Thunder Bay Rowing Club Senior Heavy Fours (1977)
Thunder Bay Rowing Club Senior Heavy Fours (1977) was a senior men's rowing crew that became the first from northwestern Ontario to win a senior event at the Royal Canadian Henley Regatta. The team was inducted into the Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame in 1997.[1]
Overview
Season
During the 1970s, the Thunder Bay Rowing Club underwent a period of reconstruction. The individual athletes, including Jeff Reitberger, Bill Scollie, Rob Karle, and Terry Hamilton, initially focused their efforts on singles competition. They engaged in daily training sessions against one another before forming a collective unit in 1976. The group quickly progressed through the competitive ranks to reach the senior level of Rowing.[1]
In 1977, the crew secured the Ontario provincial championship in the Senior Quad Sculls. Following this success, they entered the Royal Canadian Henley Regatta in St. Catharines, Ontario. Competing in the Senior Men's Heavy Fours, the team was assigned to the outside lane, which was considered the slower part of the course. Despite starting behind the other competitors, the Thunder Bay crew advanced through the pack by the halfway mark of the race. They maintained their lead to finish first with a time of 6:54, winning by a margin of half a length. This result represented the first senior-level victory by a Northwestern Ontario crew at the Henley, which is recognized as the largest Regatta in North America.[1]
Roster
The names below come from the Hall of Fame profile and its team photograph caption.[1]
| Name | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Jeff Reitberger | player | |
| Bill Scollie | player | |
| Rob Karle | player | |
| Terry Hamilton | player |
Honours and achievements
- 1977 Ontario Senior Quad Sculls champions
- 1977 Royal Canadian Henley Regatta Senior Men's Heavy Fours winners
- First crew from northwestern Ontario to win a senior title at the Royal Canadian Henley Regatta[1]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 "Thunder Bay Rowing Club Senior Heavy Fours", team profile, Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame, https://www.nwosportshalloffame.com/team-profile/f2148de1-fed1-44b8-80fe-232092625302 (accessed 31 October 2026). Archived copy on datum.locker.