PTC

There’s nothing quite like loading a four-tiered boat trailer in the pouring rain. I more than most people can appreciate the extra challenges of slick straps, short tempers, constant cold and wetness, and the fine art of monkeying up to the top level of the trailer with little or no traction for the hands or feet, having gained most of my trailer-loading experience in Seattle. Physical and mental dexterity are certainly pushed just a little further in these situations, but I was right at home last Wednesday in the Pacific Northwest-esque conditions as we at PTC loaded the armada onto the USRowing trailer in preparation for a full weekend of racing at the 2007 USRowing Elite Nationals regatta. With all the fun we had loading the trailer on Wednesday morning, I had a sneaking suspicion that the weekend was going to be packed with other fun-filled surprises. I was right.

Wow, what a great weekend. Despite being plagued by pesky thundershowers and mildly oppressive heat all three days, the third NSR turned out well for me and for many of my friends and teammates. The racing in the women’s 2x event was pretty tight, with the field rarely showing more than a few seconds’ spread between top-placing boats.

Well, it’s that time again—the third and final of the 2007 USRowing National Selection Regattas is quickly approaching. I’ve already missed out on the first two of the NSRs because of injuries, so at this point I’m excited to do some selection and get in the double to race.

I’ve never been particularly good at letting things go. I have a number of people in Princeton who can attest to that, some more substantially than others. From missing out on the crown at the 2000 Miss Saint Croix Falls Pageant to my midnight curfew all through high school (compared to my three siblings’ non-existant curfews), to being a hopelessly dysfunctional romantic, there are some things that have just always gotten the better of me. But not all the things I brood over are things that I’m angsty about.

Only .6 seconds separated first place from fourth in the A Final of the Men's Pairs, so if you blinked you missed it. Between the A & B final there were 6 boats within 1.7 seconds of each other.
Thanks to Powerhouse Timing we have the finish line photos for the A & B finals.

The crewing in the semi-finals this afternoon will be the most competitive race, in terms of personnel and experience, since my first speed-order/NSR in the Spring of 2001. Lake Carnegie was tranquil back then. This type of racing format was new for most of us as a key part of selection.

Finish line video from a full 2k piece with some of the PTC pairs.

A couple of weeks ago, the guys at the PTC did their annual Vo2 Max testing. Dr. Fritz Hagerman came to administer the test with a new mask, you may have seen SubZero sporting it in Mortal Combat. We gathered up some photos and video of the event and asked Cameron Winklevoss to give us some insight into the testing.

Video - Photos

David Banks gets into his piece as Fritz monitors his progress.

Giuseppe starts off the piece strong.