Community Paper
December 2004, Volume 15 Issue 10
copyright ©2004 by Community Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Edgewater High School Crew Team Celebrates 40 Years of Rowing
EHS will do rowing demonstration and Erg-a-thon during "Holiday on the Drive"

by Julie Northlake

It all began with a shell, eight blades and group of Edgewater teenagers who wanted to learn to row. By mid-season 1964, the group became Edgewater High's first Crew team. The team coach was Edgewater teacher and Rollins grad, Dennis Kamrad. And with borrowed equipment, the team rowed out of the Rollins' boathouse and practiced daily on Lake Maitland.
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EHS Crew in 1964
Harry Magee, manager; Dennie R. Kamrad, coach; Mike Rom, stroke; Charlie Arnett, Howard Lefkowicz, Brian Weaver, Rick Cook, Chuck Shaver, Vince McGough, Frank Diefenderfer, Joel Barr, cox swain.

College Park dentist, Frank Diefenderfer, was one of the original nine that rowed with Edgewater Crew. He remembers Coach Kamrad as having a lot of enthusiasm and energy. "He was the powerhouse behind the organization. Back then we rowed against the junior varsity teams from the local colleges. There were no other high school rowing teams in the area . We were the first."

"Back in 1964, everything was donated so it never cost us anything. Somebody donated the launch and the outboard kicker. Rollins passed down the oars and loaned us the boats. I don't remember shelling out any money," said Diefenderfer.
(Click on picture to enlarge)
EHS Crew 2004

40 years later, Edgewater crew is going strong. The team is now co-ed, with varsity, junior varsity, and novice rowers - making up a roster of fifty-five rowers. The coaching staff has grown to four, with men's coach, Kevin Piotti, women's coach, Sean Gustafson, and novice coaches Melissa Minkler and Evan Garvey. The team traditionally spends the fall season conditioning on Lake Fairview. In the spring, the regattas occur nearly every weekend at Turkey Lake Park or in different parts of the state.

Next month, Edgewater crew will move into their new boathouse on Lake Fairview. The two-story structure will hold 10 boats and an exercise room with Ergometers, or Ergs as they're commonly called. Ergs are rowing machines designed to simulate the actual rowing motion, used for training and testing.

EHS Crew New Boathouse under construction

Men's varsity captain, Dylan Chase, a senior at Edgewater, calls the erg "the machine of the devil. But it's a necessary evil ", says Chase. "The ergs strengthen and measure an individual's performance. It's definitely character-building."

Edgewater Rowers will be out in force Thursday, December 2nd, when they hold their annual ERG-A-THON during College Park's Holiday On The Drive. Rowers will fundraise by taking pledges and rowing on the ergs. The team will row from 6pm to 9pm, hoping to accomplish one half million meters. EHS will also have a four-man boat on display.

"The intensity of rowing on the water really draws you in," says Chase. "I really like the camaraderie of the team and the relationships that you get from it. Rowing is the ultimate team sport."

Frank Diefenderfer fondly remembers his teammates from 1964, "the people that you were with - that was the main thing. We were a real team. Everybody really had to work together."

Judging from Edgewater's 2005's crew team, that attitude remains unchanged.

If you want to make a pledge to an Edgewater rower for the Erg-A-Thon, or wish to support the Edgewater Crew team, contact George Stuart at gstuart@cfl.rr.com or visit www.edgewatercrew.org

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