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BackSplash | Summer 2025
A newsletter from Harlem River Community Rowing |
Welcome to the Summer issue of Harlem River Community Rowing’s quarterly newsletter BackSplash, with updates, calendar events, rower profiles, and news on and off the water. HRCR is the only adult rowing organization in NYC and the only one in the region accessible by public transportation. We offer programming at Muscota Marsh in Inwood Hill Park, courtesy of the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation. Our programming is free and open to anyone eighteen years or older. |
NEW PROGRAMMING BLOCKS ACCOMMODATE INCREASED DEMAND
HRCR started our 2025 season by welcoming back last year’s participants along with new members, from recreational rowers returning to the sport, to collegiate rowers eager to find competitive opportunities for the summer, to our 2024 Learn-To-Rowers ready to improve their skills and join our ranks.
To accommodate the influx of participants and their range of skill levels, HRCR expanded our series of rowing “blocks” – eight-practice mid-week programs tailored to our skills building and advanced skills levels, with rows in the early mornings or early evenings. All filled almost immediately. These are in addition to our ongoing weekend skills building and advanced skills practices on Saturday and Sunday mornings.
Many thanks to Pieter Lindenbergh, who handles the weekly scheduling of HRCR’s programs and sign-ups and works with Sophie Chalsma on coordinating and scheduling coaches and coxswains. |
WE KICKED OFF THE SEASON & CELEBRATED OUR FIRST LEARN TO ROW CLASS OF 2025 |
To prove we can clean up and look presentable, we officially launched our 2025 season with a Season Kickoff Party! It was held on May 20 at Connolly's Pub and Restaurant on West 45th Street, and was attended by more than 50 rowers and coaches.
To ensure new and returning rowers met and mixed, our Development team (see below) featured a bingo card matching rowers with questions such as “Learned to row overseas” and “Is new to HRCR this year.” |
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Winning HRCR tote bags and swag were Sheina Crystal, Bennett Slibeck, and Maggie Dickinson. Going home with an HRCR tote bag was Gabby Jackson, who won our Instagram raffle.
Completing the event was the long-awaited naming of our newly acquired 8+. It will now be known as the Gimme, Gimme Oar, a sly tribute to Britney Spears’ song “Gimme More.” A proper christening is scheduled for our upcoming Inwood potluck picnic in August. |
We also celebrated graduates from our first Learn to Row class for 2025 with brews and burgers at Bird in Hand in Hamilton Heights. All eight participants received certificates to recognize their accomplishment as they now move on to skills building sessions to practice and improve their rowing.
Both events were organized by Nicky Hentrich, our indefatigable social chair, who also designed and printed the individual certificates. |
On Saturday, July 12, HRCR celebrated rowing on Manhattan’s waterways for City of Water Day. With the generous support of a grant from the Hudson River Foundation, we partnered with Row New York, our rowing neighbors on the Harlem. Together, we put on a morning of scrimmage races, pitting HRCR crews against each other and RNY alumni in some friendly competition and speedy 1000-meter sprints!
The fun didn’t stop once we docked: on land we had a one minute erg competition, refreshments, and the chance to share our love of rowing with our family, friends, and community members alike!
The event was organized by Joy Hecht, Sophie Chalsma, and Lucy Bartel, with coaching support from Zulia Martinez. Our partners at Row New York included Janice Holzman, Reuben Man, Marcia Kielar, and Coach Eddy Mog. |
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Thanks to all the rowers, coxswains, day-of volunteers, and spectators who made this a success, especially those for whom this was their very first time racing. |
HRCR CALENDAR
| HRCR Inwood Potluck Picnic |
Saturday, August 2 |
| Work Day |
Fall (TBA) |
| Poughkeepsie Regatta |
Saturday, October 4 |
| Head of the Passaic |
Sunday, October 12 |
| Head of the Charles |
Saturday, October 18 |
| Head of the Schuylkill |
Sat/Sun, October 25-26 |
| Head of the Occoquan |
Sunday, November 2 |
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MEET A ROWER: Q&A WITH JESSIE MATHISEN
Jessie Mathisen has the distinct privilege of rowing with HRCR the longest, having joined in 2008, a year after it was founded. She lives in Inwood. A former science teacher, she now works in training. She is a passionate environmentalist.
Q: You are the longest standing member of HRCR. How has HRCR changed over the years and how has it not?
A: HRCR is the biggest and most vibrant it has ever been. We used to be a tiny, very scrappy, very close-knit group. Rowing in Roberto Clemente State Park was much harder than rowing from Muscota Marsh. We had a long walk from where we kept our boats to the dock. We had to put the motor on the launch and take it off every practice. And we maintained our dock, by pulling it out of the water every fall and putting it back in every spring. |
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We've always been warm, welcoming, and friendly. Getting people on the water in a safe, fun way that's open to as many people as possible has always been our driving mission. I hope that never changes.
Q: What roles (other than rower) have you played at HRCR over the years?
A: Years ago, one of the founding Board Members asked me to start managing HRCR's email account. I ended up on the Board as Secretary and held that position for many years. I'm now the Voting Members Chair. I’ve done most things that a rowing club needs done at least once.
I've given a lot of time and energy to HRCR and I feel that I've gotten back everything I've given and more. Being part of HRCR leadership has helped me become more competent and increased my knowledge of the way the world works.
Q: How long have you lived in Inwood? What drew you to the neighborhood? What do you like about it?
A: I've lived in Inwood for about 14 years. I moved to Inwood because many of my friends moved here and it became the center of my social life. It was also convenient to rowing. I would recommend exploring the parks up here – the green space we have is a real privilege.
Q: How were you introduced to rowing? Why do you continue rowing with HRCR?
A: In college I decided to do a sport. I felt I should be trying things different from anything I'd done before. I didn't even know crew involved boats. I went down to the boathouse and fell in love instantly when I saw the shells. This was in 1997.
College rowing was a mixed experience. I gave absolutely full effort and achieved barely mediocre results. One reason I'm so grateful to HRCR is that this team enables me to row recreationally, as myself, not as someone forever trying to achieve a standard I'm not physically capable of meeting. |
HRCR has hit the road, participating in regional regattas starting with Stonewall Regatta, June 1st in Washington DC, hosted by DC Strokes.
We followed it with Rockland Masters Regatta, June 28th, hosted by Rockland Rowing Association, with HRCR medaling in the Men's Masters 8+, Women's Masters 4x, Men's Masters 2x, and Mixed Masters 8+ events. |
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Next up was Philly's Independence Day Regatta. On July 6th, HRCR sent 19 rowers down to the Schuylkill and participated in the Mixed Masters 4x, Men’s Masters 2x, Women’s 8+, and Men’s 8+ events.
July 12th was Carnegie Lake Regatta, hosted by Carnegie Lake Rowing Association. We entered a Women's Masters 8+, Men's Masters 2x, Men's Masters 8+, and Mixed Masters 8+ winning a gold medal in the Mixed Masters 8+.
On July 26th and 27th, we raced in the Overpeck Summer Sprints, with entries in the Women's Open 2x, Men's Open 2x, Mixed Masters 8+, Women's Masters 8+, and Mixed Masters 4x.
Congratulations to the 30+ different people who raced and to everyone who medaled! |
MEET HRCR'S DEVELOPMENT TEAM!
HRCR is unique. Unlike other rowing programs, ours are free. That doesn’t mean they don’t cost money, though. Helping us stay in the black and on the water is our Development team, spearheaded by Jennie Campbell and Anna Whitson.
Since it’s highly unlikely you haven’t gotten an email (or emails) from the development team, you probably know there is plenty going on. This year, donations paid for our new-to-us Vespoli 8+, along with vital operating expenses - paying our coaches, boat maintenance, insurance, and keeping our programs accessible to all.
Our development team oversees volunteers who run our social media, write grants for us, and plan events such as our Season Kickoff Party. Contributing to the team effort are Rebecca Coman-Rager, April Cook, Joy Hecht, Nicky Hentrich, Gabby Jackson, Stephanie Roberts, and John Sullivan-Bolyai. But there’s always room for more!
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On Saturday, June 21st, we had an all-important workday with nearly 20 rowers turning out to de-rig our two eights and quad, clean them, and re-rig to keep them both sea- and row-worthy. Thank you, Sophie, for organizing this, and thank you to all the rowers who came and helped out! |
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ROWER'S DICTIONARY: Heads!
You're standing around on the dock, waiting to figure out what to do, and all of sudden you see sixteen feet coming at you, sixteen arms in the air, and someone yells "HEADS!!!!" And if you don't duck fast enough - wham! You've been hit in the head by a rigger.
Cheer up, it's happened to all of us!
Heads [hɛdz] also heads up [hɛdz ʌp] exclamation
The command to look around you fast and get out of the way pronto to avoid being clobbered in the head by a racing shell being carried past you.
Etymology: after careful study (AKA googling), we cannot determine the etymology of this unusual expression. We even violated our principles and tried ChatGPT, but all it told us was that the expression is simple and rooted in rowing culture. Duh. Of course “heads up” is commonly used in many contexts, but shortening it to heads? We think maybe it arose because rowers are so anxious to put down that heavy boat that they don’t have time for more than one word! If you have any light to shed on this linguistic mystery, please let us know. |
HARLEM RIVER COMMUNITY ROWING MEETS CLASSICAL THEATRE OF HARLEM
Max Ferrandino and Jamie Poole tabled for HRCR along with other community groups prior to the July 13th performance of MEMNON, Classical Theatre of Harlem's summer production at the Richards Rodgers Amphitheatre at Marcus Garvey Park in Harlem.
"It was a uniformly positive experience," said Max, with audience members commenting they were happy to see us there and some even commenting that they'd seen us out on the river. |
HRCR ROWERS, BackSplash is your newsletter.
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Harlem River Community Rowing is a 501c3 volunteer-run nonprofit organization based in northern Manhattan and providing rowing opportunities for adults throughout New York City. We support our free programming through fundraising, contributions, and grants. |
Help keep our programs afloat! Donate below. |
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