A New Chapter in Poughkeepsie’s Rowing History
The city of Poughkeepsie has a deep connection to the rowing world, as the Hudson River has played host to some of the most famous races in the sport’s history.
Now, nestled on the east bank on the Hudson, a sprawling brick building sits, with history of its own brewing within the walls. Hudson River Rowing Association (HRRA) has served as the premier community rowing facility in the Hudson Valley for over 25 years. They have produced standout athletes who have won national championships and rowed for the US Olympic Team. The HRRA is now looking to channel that success into their newest, groundbreaking junior’s program.
“This team has been years in the making. Rowing is such a great sport in that it doesn’t require you to have rowed since you were five years old” HRRA President, Anya Sisung, remarked.
Sisung and her board have been working diligently to secure the funding, coaching staff, and equipment necessary to offer rowing to as many kids in the region as possible. Traditionally, HRRA operates a summer, fall, and winter junior team. But most athletes break off in the spring to represent their individual high schools, leaving some without a program to row with for the season. This was not always the case, as the Hudson Valley was once home to a rich rowing tradition.
From 1891 to 1949, the city hosted its annual Poughkeepsie Regatta: the national championship of collegiate rowing. Each year, nearly one hundred thousand spectators packed the Mid-Hudson and Walkway bridges, lined the shores of Cornell and (formerly) California boathouses, and, for the wealthy, bought ferry tickets on the docks of Waryas Park.
Those days have long since passed. An official collegiate regatta has not been held in the city since 2016, with no plans to return. However, in 1999, a group of local coaches set out to recapture that spirit of high quality rowing in the region, and HRRA was born. Now, comprising seven scholastic and two club teams, plus around forty independent single scullers, the club is ready to expand and further cement their legacy.
The process of building the team was tedious, as Sisung will be the first to mention. After nearly a decade of board disagreements and funding shortages, it seemed as if all hope was lost, however, Anya saw an opportunity, and took it.
“We had several kids that were homeschooled or part of a school that doesn’t have rowing as an option”, she explained, and to her surprise, after consulting her board of directors, the program was approved.
From there, representatives reached out to as many area schools as possible, asking to come in during gym class and demonstrate the sport on indoor rowing machines. Several of the school’s athletic directors were hesitant, many lacking the rich historical knowledge of rowing in the region, but some acquiesced. The program seemed to demonstrate a great deal of interest, and with the spring season quickly approaching, it will be interesting to see how many new athletes come out to write a new chapter in Poughkeepsie’s rowing history.
