, but she said if a 10-year-old is keen to try, she won't turn them away. If someone isn't able to register online, contact Sheila Leach ahead of time for the numbers, and she'll sign you up at the beach before the event.
The sprints will, of course, be timed.
"All the novice people that haven't done it before, we'll put their times together, then we'll put the experienced rower times together so people can kind of see where they stand," she said. "The intent is to have fun and come out and see it and just enjoy. It's free, and we've got all of Saskatchewan growing behind us. The Saskatchewan Rowing Association is going to be out there and the other clubs are coming in on Friday night to help and they're going to be there Saturday."
"It's a wonderful sport, a very friendly group, and you'll find that out Friday and Saturday when you come. We have fun with each other and we're across the province. Come and join and have fun with us."
Lifejackets or PDFs will be provided.
