2004
The Dream Begins with Olympic Inspiration
In late 2004 David Houston returned from a victorious trip to the world unviersity rowing Championships amid the turmoil of the "Lay Down Sally Robins" incident at the Athens Olympics. As a new student David was stunned by the number of student coming up and asking him similar questions revolving around the themes of "who was right and wrong" in the incident and "I've always wanted to try rowing."
It occured to Dave that (a) the media interest in rowing the incident had created vastly exceeded that of the olympic rowing results themselves and (b) that the Gold Coast although being the most rowable city in the world (ideal climate and a web of calm waterways) provided no oppourtunity of the young rowers to continue with the sport.
With rowing being the most traditional of all university sports and having been the beneficiary of the University of Queenslands Elite program in Brisbane Dave saw no reason why the growing Gold Coast Griffith University Campus could not have its own rowing club - it deserved one!
2005
A Rocky Start to Guild from
With a fist full of ambition he went to see Mr Andrew Thrush of the Griffith University Student Guild to seek advice and direction.
"I'd like to start a rowing club Thrushy"
"Rowing is a non traditional sport Dave its unlikely to work"
"...rowing is the most tradtional of all university sports"
"My advice is to not bother, it wont be popular. Others have tried and failed"
"I know rowing better than most"
"It wont work"
"Thanks for your support, I look forward to proving you wrong"
From there a tumultous relationship with the Griffith University Gold Coast Student Guild began that saw the club shut down (and after much debate reinstated) on two separate occasions before a single rower had even gotten on the water! Griffith University Rowing Clubs choice to take the traditional Griffith University uniform colour of Red over the Griffith University Gold Coast Student Guilds interesting colours of green and gold was also in an inflamatory issue.
A Meeting of Minds
Quite early on it dawned on Dave that he could not do it alone and with no money. After a few pathetic attempts to draw a GURC logo one lecture fellow dental student Nathaniel Davies who was seated next to him enquired what he was doing.
"If you want I can help you design a logo on photoshop" Nathaniel offered. "Come over tonight and we will do one"
That was the beginning of literally 1000s of hours of work Nathaniel has volunteered to the GURC - if he only knew at the time!!!
The 2 gentlemen got together and drew up a few drafts of a GURC logos. The logo evolved after feedback from Griffith University External Relations Department that it was in voilation of the universities logo rules. Daves ears have only recently stopped ringing from this discussion such was the tone.
So a logo was finalised but the issue of no money needed urgent attention.
Having seen the financial success of the Society of Economics and Commerce Students (SECS) Card at University of Qld Dave and Nate thought this may be a viable success. Selling the card as GURC was an ok idea but it was the Gold Coast and the card needed an edge. Hence TEAM OAR-GASM was born, the social branch of the rowing club. The card was called the Team Oargasm Student Survival Card. Inspite of a rival card poping up (the founder of which was destined to become roommate and lifelong friend of David Houston!) card sales were a success and the rowing club went into semester 2 with a bit of money in the bank.
From Sign-on to 7th - Australian University Games on the Gold Coast 2005
After our first introductory BBQ at Surfers Paradise Rowing Club a group of young men took up the challenge to create the first ever Griffith Unviersity VIII at Australian University Games. The group of men trained well for 8 weeks preparing for an onslaught on epic proportions as the crew came up against the might of Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and UQ and many others (14 Mens VIIIs in total).
Griffith struggled through the heat and repercharge and lined up in the B Final of the Mens VIII. As one of the slowest qualifiers and with 3 complete novice rowers, a novice cox (that had perfected that art of "steering by brail" using land buoys" and a boat made of over 75% wood - expectations were not high. Infacat the boat had had 2 breakages - on the way to the start line!
Surprisingly the Griffith crew shot out of the blocks in the high 40s and were running second to Newcastle University and ahead of Maquaire. Down by a length and having burnt a lot of busicuits starting hard Dave thought that they should ease up a bit. "Cmon lets get them","lets take them down" screamed the beginners obviously not familiar with the fact that novice crews in wooden boats down tend to come from behind.
With ignorance as our greatest assest the crew inspired by the words and straigh(ish) steering of Jon Duke Chang the crew pushed and push until remarkably with 250 meters to go Griffith lead by a length over both Newcastle and Maquarie. The final 30 stroke count-down began and the lift was as Griffith stepped to the finishline. Could it really be an unlikely victory?
AHHHHHH screamed one of the rowers with 100 meters to go as a massive crab was caught nearly knocking him out of the boat. "PICK IT UP" Duke screamed as the trailing crews gained "Cmon 5 strokes!" The VIIIs stepped to the finishing with Griffith churning like a dying spider. 10 meters to go Maquaire and Newcastle push Griffith dig deep.
Griffith by 1 meter for 7th place at Australian University Games. The beating red heart of Griffith Rowing was born.
- Tara Kelly 1st Womens 1x
- Jackson Price 2nd Mens 1x
- Tara Kelly and Suzanne Brown 1st Womens 2x
- David Houston and Peter Palmer 6th Mens 2x
- 8th Womens Lightweight Single Scull
- 9th Womens Pair
- Mens 8+ 7th
2006
Surfs Up
With the success of Australian University Games fresh in everyones memory exams were negotiated and a new year of fun was in the planning. But then a call came through to Dave Houston from Peter Hickey that would change the path of the History of the club.
"I hear you can row, come down and have a go at Surf Boats" Peter said.
Dave did and soon came to realise exactly what a university friendly sport surfboat rowing was. The beach, the beer, the fear of death and the DTs all combined to present a form of rowing that was challenging and fun.
With Peters help a surf boat and even a 4wd was leant to Griffith University Rowing Club from Rainbow Bay SLSC. This boat would lead to the formation of the following (somewhat legendary) weekly practices.
- Teach me Tuesday
- More of a group hug session than a rowing session. Each tuesday the guys and girls would meet at the boat ramp behind the Southport Pool in their bikinis and DTs and 4 at a time take the surf boat out and learn to row. Countless people learnt to row this way while the group of 10+ back on the beach socialised and hugged almost continuously.
- Surfs Up Sunday
- Each Sunday the crew would head down to Rainbow Bay at Coolangatta and take out the Surf Boat off the iconic Snapper Rocks break. Both terrifying and incredibly exhilarating these 60 second long waves would leave the young Griffith students screaming and jumping for joy upon returning to the beach.
- Bronze Training
- Over 2006 20 Griffith students obtained their bronze medallion and joined Rainbow Bay with Friday night lectures on campus.
Something's missing
The surf boats were proving popular and enjoyable for all students concerned but deep in the heart of the rowers something was missing.
The opportunity to compete was there but never as Griffith University. Additionally the nature of the sport of surf boat rowing revolved around a combination of skill and good fortune.
The traditional challenge of still water rowing and its ability to challenge and reward dedication and perfection was on Dave's mind when he recieved an email from Deputy Vice Chancellor Jon Dewar.
"How is the Griffith UQ Boat Race going? Where do you think it should be held Brisbane or GC?" Jon asked in reference to a suggestion he made to Dave at at Griffith University Sports College luncheon.
This question lead to the formation of a proposal to Griffith University with the assistance of Patricia Wrathel and an enourmous investment of time and energy by Griffith Sports Collge director Mr Michael Jeh.
The bid revolved around the strong marketing platform a Griffith UQ boat race would provide:
- It would say that Griffith University has come of age as a university offering the most traditional of all university sports.
- It would strongly link Griffith University and the Gold Coast in the minds of the South East Queensland Community.
- It would provide a revenue stream for the GURC into the future.
2007
Our First 8+
With Michael's assistance GURC successfully lobbied the university to purchase of a racing 8+ for GURC to compete in the Australian University Games and the inaugral "Head to Paradise Regatta." Over time GURC would fundraise and pay back 2/3 of this purchase cost to the university.
The newly constructed Coomera Watersports Club Ltd. offered an ideal home for the Griffith University Rowing Club with its M1 location and access to the superb Coomera River and Coomera Lake which was slated for a rowing course.
With our own 8+, oars and coxbox we were ready to get a team together and phone calls were made. On April 7th 2007 the first GURC session was conducted and training continued toward the Australian University Rowing Championships on the Gold Coast in September and the first ever Griffith UQ Boat Race on October 7th.
Being in its 9th year of construction Coomera Watersports was a pretty tight ship at times with building site restrictions and builders discression still in opperation. However, the contribution Grant Pforr, Liz Pforr and caretaker Garth Pforr made to GURC should be acknowledged along with their vision to establish facility in the first place.
A Broad Appeal
During this training period and the planning of the Griffith UQ Boat Race it occurred to organisers Nathaniel Davies and Dave Houston that with the race located in Surfers Paradise the attraction to potentially more crews than just UQ's mens and womens 8+ was a possibility.
Dicussions took place with strong local rowing programs and clubs in the Gold Coast Area to canvas support for a Schoolboy and School Girl 8+s race and a Corporate/Masters 8s race.
It was concluded that both should be attempted with the race broadened to include a School boy, School Girl, Corporate Mens, Corporate Womens/Mixed Category.
Australian University Rowing Championships - Hinze Dam, September 07.
With a full season of training under the belt the Griffith University Mens 8 were keen to improve upon the surprise results of the ad hoc crew of 05. With the Universities investment in the new 8+ the pressure was also on to show that Griffith could mix it when given the chance.
Under the enthusiastic supervision of Mr David Dwinell and his American charisma the crew were confident of a strong performance.
The first heat saw Griffith draw Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Aus Defence Force Academy with Griffith holding off Adfa for 4th place. There were concerns that in only half the draw they had managed 4th albeit against some Australian Rowing heavyweights. The relief upon finding out they had secured the 4th fastest time across both heats was huge and set up a repercharge and strong performance with Melbourne Uni winning and Griffith 2nd.
They were in the final ensuring a top 6 position and eclipsing the 2005 result.
The crew came up with a game plan entitled - "all out attack". Coming out of the blocks at 55 the crew found they had an early lead on Sydney, Melbourne, Maquarie, Adelaide and ADFA. At 500m they were sitting in 2nd as Adelaide crept forward and by 1km the Griffith crew sat neck and neck for 3rd with melbourne. The 3rd 500 saw Maquaire move and with a final sprint Griffith secure 5th ahead of a much improved ADFA.
It was a great success for the team amd Griffith University Rowing Club. Other exceptional achievements included Grahame Kolbe's 2nd place in the mens single scull and the womens 4+ 7th place on debut.
The Head to Paradise
Buoyed by the success of uni games the crew headed to Surfers Paradise for what was set to be a great race. UQ vs Griffith in traditional Oxford Cambridge style. The course ran from the Southport Yacht Club Marina to the Gold Coast Arts Centre Parklands at Evandale following the Eastern channel around chevron island.
The course was designed for maximum media exposure slicing right through the heart of Surfers Paradise. It was hoped that with this additional media exposure in time greater value could be offered to sponsors increasing the clubs non existant budget.
After a clash of oars at the start and a good race by both crews UQ took out the race by 5 lengths. The young Griffith crew were dissapointed but knew that the foundation laid on that day would be a cornerstone for future success as the club developed.
Gold Coast Mayor Ron Clarke and Griffith Vice Chancellor Ian O'Connor was on hand to present the medals.
2008
Returning Home to SPRC
Once the team had gotten through exam block discussions about the future of GURC began headed up by new Club Captain Nick Darwin. The discussion turned to where we based ourselves in 2008 and various location options were examined. The conclusion was Surfers Paradise Rowing Club demonstrated greater value for money and shared a vision for an elite pathway for youth.
Relocating allowed our crew to train on the course and brought all our rowers under one roof. Most international students at Griffith didn't have cars so it provided a perfect facility with easy walking access across chevron.
Mr Marcus Free (World Bronze Medallist 97) was offered the job of coaching the G8 and accepted putting in hundreds of hours for little pay.
Ideas Evolve
The Head to Paradise was great but Dave and Nathaniel started to think about the big picture. The potential to expand the race into a universal river race with all sorts of paddle powered team craft was huge. The decision was made:
Paradise Regatta (TM) was born.
The Paradise Regatta couldnt be like other regatta it had to be bigger and better and reflect the fun nature of the Gold Coast. A mix of social and competitive events would be necessary.
After a mountain of discussion and wheeling and dealing the following event layout was finalised:
- Friday - Opening Ceremony and Ergo Race at Circle on Cavill
- Saturday - Breakfast at Q1, Regatta on the Nerang River, Ball at the Holiday Inn, After Party at CDs Nightclub
- Sunday - Each crew gets tickets to a theme park of their choice.
The Hell of the Tweed
Regattas though the winter months were hard to find for the G8. So when the chance to race came up it was taken with both calused hands.
After attending the Head to Paradise in 2007 Jon MacDonald of Mulwillumbah Rowing Club was inspired to create a race called the Head of the Tweed, a 21k half marathon!
The crew with barely a months training entered the race with optimistic expectations. Yarnie Wilkins new to coxing would gain some experience and the team would get the equivalent of a tough session.
For all lin the crew the race was probably one of the hardest rowing expereinces they have had to endure. Making life even tougher was the unfortunate self unscrewing feature of the riggers of the day (since replaced!). The team would drop out one pair at a time to hand on the spanner and screwdriver for tightening.
Mo Massud was in his first ever rowing race that day. Be it through fatigue or inexperience with about 5km to go he dropped the spanner to the depths of the tweed river where it still rests today. Griffith limped home with 7 men rowing and a rigger on board.
But they made it.
Surfers Paradise Regatta - Varsity Lakes
Desperate for racing experience the 1km Surfers Paradise Regatta at Varsity Lakes was a good option. The crew decided to row from Surfers Paradise up to Lake Orr before the Regatta. Things got a bit hairy around the weir where nothing but sharp rocks welcomed the GURC crew.
With only a few scratches and cuts the crew did 5 1km races including 2 back to back (whoa 2k!). They then headed for home (and the damn weir) again.
Griffith University Paradise Regatta 2008
All year Dave and Nathaniel had been planning and plotting a great event that would really blow everyone's socks off. They had secured some really iconic locations on the Gold Coast with Circle on Cavill, Q Deck, Gold Coast Arts Centre and Holiday Inn all playing host to the teams throughout the weekend.
The opening ceremony and ergo race at circle was a huge success and highlighted the great potential the venue has.
The crews kicked on with the "oar-inspiring breakfast" at Q-Deck.
The Griffith Crew had been training hard under the supervision of Mr Marcus Free and when lining up on for the start the crew were feeling good. The competitors UQ were also freeling good as they had just returned from the Australian Unviersity Games where they had won the Mens 8+.
Making history the first ever Griffith University Women's 8+ was also lining up. The crew had come together shortly before the race under the guidance of St Hilda's Rowing Volunteer Coach Victoria "Missy" Croll.
In spite of UQ winning the men's and women's 8+, a great time was had by all as can be seen in the event DVD:
2009
Getting the Hang of It
With the club's coach/administrator now stuck with the inconvenience of having graduated from Griffith and working 2009 was always to be a challenging year.
A new group of gentlemen stepped forward to take the seats in the mighty crew that was to become know as the Big Red Machine.
Semester One focused on teaching the newer athletes to the sport how to scull and great improvements were made.
The boys set about training with stronger numbers competing for seats than ever before. Once such session was captured and put on youtube.
Toward the end of 2009 the reality that the demand for rowing was outstripping the supply coach Dave could supply was becoming evident.
"Let's do more session Dave" the athletes would regularly say. "I have to work in Redcliffe lad's, there's only so much i can do"
With this in mind the GURC was at a cross roads. A professionally coached future like the countless school and university programs around Australia was the only way forward.
A proposal titled "A Flagship Sport for Griffith University" was put the the University Vice Chancellor in June 2009.
This proposal was to rely heavily upon the ambitious goals of the forth coming 3rd annual Griffith University Paradise Regatta - an event determined to exceed event the most optimistic expectations.
Griffith University Paradise Regatta 2009 - Sports Tourism TV Arrives
The Griffith University Paradise Regatta failed to disappoint with the event being described by the Vice Chancellor as "a triumph."
With new 2 lane, 2km course developed with Maratime Safety Queensland and the production team responsible for Rexona Australia's Greatest Athlete, the Sydney Hobart Yacht Race and variousl Iron Man Series rowing action was captured like never before with helicopter, onboard and tracking cameras following each race.
Since that date the event has been seen on Fox Sport Australia Wide (5 replays), ONE HD free-to-air Australia wide (3 replays), ESPN Asia/Pacific (14 replays) and is due to go on New Zealand's Sky Sports in the first half of 2010.
The performance by the Griffith University Men's 8 in 2009 was the best in the clubs history with a narrow one length defeat to arch rivals UQBC.
