This article was supplied by Rowing NZ and is being published by the New Zealand Herald as advertorial.

With the recent National Champs being held in Twizel, it’s a perfect time to tell the incredible story of the man who literally put Twizel and Lake Ruataniwha on the map.

There’s only one way to the boat park once you turn off the great State Highway 8 at Twizel. And that’s along Max Smith Drive.

For 40 years it’s been the gateway to the National Rowing Championships at Lake Ruataniwha. Some days you’ll see Fred Strachan trundling along it on his mobility cart or younger athletes cycling along it to training throughout the summer break and beyond.

Max Smith is the conduit by which you come and go.

It was once a no-name road to nowhere; until Max got the heavy machinery rolling on what was thought to be the largest earthmoving project in the world at the time.

Rick Ramsay was a fresh young journo when he drove along the gravel road to his new job as Project Information Manager for the then Ministry of Works’ Upper Waitaki hydro scheme.

By then, the mammoth project linking Lakes Pukaki, Tekapo and Ōhau to Benmore by river and canal – and the construction of four newly minted power stations – was well under way, with Twizel as its hub and beating heart.

“When I came here in ‘77″, says Rick, “the town was just reaching its peak population which was very close to 5800...biggest primary school in New Zealand, a thousand kids...a hundred different social clubs and sporting organisations...it was a real humming place because it worked around the clock.”

And it wasn’t just the machines turbo-charged project manager Max Smith had humming day and night.

“Everybody thinks the Ministry of Works were a pack of useless bastards who stood on their shovels,” says Rick. “Well, I can tell you, you weren’t standing around holding a shovel if Max was around.”

Rick’s office was just across the hallway from the big dog.

Max rarely shut his door and his telephone conversations with bureaucrats in Wellington were often at heightened volume. Rick heard a lot of things.

Rick also got his name on the circulation list for viewing all the engineering files and reports. The programme information manager quickly became the master of information on the project. Still is.

There’s a myth that Max went rogue in creating Ruataniwha as a rowing course, which Rick is keen to dispel.

“The rowing course was known to everyone,” says Rick. “The Minister opened Lake Ruataniwha and the rowing course at the official opening [in 1982].”

Read the rest of this article here: rowinghub.co.nz/max-smith-and-the-legend-of-the-lake/

This article was supplied by rowinghub.co.nz, the official content hub of Rowing New Zealand. Explore rowinghub.co.nz for more rowing-related content like this. Andy Hay wrote this article. Andy is a freelance producer, writer and rowing coach. He was cox of the world champion New Zealand eight of 1982 and ‘83. He is NZ Olympian #446.