Faces of rec.sport.rowing

Action shots or portraits of some contributors to the usenet newsgroup rec.sport.rowing. Send your own picture (or a link) to dronkert@varsity.nl. Please include a short description or some other background information you want to share (your posting name at least!).

Stamps and crew - bronze medal Hong Kong 2006 Stamps and wife - Ozzie Masters Rowing Champs Stamps (Mark Stamper)
"I started rowing at Oxford (Worcester College) in 1991, and have not yet managed to stop. I was Captain of Boats and won blades twice, and was responsible for the nasty pink lycra that Worcester wore for a couple of seasons. I do apologise. I then rowed for Bewl Bridge in stunning surroundings and with a great group of guys for a few years, and enjoyed the Tideway head races and Henley with them. I then moved briefly to Thames, back to Bewl, and then Furnivall Sculling Club. A good few years there and it was home, with one annus mirabilis where we seemed to win everything we entered, slightly better than the previous win-less year. A small but nice club in the middle of the Boat Race course, and I was sad to leave. But work brought me to Hong Kong where I now row and coach for the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club. I also order the kit and was responsible for the nasty blue and yellow long socks, and the 'deckchair' blue and yellow blazer, now to be seen every year at Henley. When will I learn?"
Stamps - beer and trophies
At left, Mark's bronze medal crew from the 2006 Hong Kong Rowing Champs. At topright, Mark and wife Alice having just won the Australian Masters Rowing Champs, "They just loved the kit..." At bottomright, "Beer and trophies - borrowing a trophy we didn't win."

Steve Brown (brownsteve@btinternet.com)
Steve is with Peterborough City Rowing Club, England, and sent in this newspaper article (jpeg 155kB 842x612).

Steve Platt
"This is my third attempt at the Head of the Charles in 1999 in the Men's Masters Double at age 40. I manage to make it to about 5 sprints and 8 head races a year. I row on the Delaware River in New Jersey with the Swan Creek Rowing Club."

Stuart Jones (stu@stujones.me.uk)
Updated 23 Sep 2005
"Been rowing since 2000 - started at University College, Oxford, where I was Captain 2003-04. Rowed college 1st VIII all 4 years of my degree (up 8 in Torpids, up 2 in Eights), and did also OUBC Development Squad for a year. Now row for Northwich RC, my home town club, mainly concentrating on sculling at the moment. Have done Henley Qualifiers 3 times (2001 Isis B - Temple, 2003 Black Sheep - Thames, 2005 Northwich - Wyfold) but haven't made it yet. Next year...!"
Stu's at 2 in this Bigblade.net photo from Henley Qualifiers 2005.

Sue Thomas (suthomas@islandnet.com)
"November 2000 and the first outing in my new Fluidesign (from Gord Henry in London, Ontario). I'm just turning away from our dock on Shawnigan Lake (BC) and am very anxiously waiting to take the first stroke! Looking forward to competing in WC 1x during the 2001 season."

Taniwha at a rowing meeting Taniwha fourth from left Taniwha
"Real name David McCowan. Rowed one year at school. Then club administration when daughter took up rowing ten years ago [1996]. Rowed for masters but had to put on hold for three rowing committees. Cutting back now and starting to row again. May officiate if desire comes back."

In the first picture, David at a rowing meeting. Standing fourth from left in the second picture. A taniwha in the crest of Waikato RC.

Tim Granger (tim@mcshane.org)
"This picture is from the UK National Championships in July 2000. I was racing in a lightweight quad from Rob Roy; this race was our heat in which we came 3rd and went through to the rep. I've been rowing since 1994, mainly for Kings College and Rob Roy boat clubs in Cambridge." My homepage. Kings college BC. Rob Roy BC.

Tony Curran
"First started in Coastal rowing on south coast of England in 1978 for Westover RC then Poole ARC. Also rowed for University of Kent from 80-83. In '87 moved to Canada where I've done a fair bit of pair and doubles. Since '95 I've had a single and in '98 imported a Carl Douglas CD-X which you see me in floating on the Ottawa River just before a Masters race. Currently preparing for the FISA Maters to be held in Montreal in 2001. In off season river is solid so we do a lot of cross-country skiing."

Volker Mildner (volker.mildner@gmx.de)
"The picture was taken in '99 on a student regatta in Barcelona where I rowed for the eight of the Technical University (UPC). I'm on the left, on the right my friend Xavier Gonzales-Rochas. Born in Hamburg (Germany), started rowing in High-School, rowed a bit in University."

Walter Martindale
"There aren't that many of me coaching, so here's an oldie. If something comes up next summer and a good shot is taken, I'll send a replacement.
The photo is from a 1997 Prince Albert Drifters Rowing Club training camp at Emma Lake. This is in mosquito country in north-central Saskatchewan, where once or twice a year the PADRC holds a rowing camp at their sailing club. The daily schedule is usually wake with the sun, go back to sleep because it's still only 4:30 AM. Get up and walk to the beach for 6:00 AM, and row around to the art college for breakfast (about 8 km or so each way) and row back. Then, in Saskatchewan the wind usually picks up, and the club goes for a sail, a sleep, and then lunch. The afternoon is spent preparing for the evening barbecue, and when the wind dies at around 17:00 there's another short row (usually too many power boats and water-skiiers to permit a long row) followed by the evening barbecue.
The PADRC used to like to invite me there once or twice in the summer to give me a break from coaching the competitive programs in Saskatoon and Regina. Haven't been back to Emma Lake since this photo was taken, and there aren't that many pix floating around from the 3 years in New Zealand and the 2 years now (in 2002) in Alberta."