ARC has a blast at 2025 Opening Day

Under a brilliant spring sky and with the River Torrens glistening in the afternoon sun, the Adelaide Rowing Club officially launched its 2025 rowing season with a vibrant and spirited Opening Day celebration.

Members, families, alumni, and friends gathered at the iconic ARC Clubhouse on Torrens Lake to mark the beginning of another year of rowing excellence, camaraderie, and community. The event, a cherished tradition in the club’s calendar, was a joyful blend of competition, ceremony, and connection.

Highlights of the Day

Following the introductory speeches, the Club President, Mitch Oliver, acknowledged the efforts of past President, Alex Silz with a delicious bottle of Penfold's Grandfather Port, before presenting the members with a recent contribution to the ARC memorabilia collection - a beautiful 1960's era wollen-knit ARC singlet donated by the family of past member, Peter Huxholl.

A poignant moment followed where ARC Captain, Celia Cowan, inducted the Finke double scull into the ARC fleet, complete with the raditional blessing with champagne by the Captain's mum, Beth Cowan. The Finke River, or Larapinta in the Indigenous Arrernte language, is a desert river in the Northern Territory & South Australia, which flows for only a few days each year. It is thought to be the oldest riverbed in the world.

Our Guest of Honour was Phil 'Mangs' Mangelsdorf, President of RowingSA and the undisputed Voice of South Australian rowing. With gusto and cheer, Phil declared the new season for 2025-26 - the 144th Season - officially open!

The on-water festivities kicked off with the ever-popular Old Buffers’ 8+ Rowpast, where seasoned ARC veterans took to the water, showcasing that age is no barrier to passion and power. And perhaps in a 144 year first, the Buffer's logged their impressive workout on Strava! Their performance was met with an enthusiastic DOZEN from the balcony, setting the tone for the afternoon.

Next came the President’s Fours, a fast-paced, 100-ish metre sprint featuring mixed scratch crews drawn at random. The races were packed with excitement, friendly rivalry, and plenty of splashes, as rowers battled it out for glory and bragging rights. The energy was electric, and the shoreline buzzed with laughter and applause. The Final was a spectacular end to a spectacular day, with the crew of Rhiannion Sandow, Alex Silz, Pete Davison, Celia Cowan and cox Jono McKay taking the honours (and a fancy beer glass trophy) home. However, best-on-ground (or should that be water) had to be Marten Snel for his enthusiastic coxing - no quarters were given!

Community Spirit on Display

The event concluded with a delightful afternoon tea, washed down with ale, wine and drinks, where members brought plates to share, creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere. Stories were exchanged, new friendships were formed, and the spirit of ARC—Ambition, Respect, Camaraderie—was on full display.

As the sun set over the Torrens, it was clear that the 2025 season had begun not just with a splash, but with a resounding cheer for what lies ahead.