Maybe you noticed, but a sure sign of spring hit the site this week: photos of folks actually rowing.

That means the Recap is also back and, with a quick nod to the 2025 erg season that is (almost) over, let's catch up with what went down at Benderson as row2k snapped our first boat racing--and camera mugging--galleries of the year.

Sayonara, Erg Season

Before we get to the on-water stuff, we thought we'd say farewell to erg season with a quick slide show of the best "stick you tongue out to get on row2k" photos from the past two months of erg racing.

Click to swipe through our faves.

In Video, Veritas

Erg season also gave us this gem that posted as Wednesday's Video of the Day: the women's final from the virtual Erg Worlds.

The vid is a snapshot of what training and testing in rowing is *really* like; the testing environments are wild - you can see unis drying on ergs in background; possible parents watching the erg test; bare brick and spare bedroom walls; people stretching; HS kids in background; long, empty, windowless rooms rooms; paint and insecticide cans; people holding up club signs to do some PR; people on their phones; garage doors; a rower hitting a club banner behind them on every stroke; couches and bedroom furniture; a huge stack of free weights right next to the erg; someone's bottom the entire test; a sole observer reflected in a mirror; people rowing likely completely alone; our own modest Riverside Boat Club might actually be the best testing environment.

This is how rowing actually is.

row2k does have a few indoor extravaganzas left on the schedule, to include this year's look at that sweet Ergzilla trophy, but erg season is nearly done. Anyone sad about that?

These kids in Sarasota on Saturday sure aren't.

Here's what else we saw on the outside this weekend:

Olympians Doing 1k

Two 2024 Olympic medalists from the Dutch team raced multiple times (2x, 4x, Mixed 4x) in the 1000m masters events on Sunday; M1x bronze medalist Simon Van Dorp and M8 silver medalist Gert-Jan van Doorn. When the two UW alums pulled into the start in the 2x, we recall thinking, "geesh, those guys look just like a couple Dutch rowers..." and kept shooting the other crews. They were at the finish line 3:05 later.

van Doorn and Van Dorp having some 1k fun

In the Mixed 4x, they added two-time USA Olympian Charlotte Buck and stroke seat Katie Davidson, winning again--despite having barely any handicap (-0.1 seconds for averaging 29 years old) and a seat that cracked under van Doorn 250 meters into the race.

The Dutch duo with Buck at 2 and Davidson at stroke

But that Dutch triple-up might have been matched on Saturday by this South Orlando Rowing athlete, who raced a double, a four, and then coxed a four:

In bow for the 2x

In three seat for one four...

...and in the Driver's Seat for the other four.

Worth a flex indeed.

1st Eagle of 2025

First on-water regatta, first eagle, natch:

Mixed to the Max

Mixed crews were everywhere in Sarasota, configured in almost every possible way imaginable:

• Boys bow four, girls stern four
• and vice versa...
• Boys middle four, girls end pairs
• and vice versa...
• Alternating pairs
• Completely random

The girls middle four, boys end pairs version of the mix(ed)

The only thing we didn't see was all port vs all starboard.

Best "Just Overheard" of the Week

Mom, looking at a photo: Oh my god, Jerry's hair looks awful.

Younger brother: It looks like AI...

Mom: It's not AI, it looks awful!

Boat Names for Days

We saw lots of good boat names we hadn't spotted before, certain to come to a Best Boat Names feature soon enough.

"Disgusting" Wind?

There was a formidable cross-wind for the Saturday high school racing, and at one point, we wondered if the starter was saying "Keep your boat straight in this gusting wind," or 'Keep your boat straight in disgusting wind"--good advice either way.

Overall, though, the kids did a great job of getting themselves onto the start and straightened out and pointed, using all the preferred techniques. It was impressive for February, although the chief ref reminded me that many of the teams already have two or three regattas under their belts this spring.

You know it's blowing when you use three folks to scull it around

Start Dock Magicians

Racing distance on Saturday 1500 meters for the HS kids, and 1000m on Sunday for the Masters rowers; these guys moved the entire starting platform 500 meters between the 5pm end of racing Saturday night and everyone's arrival at the course at 6:30am on Sunday morning.

And make no mistake, the "portable" start dock at Benderson is substantial, from the Starter's Tower to the luxe stakeboater perches.

That's all we have to Recap for right now, but there's a whole spring ahead. Stay tuned.