Motley crews rock ‘n’ row

Andrew Edwards

Young members of the Newport Aquatic Center’s rowing team stood on

the sand at North Star Beach on Sunday morning as a swarm of

collegiate rowers led an armada into Newport Bay.

As the girls watched more experienced competitors get ready to

race, they waited for their chance to enter the first competitive

rowing event of their lives.

“It pumps your heart,” 14-year-old Charlotte Kroeger said as she

watched the race-day preparations. “It’s like, that’s going to be me

in a couple of minutes.”

Charlotte stood on the beach with 14-year-olds Maxine Rodenhuis

and Courtney McPhee as the sun rose over Newport Bay before the start

of the 17th annual Newport Autumn Rowing Festival. There were more

than 30 events in the competition, and teams from across California

and beyond vied for the day’s prizes.

As Maxine watched the older racers start their trip toward the

finish line, she wondered if she would ever trade the blue and gold

uniform of the Newport Aquatic Center for one of the college team’s

colors.

“That could be me one day,” she said.

Orange Coast College and UC Irvine were among the slate of

competitors, and other campuses included UCLA, USC, Cal State Long

Beach and UC San Diego.

If a young woman can row competitively, she has a good shot of

securing a scholarship at a top school, Newport Aquatic Center coach

Eden Broggi said.

“If they can row, especially for the girls, there are so many

scholarships,” Broggi said. “They’re basically handing them out for

women’s rowing.”

At the rowing festival, there were competitions for high

school-age rowers, called “juniors,” college students and adults,

called “masters” in the event. Experienced students and novices rowed

in their own divisions. The events were “head races,” contests where

crews rowed against a clock instead of head-to-head.

The rowers navigated a course that took them from the west end of

Lido Island, under West Coast Highway, and into the bay. Former

Orange Coast College rowing coach Dave Grant watched the races begin

from the Via Lido bridge.

Grant said he ran into rowers whom he had coached as many as 30

years ago, noting that rowers often develop a strong sense of

camaraderie, and athletes who pick up rowing often stay with the

sport.

In collegiate competition, Orange Coast College swept the men’s

novice event for an eight-man crew, and rower Conor Tuttle, 19, vowed

to celebrate the win.

“We’re going to have some fun tonight,” he yelled.

Newport Aquatic Center entered events for high school-age rowers

and adults, and local athletes had a strong day, winning six events.

Victories included the men’s and women’s eight-person juniors events,

and a win by Paul Davies, a 74-year-old Newport Beach resident who

beat out the only competitor in his field to win the men’s

lightweight single master race. Davies said he started rowing when he

was 61.

Rowers earning first-place finishes earned the right to wear a

medal and claim a gleaming trophy, but competitors could feel proud

of their performance even if they did not take home the regalia of

victory. Courtney, one of the young rowers in her first race, was

excited to have been a part of the competition.

“It feels awesome,” she said. “We feel so accomplished.”

* ANDREW EDWARDS is the news assistant. He can be reached at (714)

966-4624 or by e-mail at andrew.edwards@latimes.com.