When I started rowing I was with the club, it was called the Aramoho Boating Club back then, and I stayed with them until I moved down to Christchurch in 1977.
After I came back to Whanganui in 2018 I got involved with the club again, but this time in an organisational role.
What's your favourite thing to do in Whanganui?
I enjoy getting to see a good movie when I get the chance and my wife and I also like to dine out. There are plenty of different places to go to eat at around the city, so that's always something we enjoy.
What's something you'd like to see change in Whanganui?
I'd like to see more local opportunities for young people so less move out of town once they finish school.
When they move out to go into tertiary education many of them don't come back and I think that's kind of sad.
So I'd like to see more opportunities for them to continue their careers in Whanganui because I think it would keep the momentum of the city going.
How did the running of the Universities Regatta go for the club?
It was outstanding in terms of organisation and execution. We had over 50 people volunteer to help run the event and over 200 people attended our aftermatch function at the clubhouse.
It was good to see the support for the regatta and the club after not being able to run events for so long.
We didn't have any major problems or injuries either, which can happen when the weather isn't cooperating so it all went smoothly.
What regattas are next for the club?
We've got the Durie Cup coming up as the next regatta, and after that, the Billy Webb Challenge will be happening over Whanganui Vintage Weekend.
Other than that, I and the club are optimistic we'll be able to organise something outside of what we normally put on in the new year.
What is the rowing scene in Whanganui currently like?
The thing that's most notably changed about the Whanganui scene is now it's mostly driven by secondary school students.
Back when I started out the scene was mostly made up of young working adults like myself.
The only school that was really involved in rowing back then was Whanganui Collegiate.
Their numbers are still strong today, and now Whanganui Girls College, Whanganui High School and Cullinane College have their own rowing teams, so the scene is pretty strong here currently.
And how is the Aramoho club going?
Our club had 70 active rowers last year of all ages. We've got young ones just starting out, and I think our oldest member is in their 70s, so we've got a wide range of people taking part.
How much has rowing changed since you first became involved in the sport?
There's been a lot of changes since I started out. The sport is a lot more professional now for sure, with people who make national teams having to treat it as a fulltime occupation.
Another big change has been the technology, especially with the boats and oars that we use.
When I started the boats and oars were wooden, but today the boats are plastic. Same as the oars, which we call hatchet blades now.
What has been the highlight of the last year for you?
Rowing wise, hosting the Universities Regatta was probably the highlight of the last year because things had been so quiet until recently.
We hadn't had any regattas here for the last year because of Covid-19. So getting up and running again and having so many people support it was outstanding.
