Christian, Me and the HOC

Here is a picture of us in Boston in the Fall of 2004 at the Head of the Charles. In the background is the Harvard Boat House and some random crew returning back after their race. This is the biggest head race (staggered race with winners determined by the clock) in the United State and each year the US national team races and usually destroys the other boats. This year they crashed into a bridge and didn't win.

You might be thinking that crashing into a bridge sounds like a big deal but actually it is very common and I myself have crashed a boat into the Anderson bridge that crosses the Charles as well as bridges on other rivers. In most boats in crew, the steering is left up to the coxswain. It is a tricky thing to master because you have to work with the current, wind, rowers strength, and the tiny little rudder that is responsible for turning the 60 foot-long boat. It is such a frequent part of the HOC that people stake out space on the bridges to make sure they will have a prime spot when the action starts. The Weak's Footbridge usually has the most victims, but all 5 bridges yield possibilities.