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Teams Hope To Pull A Fast One

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By LAURA KINSLER

The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 3, 2008

TEMPLE TERRACE - They cut through the water like a hot knife through butter - 65 feet of fiberglass propelled by brute strength. The coxswain's voice keeps the rowers in unison while a thousand fans cheer along the course.

The scene is repeated each spring as Florida's collegiate and high school crew teams race for the state title on the Tampa Bypass Canal. The state championship regattas have been held on the canal for more than 20 years, but they came within a hair of being lost forever.

"A few years ago, there was going to be a bridge built; it would have killed competitive rowing," said Marilyn Samaha, president of the Tampa Bypass Canal Rowing Council.

Hillsborough County had $5 million in place to build a bridge connecting Sligh Avenue to Vandenberg Airport on the other side of the canal. The bridge would have dissected the racecourse, described by many as the best rowing course in Florida and one of the best in the nation.
Rowers and their parents persuaded county commissioners to ax the project in 2004 - on the condition they establish a permanent rowing council to host the spring regattas. Now, they are bigger and better than ever.

Last weekend, 1,700 high school students from across the state competed at the Tampa Bypass Canal. On May 10 and 11, kids from seven Southeastern states will compete in the regionals for a chance to go on to the nationals.

Dan Newman, president of the Florida Scholastic Rowing Association, competed on the bypass canal for his Tallahassee team in the mid-1990s. Then, there were only about a dozen high school rowing programs in the state. The sport has grown in popularity, and each team brings an entourage with shade tents, food tents and barbecues.

"It's like night and day," Newman said. "Now there's about 45 teams that compete. When you add up all the rowers, their parents, girlfriends and siblings, that's a few thousand people watching and cheering them on. It really creates a fun atmosphere."

But the best part about the state finals is the chance to row on the bypass canal.

"It's the most fair stretch of water we've been able to find," Newman said. "That's why we come back every year."

Rocks on both sides of the canal absorb waves. There's no competing boat traffic. There's no current to give one lane an advantage over the others. "So it's really down to power on power, technique on technique, versus nature having anything to do with it," Edgewater High senior Matt Galatowitsch said.

"The Tampa Bypass Canal is a really great course to race on because it's really straight, and even when it's windy outside, it's below the ground, so it's very wind-resistant," Edgewater High junior Jackson Olsen said. "It's typically flat water, so it's a nice canal to row on, especially for a state championship."

Reporter Laura Kinsler can be reached at (813) 865-4844 or lkinsler@tampatrib.com. To see a slide show from the Florida Scholastic Rowing Championship Regatta, go to northeast.tbo.com.

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