Head of Oklahoma Centennial Regatta

[Doug Loudenback]

I started to post this in http://www.okctalk.com/okc-metro-are...mpetition.html since it's in the same vein, but decided it deserved its own thread: http://www.oklahomaregatta.com/

2006 Head of the Oklahoma Centennial Regatta

September 30th - October 1st, 2006
Regatta Park in Downtown Oklahoma City

The Head of the Oklahoma is an innovative Centennial event that combines beauty and pageantry of the sport of rowing and the adrenaline-fueled intensity of sprint racing in a unique two-day festival. The Head of the Oklahoma will be held on September 30 – October 1 and will feature several exciting new components and crews from across the nation. The featured event for the 2006 Head of the Oklahoma is the introduction of night racing on the Oklahoma River. The Head of the Oklahoma will be the first regatta in the United States to feature night racing. Four 100 foot light arms will extend over the Oklahoma River sprint course to create a dramatic new environment for racing.

Is that cool or what? Continuing ...

The Head of the Oklahoma will also feature:

• a new art show overlooking the Oklahoma River
• expanded children’s activity area with rides and exhibits
• “The Regatta Experience” educational entrance
• a picnic area overlooking the finish line
• wine tasting
• premium seating along the sprint course and two VIP areas with river shuttles
• an expansive expo tent with commemorative gifts and delicious food from popular local eateries
• The Regatta Walk family fitness activity with special prizes for all finishers
• a kayaking and interactive area for guests
• two stages featuring live music and dance performances
• roving entertainers
• a evening concert
• ample free parking and shuttles
• tours of the beautiful new $3.5 million Chesapeake Boathouse

A pretty cool 3-D Tour of the Race Course is here: http://www.oklahomaregatta.com/3Dtour.aspx - it really doesn't show the river and is more like a computer game, but it's fun to watch ... puts you in the boat of one of the competitors.

Here are a couple of images I've put together from the regatta's website - gals and guys from the OCU team, I'm sure:

[keving]

Thanks for posting this Doug.

I believe we are going to be expecting about 30,000 people for this event.

[Doug Loudenback]

Thanks for posting this Doug.

I believe we are going to be expecting about 30,000 people for this event.

I think this whole thing is great! I know nothing about the sport, but I surely do remember being glued to the tube in some past Olympics competition where USA won some medals. VERY exciting to watch the close finishes ... it's like they are in slow motion so that you can savor every second of it!

And, competition at night with lamps extended over the river? Wow!

What's your association with this, keving (if I'm not being too nosey)?

[keving]

What's your association with this, keving (if I'm not being too nosey)?

I am a member of the Chesapeake Boathouse and do volunteer work for them both in the boathouse doing regular stuff and also at the regattas. Although, I've had to skip the last one because I ended up getting sick the night before.

A little background on rowing in my life. I have always loved rowing but until recently, I was only a spectator. Now, I'm a rower... well, learning to be a rower. Rowing has made a great change in life and it is for the better. When I first started at the beginning of the year, I was just rowing inside on the ergometers and lost 25 lbs. Then I started rowing on the water. Loads of fun! However, I broke my navicular in my left wrist in a scooter accident and haven't been rowing for a while (also gained most of the 25 lbs back). I'm glad to say that I'm healed up and will be getting back on the ergometer and training so I can hopefully race next year.

[keving]

I think this whole thing is great! I know nothing about the sport, but I surely do remember being glued to the tube in some past Olympics competition where USA won some medals. VERY exciting to watch the close finishes ... it's like they are in slow motion so that you can savor every second of it!

US Rowing is great website that can help you understand more about the sport. Specifically, check out the Eleven Insights to the Sport of Rowing and the Viewer's Guide.

Now, the next regatta coming up, the Head of Oklahoma Centennial Regatta is what we call a head race. This type of race is held in the fall in the US over a winding river course, usually about three miles in length. Boats start, in their respective divisions, at 10-second intervals. Turns and obstructions, such as bridges (we've got a lot of them) can make steering and passing a true test of navigational skill for the coxswain. Races in the spring and summer are a head-to-head race meaning a group of boats are racing against each other in a course of 2,000 meters, 1,000 meters or 500 meters. Our course here has at least 2,000 meters of straight rowing, which is really nice.

A good rower makes it looks incredibly easy. But trust me, it's not. However, it is great fun and a great workout. However, don't let this scare you. Anyone can row! I'm a fairly big guy... both vertical and horizontal and I can row with no problem. Granted, it takes a bit of practice but totally doable. There are even adaptive rowers meaning people that are without legs or arms... like I said. Anyone can row!

[sweetdaisy]

Of course, I have to add my 2 cents and post a pic of my company's winning crew in last year's Corporate Challenge. (see how far ahead they are???)

[metro]

Just wanted to remind everyone that the 2nd annual Head of the Oklahoma Regatta is this weekend. Please go out and support our city. This year will be another historic event with the first ever US rowing event with night rowing.

Go to www.headoftheoklahoma.com for more info!

[okcmom]

It is wonderful that Oklahoma City University spearheaded and created this event. They don't get the credit they deserve for making this event a huge deal.

[Doug Loudenback]

I got up on my feet and attended this wonderful event last night (Saturday), the 1st sanctioned nighttime rowing competition in America. Sadly, the nighttime pictures weren't that great. I've posted a blog article which contains description, but here are the pics that I took last night.

[Karried]

Wow, that looks like a fun event to attend. Was last night the only night for night rowing or are they having it today and tonight as well?

[Doug Loudenback]

Karrie, last night was the only "night" event ... many 500 meter sprints were "run" ... but the action continues today ... I'm going back to take some "daytime" pics which will hopefully show stuff better than the night pics did. I don't know the schedule, though. Maybe it's in the event's website, The Head of the Oklahoma Centennial Regatta but I'm planning to go to the Bricktown IHOP for breakfast, and if I'm still able to move by the time I've finished eating I'll waddle on down to the Chesapeake Boathouse area by mid-morning.

[Luke]

My wife and I went to watch a few of the night super sprints. Pretty cool.

[Doug Loudenback]

These pics were taken today, Sunday, between 9:45 and 11:30 a.m. Click a pic for an 800 x 600 px image.

Views of Chesapeake Boathouse









Looking at Byers Bridge from Boathouse Grounds



Various Views From Byers Bridge













Video on the North Shore ... see the lady rowing, far left

[Keith]

Hey Doug, those are great pictures. Thanks for sharing them with us.

[floater]

I attended yesterday and today. It is a great event to have in OKC. There were crew teams from Dallas, KC, and Tulsa as well as the collegiate teams from Navy, Wichita State, Creighton, KSU, KU, UT, Tulsa, OSU, OU, OCU, and Harvard, plus the US team.

The nightsprints cool. The people watching -- well, at least the coed-watching -- was cool. The food vendors were good ones, including Trattoria Il Centro and Deep Fork Grill.

One of the great things about competitions is that they bring people together in places they might not otherwise go to. The thought running through my head all the time was that all these young people are learning firsthand that OKC is not some dry place with tumbleweed rolling in the landscape. Instead they got water, a world-class venue, and a nice downtown backdrop. And they found out we are passionate about things other than OU football.

[jbrown84]

How were the crowds, guys?

[keving]

Wow... what a weekend! This year's Head of the Oklahoma was double the size from last year. I didn't get to see much of the event because I was working the timing system and making sure everyone had correct times posted. It was very stressful at times but was a blast!

I even got to hang out with the US National Rowing team... they are a great bunch of people and they mesh so well with each other. They were also very impressed with the regatta course and facilities. If you missed them, they will be here next year with several other international rowing teams.

For timing results, go here.

[Karried]

Floater, Doug, keving and others.. were there any comments that you overheard from people visiting? Or what was the general feel of the crowds? After the event, did they head to Bricktown? I would like to see numbers on the attendees as well..

I wish I would have gone.. it sounds like a wonderful time..

[Doug Loudenback]

Floater, Doug, keving and others.. were there any comments that you overheard from people visiting? Or what was the general feel of the crowds? After the event, did they head to Bricktown? I would like to see numbers on the attendees as well..

I wish I would have gone.. it sounds like a wonderful time..

I didn't really visit with anyone, except one guy I sat down by on Sunday morning. One poor lady in a solo boat got stuck somehow under the Byers bridge though I can't imagine how. I started chatting with the guy I was sitting next to about it ... turns out he was an Okc guy and knew less about this than I did (which is almost nothing). But, he seemed pleased with the event and all the stuff associated with it. As to going to Bricktown to do other stuff, no, I was too pooped! Had a great time!

[keving]

I haven't seen the numbers yet but I do know they were expecting between 30,000 and 40,000 for the weekend. I'll see what I can dig up.

As far as the amount of competitors, it was double from last year. This came as a big surprise to the event organizers.

Also, I did hear some comments such as people enjoying the event but didn't really know what was going on. I think they just wanted the details without having to buy a program.

[sweetdaisy]

Keving, thanks so much for posting timing results, and Doug, thanks so much for the awesome pics. I went last year and LOVED every moment of it...how exciting that there was such a great competitor turnout!

I have to complain about what little media coverage this event received. On Sunday, I went to each of the news station websites, and found info regarding the event on only ONE (newsok.com). The blurb in the the Sunday paper was disappointing, as well. I don't understand how we have such an exciting event happening in OKC, but the media coverage stinks! Based on our local news, it seems we're only concerned with the latest house fire or tragedy, and can't celebrate a new event that draws athletes from across the nation and hosts the first ever night rowing event.

Anyway, I'm so pleased you guys were able to go and report back to us. It sounds like you had a fantastic time!

[keving]

I agree with the media coverage being poor. I believe KFOR didn't cover it much because they had their BBQ Competition going on at Bass Pro just a couple blocks away.

I am not sure what's wrong with the other news stations. I do know that News 9 has covered the rowing events more than any other station. However, the existing coverage still stinks. Perhaps this might change in the future with the USA Rowing World Challenge coming next year and then with OCU building their own boathouse at Arcadia and OCU building their boathouse at the Oklahoma River. Maybe then the media will recognize what a big thing this is.

Oklahoma City is the next big rowing city in the US. I believe we will soon be regarded as the best behind the events in Boston on the Charles River.

[keving]

Tons of pictures here.

[keving]

OK. They have some numbers now...

We had nearly 1000 athletes from 40 teams participating in the event, and an estimated 30,000 spectators.

[BG918]

I got a chance to tour the Chesapeake Boathouse today and was blown away by how nice it was. The workout facility was first class and the meeting/event space had some great views of the river. And then they told us this is just part of their master plan for this part of the riverfront as each rowing entity, like OCU, OU, etc., wants its own boathouse creating a "boathouse row" along the river on both sides of the Byers Ave. bridge.

And I didn't realize construction has already begun on the I-40 relocation project directly across from the inlet by the boathouse. There is a massive retaining wall being built and it looks really nice. You can clearly see Bricktown from the boathouse and if you connected Byers across the tracks (which will be the new I-40 in a few years) you are connected to the street in front of Bass Pro. I didn't realize they were so close, and that gives me hope that those parking lots in front Bass Pro (on the westside of Byers) could be developed into mixed-use buildings and serve as a great connector from Bricktown to the riverfront.