Simon Fraser University Rowing Club - SFU Rowing

IT’S RACE DAY! 🍁🚣‍♀️

SFU Rowing is kicking off the 2026–27 racing season with some big time sculling at the Head of the Nicomekl in Surrey today!

Good luck to all of our crews hitting the water today. Leave it all out there and represent the Leaf! 💪❤️

🍁

Continuing National Coaches Week with a special shoutout to the ultimate SFU Rowing power couple: Kristin & Mark Henry! 💪🚣‍♀️🚣‍♂️

As our Head Coach and Assistant Coach, Kristin and Mark bring a whole lot more than coaching to our program. Kristin leads both our varsity and novice crews with knowledge, energy, and a genuine commitment to helping our athletes grow on and off the water. Mark is our resident equipment wizard, keeping our boats, oars, and everything in between running smoothly (and somehow always knowing what needs fixing 🔧).

Together, they’ve played a huge role in building and supporting SFU Rowing, and we’re incredibly grateful for everything they do for our athletes and our club.

Thank you, Kristin & Mark, for being the best coaching power couple around! ❤️

🍁

🍁 WE’RE LOOKING FOR COXSWAINS & ROWERS TO JOIN OUR FALL 2026 NOVICE PROGRAM! 🚣‍♀️

Former athlete? Curious about rowing? Looking for a new team at SFU? Come meet us at SFSS Burnaby Club Days and chat with current SFU Rowing athletes!

📆 Wednesday, Sept. 16 & Thursday, Sept. 17
⏰ 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM
📍 Convocation Mall | Tables #11 & #12

❓ Stop by and ask us anything about:
🚣‍♀️ What it’s like to row at SFU
⏰ Practice schedules & commitment
🏁 Tryouts & the novice program
🤝 What you can expect as a new athlete

No rowing experience required! Come say hi, ask questions, and see if SFU Rowing could be your next team. 🍁

See you at Clubs Days!

🍁

Former athlete? Looking for your next challenge? 👀🍁

You’ve already put in the early mornings, tough workouts, and game-day nerves. Now, bring that competitive spirit to the water. 🌊

The SFU Rowing Novice Program is recruiting athletes from all sports and backgrounds! No rowing experience required. We’ll teach you the rowing, you bring the athleticism, commitment, and willingness to learn. 💪

🚣‍♀️ Learn a new sport
🏋️ Build your fitness
🏁 Compete at the university level
🤝 Find your crew

📆 Tryouts: Tuesday, September 22
⏰ 8:45 AM – 11:00 AM
📍 Outside the LDC Fitness Studio

👟 Bring runners, a water bottle, and a positive attitude!

Visit the link in bio to learn more and sign up. See you there! 🍁

🍁

We’re starting off National Coaches Week by saying a huge thank you to Novice Coach Halle Murphy! 🍁🚣‍♀️

For the past two years, Halle has been an incredible part of the SFU Rowing community, helping introduce new athletes to the sport and building a strong foundation for their rowing journeys. Her patience, energy, and dedication have made a lasting impact on so many of our rowers, both on and off the water.

As Halle heads into a new adventure this fall, we’re so grateful for everything she has given to this program. Thank you, Halle, for two amazing years and for helping shape the next generation of SFU Rowers! ❤️

We’ll miss you around the boathouse and wish you all the best in what’s next! 🫶

🍁

The 2026-27 race season is officially here! 🚣‍♀️🍁

From local head races and university championships to indoor racing, we’ve got a full season of racing ahead. Check out where SFU Rowing will be hitting the water this year 👀

📍 Sept. 19 - Head of the Nicomekl | Surrey, BC
📍 Oct. 3 - Western Canadian University Rowing Championships | Burnaby, BC
📍 Oct. 4 - Burnaby Lake Small Boat Invitational | Burnaby, BC
📍 Nov. 7–8 - Canadian University Rowing Championships | London, ON
📍 Feb. 6 - Beat the Beast Indoor Regatta | Vancouver, BC
📍 Apr. 3 - Head of the Fort | Fort Langley, BC

We’re ready for a big year of racing, and we can’t wait to see what this crew accomplishes both at home and across Canada. See you at the start line! 🏁

🍁

Support SFU Rowing with our newest fundraiser! 🚣‍♀️🍁

We’ve partnered with Meridian Farm Market to raise funds for our upcoming fall season, and 30% of every e-gift card purchased through our fundraiser goes directly back to SFU Rowing! 🛒🥩🥬

Use your gift card to shop farm-fresh craft meats, local produce, and more, delivered right to your door across Vancouver and the Lower Mainland. The best part? Online gift cards never expire!

Our fundraiser runs until September 15, so grab a gift card and help support our team this fall! 💪

🔗 Link in bio or copy here: https://meridianfarmmarket.ca/sfurowing

🍁

☀️ SUMMER RACING RECAP: Challenge West 2026 ☀️

SFU Rowing’s men’s team travelled to Elk Lake in Victoria, BC the first weekend of July to compete at the Challenge West Regatta hosted by Victoria City Rowing Club! 🚣‍♂️

Racing over the 1850m sprint course against crews from UBC and UVic, our athletes put together a strong weekend of racing and valuable experience.

🚣 Men’s 2- | J. Elsaesser & S. Stringer | 6th in B Final | 7:39.07

🚣 Men’s 4- | J. Elsaesser, S. Stringer, E. Elsaesser & R. Hayes | 6th in A Final | 7:02.47

Great work to our athletes for representing SFU on the water and continuing to build speed throughout the season! 👏

🍁

☀️ SUMMER RACING RECAP: Lap The Lake 2026 ☀️

A small group of SFU Rowing athletes took on Swan Lake this past June at the Lap the Lake Regatta in Vernon, BC! 🌊🚣‍♀️

Hosted by Vernon Rowing and Dragon Boat Club, the 3.5 km head race saw SFU athletes take home two podium finishes:

🥈 Mixed 4x | D. Gladwell, J. San Martin, A. Vincalek & K. Ceholski | 17:15.44
🥉 Women’s Open 1x | A. Tereshchenko | 20:36.00

Congratulations to all of our athletes on a strong day of racing! 👏

🍁

Two new shells. Two lasting legacies. 🚣

SFU Rowing is proud to welcome two new 8+ shells to our fleet, generously donated by UBC Men’s Rowing Head Coach Mike Pearce and UBC Women’s Rowing Head Coach Craig Pond.

In recognition of their incredible contributions to our program, the men’s 8+ has been named The Mike Pearce Legacy, while the women’s 8+ has been named The Craig Pond Legacy.

Yesterday, we celebrated this incredible donation with a boat christening during the BC Provincial Championships, surrounded by athletes from all three programs and members of the Rowing BC community.

This is a transformational donation for SFU Rowing. These boats will help strengthen our program, support our continued growth, and solidify our competitiveness as we build toward the future.

But this donation represents more than two boats. It is a testament to the strength of the rowing community in British Columbia and the power of programs supporting one another. By building stronger relationships between rowing programs across the province, we are helping grow the sport and create more opportunities for athletes to thrive.

Thank you, Mike and Craig, for your incredible generosity and belief in the future of SFU Rowing. We are proud to carry your legacies forward.

🍁