Friday's rowing events started off testing athlete boating skills, including backing into the gate, starting, emergency stops, a 360-degree turn and a glide. The Skills event was introduced to the BC Summer Games training two years ago as part of the long-term development plan for young athletes. It helps firm up the basic boating skills that that serve as a basis for racing.
"It helps the athletes focus on racing, not manoeuvring, during regattas," says Eron Main, provincial advisor for Rowing BC. "In other regattas across the country, the BC teams are ready and waiting at the starting gate, while many other teams are still getting into place. It pays off."
Mira Girt and Miranda Prekaski of Fraser River-Delta (Zone 4) won gold in the Women's 2x race. The silver medal went to Sierra Farr and Sarah Chapman of Vancouver-Squamish (Zone 5) and the Bronze to Anna Lisa Craig and Josie Duncan of Cariboo-North East (Zone 8).
The gold for Mens 2x went to Aaron Christie and Brendan Marney Vancouver Island-Central Coast (Zone 6). Alex Payandeh and Ty Yamamoto (Zone 4) took silver and Gavin Cameron and Justin Miller (Zone 6) took Bronze.
For the Mixed 4x and coxswain, Anna Lisa Craig, Alexandra Lubbe, Tyra Van Osch (Zone 8) and Sebastian Gulka of Fraser Valley (Zone 3) took gold, followed by Girt, Prekaski, Yamamoto, Payandeh and Eric Fraser of Fraser River-Delta (Zone 4) with silver and Genevieve Sedun, Tara Christiansen, Aaron Christie, Brendan Marney and Sage Friswell, Vancouver Island-Central Coast (Zone 6) with bronze.
The athletes had to deal with squalls, rain, cool weather and cloudy skies all morning as they shivered themselves and rode their boats to the dock and back again. Many remarked they were soaked, but that it was better than cooking in the sun.