UBC Boathouse was built on a legacy of excellence, the relentless pursuit of gold. Yet in that intolerance for anything less than distinction, every rower that's ever competed under the blue thunderbird emblem will tell you that it was about so much more than winning.

“It was a big deal when you became a fully fledged member of the UBC crew and were entitled to wear a crew jacket with logo and leather sleeves.”

Peter Yates, Alumni Rower '76-80

"While few oarsmen enjoyed the hardships weather provided, many still reminisce about the beautiful memories of the 8-oared boat. To them it was the epitome of the sport. The cohesiveness and aesthetic feeling of eight people swinging through the full span together, lifting the boat out of the water and flying was magnificent. People talk about highs today. As far as I’m concerned, nothing has ever compared to the feeling of being in that boat.”

Bill McKerlich, BEd’60

“It’s the total togetherness with nature and the feeling of eight guys getting it on with 250 strokes over 2,000 metres; a symphony of wood, water, and humanity, a harmonic sense of the physical surroundings with mind and soul, and backside blisters the size of strawberries chafing against wet, salted shorts. The mastery of such an intricate skill requires the perfect orchestration of every instrument. A cloning of every oar’s movement in time to a finely tuned machine. The frustration of coordinating all oars with the shell’s precarious balance and maximizing the run of the boat was born out by miles of fatigue and mental and physical preparation."

Phil Webber, BCom’68, LLB’69

Special thanks to David Wilkinson, Glen Smith, Mike Pearce, Rod Hoffmeister, Andrea Bundon, Tricia Smith, Joy Fera, George Hungerford, Glen Battersby, Peter Jackson, Shannon Scarborough, Rob Weitemeyer, Robert Falconer, Richard Cotter, Jane Maxwell, Jon and Lindsay Fane, Melissa Cory, Peter Yates, Roy McIntosh, Ben Dove, Fred Hume (UBC Athletics' Historian), Craig Pond, Bill McKerlich, Bill Hughes, Mike Harris, David Dunnison, Kenneth Pontifex, Joanne Woehrle, Sean Richardson, and Darrin DeCosta for their time and contributions to this project. The Ubyssey Archives and Jack Carver's "History of the Vancouver Rowing Club" were also invaluable resources. - M.S.