OCC Crew

"It's a great art, is rowing. It's the finest art there is.

It's symphony of motion. And when you're rowing well,

why it's nearing perfection. And when you reach perfection

you're touching the divine. It touches the you of you's,

which is your soul." -- George Pocock

My grandson is a freshman at Orange Coast College this year and he has taken up rowing. Just watching how hard they work I would say it is not for the faint of heart. It must be a wonderful experience when the team members work as one and fly through the water to victory. This past Sunday the Pirates participated in the Head of Harbor 2009 races in Los Angeles Harbor and the Novice 8 finished #1, beating out teams from UCSB, USC, ASU, CSULB and LMU. The Varsity 8 came in second to USC by just one second! Looks like it will be a good year for the OCC Crew.

Back in '50's when I was in high school and we spent the summer months at the beach house in China Cove I can remember seeing the OCC crews rowing past the house as they trained, never imaging that one day my own grandson would be in one of those boats rowing away. In 1953 the crew program at Orange Coast College was officially begun and it is one of the most successful programs in the country, winning more than eighty percent of their races. From 1953 to 1963 they were the only two-year community college to participate in crew. Over the years other community colleges have joined but OCC remains the only community college with a complete rowing program. And they are the only community college crew to have participated in the Henley Royal Regatta in Great Britain. Their history of the past fifty-six years is quite extensive and would take more room than I have here to list all the accomplishments.

When OCC Crew started in 1953 the first shells weight 400 pounds, today they weigh around 190 pounds, a bit easier I would say to carry now, but still hefting those boats must help to keep the arms and back in shape. I'm looking forward to hearing the results of future races. GO TEAM!!!