Sunday, March 27, 2016
Last week, I watched 360 crew teams row down the River Thames to compete for the fastest time. Rowing is another popular sport in London and this particular race was opened to teams from all over the world. Among the competition were some past, current and future Olympic rowers. I had never seen a rowing race before, but I know there are a few teams at American universities. My favorite part of the day was hearing the person at the front of the boat (known as the cox) yelling at the rest of the team. Some of the coxes were encouraging while others were very stern and borderline scary!
I liked the rowing environment so much last weekend that I decided I would go back to watch the traditional Easter race between Oxford and Cambridge. The women went first. Cambridge’s women’s team sank its boat, which hasn’t happened since the 1970s, resulting in a win for the women’s Oxford team. I got to see both Oxford and Cambridge’s men’s teams carry their boats into the river and then flip off their wellies (rainboots) onto the shore. I made my way to the other side of the bridge to get a clearer view of the start of the race. It was windy and cold and I couldn’t imagine how much colder the guys must have been on the water. Once the race started I moved to the big screen to follow the rest of the race. Cambridge’s men’s team blew Oxford out of the water (literally). Oxford still has more wins than Cambridge, but this year Cambridge has the bragging rights. It was an unforgettable way to spend Easter!
Cheers!
Gina