2015 GLRF Stockholm Rowing Tour and Queer Regatta

When rowing was cancelled as an event at the 2015 Eurogames in Stockholm, the 34 rowers who had originally registered for the event were left with non-refundable airline tickets and the option of requesting a refund for their Eurogames registration or participating in another event. The choices were not appealing and two GLRF members from Denmark, @adtan and @runegartner, decided to organize an alternate event. After contacting two local rowing clubs, Stockholms Roddförening and Hammarby Roddförening, Adrian and Rune were able to organize two alternate events: a rowing tour around Stockholm and a regatta at Magelungen rowing course.

The rowing tour, which was held on Friday, 07 August, using boats provided by the clubs, launched two flotillas, one from Stockholms Roddförening and the other from Hammarby Roddförening, at 10h00. . Some of the boats were the classic 4x+ inrigger which easily handled the sometimes large swells encountered outside the shelter of the islands, but four brave rowers held a steady course in spite of some large waves, in a quad racing shell. Because of the count, one rower showed everyone the meaning of coastal rowing, by taking to the waters in a single coastal rower.

The perfect summer weather allowed the rowers to experience Stockholm and its many islands from its best side: the water. Large tankers, ferries, powerboats, and water scooters zoomed around the boats, with smiles and hand waving ... and without regard to the wake they created .... The warm northern sun seduced two rowers to jump into the water when the Roddförening flotilla stopped for a break in the middle of the open water way. We'll leave it to GLRF members @runegartner and @boyd0094 to say whether the decision was insane or delightfully refreshing ...

The two flotillas approached from opposite sides of Stockholm, and eventually the boats rowed around Djurgården and rendezvoused at Prins Eugens Waldemarsudde for a picnic. Friends and husbands met up with the rowers for the lunch. The gathering had a very international makeup: Swedes, Danes, Englishmen, Dutchmen, Germans, a Hungarian, a Nigerian, and an American. After a long and relaxing rest on a grassy knoll, far above the geese dung near the shore (Canadian Geese is one more immigration problem that European countries are facing ...), some rowers switched out boats so they could enjoy a different return boat trip and the two flotillas landed, as planned, at 15h00.

The regatta, which was organized with support from the Gay and Lesbian Rowing Federation (GLRF), was held on Saturday 8^th August. The rowers raced in three boat categories: coxless fours (4-), double sculls (2x) and quads (4x) over 500 m. The crews competed against each other across age and gender categories using handicaps based on FISA Masters ideal racing times. Eighteen crews participated – including a local double scull crew from Stockholm. Magelungen provided a beautiful and calm setting with perfect rowing conditions and a buoyed, six-lane course for the many close races. Faced with no medals, GLRF went to work to create a medal worthy of the regatta's location and the skill of the gathered rowers. The result were big, huge medals with a pink and blue coat of arms design and a Swedish colored neck ribbons of blue and gold.

After the regatta was over, the rowers gathered at the Eurogames outdoor closing ceremony and with their medals on display, it seemed like every eyeball in the gathering turn and ogled: what is this, who is this? Wow .... Yeah, we're rowers. Get in line ... and we'll teach you how to row or just give you a quick course in how to ... st***e.

All of the rowers owe a huge thanks to Stockholms Roddförening and Hammarby Roddförening – and Robert Vigert @robertvigert in particular – for making the two rowing events such a success and an unforgettable experience!