The Head of the Trent ushered in the official start of Nipissing's competitive rowing season last Saturday.

Clear skies and a sheen of ice on the docks greeted the launch of the first wave of racers, who made their way along the narrow canal and twists of the Otonabee River to the start line 5 kilometres distant.

In head racing, each boat is allowed a running start with a 15 second gap; overtaking must take place in designated sections of the course, and water hazards–including buoys and overhanging trees– can ruin an inattentive crew's chances of success.

The first races of the day were the single sculls: 8 metres long, 30 centimetres wide, and weighing less than 15 kg, these sleek boats are powered by athletes who must look over their shoulders to plot their courses while exerting maximal effort on the oars.

First up was international recruit, Khashayar Abbasabadi, in the men's single sculls. A first year MSc Kinesiology student with several years of experience on the Iranian national team, Abbasabadi was making his debut at the Head of the Trent. With little experience at head racing, Abbasabadi was looking to build form ahead of the OUA Championships in late October.

Abbasabadi arrived in Canada in the summer and has already had success at the club level in Lakers colours: fifth place in the senior men's 1x at the prestigious Royal Canadian Henley Regatta in August against top oarsmen across Canada and the U.S. is a clear indication that he has the pedigree to expect top results in varsity racing.

After a disappointing result (19^th out of 65 athletes) due to illness at the Canadian National Championships in September, Abbasabadi was looking to rebound.

At Trent, Abbasabadi held a good rhythm throughout the course, passed two athletes, and avoided any mishaps. His lack of racing experience on this particular course, however, cost him valuable seconds as he went wide in places and became acquainted with Trent's infamous river weeds. Although he missed out on a medal, Abbasabadi finished 5^th out of 20 in the men's 1x division. Both he and the coaching staff were satisfied with the result, considering he is focussed on the shorter 2000 m distance of the upcoming OUA regattas.

Next up was Jill Sommers, a third year Nursing student who earned the women's 1x seat with strong results in pre-season testing. Sommers, who is battling a series of injuries, was forced to race well below her potential. Despite this, she still managed to beat two women on the day, finishing 11th.

The surprise of the day was second year BPHE student, Brianna Fournier, who finished sixth in the always-competitive lightweight women's 1x. Despite being a novice rower last year, Fournier dedicated herself over the summer to learning the sculling technique and has continued to improve throughout her training on Trout Lake. With the Brock Invitational Regatta fast approaching, Fournier is looking forward to another strong result.

The second wave of racing saw Nipissing's junior varsity women's double sculls crew test their mettle against 14 other boats. Kylie Cranston (Criminal Justice) in stroke seat and Alysia Bianchin (BPHE) in bow rowed a technically sound race, beating two crews and setting themselves up for future success.

As morning frost gave way to afternoon sunshine, the third wave of racing commenced with two Lakers crews in action, both in the varsity women's double sculls event. The A crew, consisting of Marlese Coombs (Nursing) in bow seat and Olivia Petroff (BPHE) in stroke, got off to a great start and were moving on the boats ahead of them when disaster struck. A marker buoy snagged Coomb's oar and caused the crew to flip in an instant.

With the delay, the crew had no chance of posting a competitive time; however, they raced the remainder of the course to show their Lakers PRIDE.
In the same division, Olivia Fetterly (Biology) was slated to race with Sommers, who, unfortuately, was forced to withdraw following her singles event. Emergency-replacement Fournier gamely set off for her second race of the day. With little practice together as a crew, the two athletes put in a respectable result, finishing ahead of Ottawa and their waterlogged teammates.

Nipissing's final entry of the regatta was in the men's 2x junior varsity race with freshman Tallon Zecca (BPHE) and second year Nick Hoey (BPHE). According to the crew, their start wasn't as strong as they would have liked, but in the second half they found a good rhythm.

When they crossed the finish line, they were awarded with a time that was faster than Trent and Waterloo, good enough for sixth place on the day.

With head racing season finished, the team is training hard for the Brock Invitational (Oct. 12) and the OUA Championship Regatta (Oct. 25 and26).