Evening star., 1938-06-21
BY DREW MIDDLETON.

June 81 the historic city of Pough-
keepSie will be the capital of rowing
least commercial oldest. and one OF
the most spectacular of college sports
Despite the fact that Yale and Har-
ward, who started rowing in 1858. will
be renewing their rivalry at New Lon
don, Conn, with two of the nations
fastest varsity eights, the fleet on the
Hudson manned by IA young stall
warts and led by the powerful armada
Of the defending champion, the Uni
versity of Washington, will spell row.
ing in capital letters to the American
public.
On the 4-mile stretch from Krum
Elbow to just below the Mid Hudson
Bridge the fastest crews in America
have roWed, with few exceptions, since
the turn of the century. A cruel test
ing ground for crews. the Poughkeep-
sic course has produced the last three
Olympic champions, all varsity VIM
ners in the intercollegiate Rowing
Association Regatta.
The three races, varsity a miles,
Junior varsity g miles, and fresh
man q niles, themselves form one
of the most colorful pictures in sports,
a picture that yearly brings out hordes
Of fans to line the green hills along
the Hudson and to sit cheering in the
observation train that puffs along
the shore.
The Poughkeepsie regatta (June ~
this year, and the other 4-miler
at New London are the only ones
In which spectators can ride the spe-
cially constructed observation train
But the great mass of spectators at
Poughkeepsie sometimes the crowd is
upward of 60.00O) prefers to watch
from the hills along the Hudson wait
ing for the thrilling moment when
far beneath them on the blue river
the shells will come swinging down,
insect-like figures moving ever so SLOW
", to the accompaniment of boat
whistles, cheers and the steady putting
Of the obstrvation trains locomotives.
Yachts Plentiful.
In good times yachts are plentiful,
although not as numerous as at New
London. and excursion boats from
New York anchor near the finish.
Close behind the crews comes a yacht
from special car in the observation
train sports writers from the news
services and half a hundred papers
watch the race.
The Associated Press. through the
medium of reporters stationed at in
tervals down the course and on the
bridges, is able to send a running
account Of the race. At the finish
the other writer's are ready to flash
the results to papers all over the
United States
Poughkeepsie veterans will remind
newcomers that the flags and bunting,
the joyous reunions of "Old Blues"
the general merrymaking are second
ary to the races, the annual regatta of
the Intercollegiate Rowing Associa-
ton. This is true, of course but the
cdty does take on festive air and, al
though 1t fails to make as much of the
regatta as Louisville does of the Ken
lucky Derby, by two days before the
races 1t Is unquestionably the most
rowing mad city in the United States.
Washington Favored.
An all-conquering fleet at Pough-
keepsie for two years and winner of
the Olympic race at Berlin, the Uni
versity Of Washington occupies the
favorites spot. The Huskies have
swept the river for two straight years,
winning all three races, feat never
before accomplished by eight-oared
crews. until Don Hume brought the
Husky shell swinging down the stretch
m 1886. Last year they set records in
the varsity and junior varsity races.
That same Hume will be back this
year. Oarsmen as a rule do not stand
out-the sport sacrifices personal fame
for the glory of the crew-but Don
Hume is one of the real personalities
Of this or any other regatta.
He is slight for an oarsman, 172
pounds, but he is cocky and game.
He has been Washington's stroke
since 1885, the pacemaker for the crew
that old Jim Ten Eyck called "the best
! have seen in 60 years of rowing"
His coach, AL Ulbrickson, is the
most successful major-sports coach in
the country. His varsity eights have
not lost race since 1885 and his fame
has spread to Europe, where German
and Italian teams have copied faith
FULLY the short swing or layback of
the Husky eights
For all that, Al is a modest and
quiet fellow, fond of fishing and othe..
unspectacular pastimes. He would be
the last to admit it, but it rather looks
a. though Washington, despite various
storm-warnings. will enter three more
hne crews as favorites this year. Al
though Al would Class it as a 10,000-1
shot. there is more than faint chance
bis boys will sweep the river again.
Strong Teams of East.
Although the East, cradle of Amer
6can rowing, has yielded supremacy on
the Hudson to the West in every race
since the junior varsity event of the
1894 regatta. there is no lack of en-
thusiasm among the fine Eastern
eights entered.
Navy, Cornell. Syracuse and Colum-
bia make up the Eastern contingent
with California and Wisconsin COM
pleting the picture for the varsity
event.
Strictly on the records, the veteran
Navy eight, second to Washington in
the varsity race last year, is the
Eastern choice, fact which will be
denied loudly by Buck Walsh, the
bald and genial Navy coach.
The Tars, however, we're beaten only