Question 1

Do I need rowing experience or to meet a weight limit to join?

Accepted Answer

Neither is required to try out. Novice rowers are taught how to row at the start of the season, and weight limits typically do not become a factor until late in the spring sprint racing season.

Question 2

How quickly will I actually be racing?

Accepted Answer

Within two months of taking their first strokes, novices travel with the varsity rowers and compete in fall head races (5-6 kilometer races) against novices from other colleges.

Question 3

Where does the team practice, and how do I get there?

Accepted Answer

The team rows out of a boathouse on the Oakland Estuary shared with the Oakland Rowing Society, about a 15-minute drive from campus.

Question 4

How is the team run and who makes decisions?

Accepted Answer

Cal Lightweight Rowing receives minimal funding from the University, so rowers define the team's purpose and goals themselves. At the end of each season, members nominate and elect officers to manage the team the following season.

Question 5

What level of competition does the team reach?

Accepted Answer

The team competes regionally at the WIRA Championships and nationally at the ACRA Championships in Tennessee, as well as major regattas like the San Diego Crew Classic and Dad Vail. The men's and women's teams have both won national and regional titles.