More than a Reunion: Alumni Perspectives on HOCR

The Head of the Charles is the largest regatta in the world, drawing over 12,000 rowers each October for a weekend of intense competition. For Harvard alumni who made their mark on the water for four years on one of the Crimson’s crew teams — the men’s and women’s heavyweight and lightweight boats— it is a chance to reunite with old teammates, coaches, and current rowers looking to claim glory on the highest stage. It is also a chance for these alums to shake off the rust of work, school, and adult life, and experience the unique camaraderie of being back in the boat.

Elsa Andrews ’24, a four year member of the Varsity Eight on the Harvard-Radcliffe lightweight crew team, described the Head of the Charles as a race she has long admired, dating back to days as an accomplished high school rower. To Andrews, competing in the regatta as a collegiate rower was a special experience, and is one that has been made even more meaningful with her plans to travel back to school as an alum.

“It's just amazing to be a Harvard rower at Head of the Charles. It is probably one of the most fun experiences. Everyone is in town. The whole city seems excited about rowing,” Andrews said. “I think that there's something special about the energy of all the alumni and parents on the dock — it is an overwhelming feeling.”

The Harvard-Radcliffe Lightweight Rowing team has claimed victory in the Women’s Lightweight 8+ for two years in a row, and the alumni are hoping to make a triumphant return to continue their winning streak.

“I truly will never forget those two races,” said Calliste Skouras ‘24, the two-time captain of the Radcliffe varsity lightweights. “They are some of my fondest memories at Harvard.”

“This year compared to other years, the alumni races and the selection process has been more competitive,” explained Ava Sack ‘24, another standout rower and four-year member of the Harvard-Radcliffe lightweight crew’s Varsity Eight. “In order to be put in one of the boats you had to do a run or a bike test equivalent to the distance we are going to be racing, and that's how lineups were made.”

This year, due to interest across all four crew teams, Harvard is racing three alumni boats: an eight and two fours.

“Across all the Harvard rowing teams everyone wants to be part of this event, no matter if you're currently on the team or you're an alum,” Sack added. “It's really becoming Harvard’s race.”

James Chen ’24, a four-year member of the men’s heavy-weight crew team and 2024 recipient of the Arthur L. Boland Award — given to the top senior varsity athlete who will be attending medical school — also spoke to this idea of camaraderie in the boathouse.

“Seeing the alumni is always amazing. These were the guys who I looked up to when I was younger, and they seem to truly understand our journey through the sport and school,” Chen said. “Even alums who came before my time came with some sense of familiarity, bound through shared endeavors in Harvard rowing.”

Despite not being able to attend this year’s race, Chen emphasized just how much this regatta has really become “Harvard’s race.”

“This really feels like our home race,” the South Salem, N.Y. native said. “Sure, we have other home races, but those are in the Charles River Basin closer to MIT. Here, we row right through the middle of campus, and right in front of our boathouse in the final stretch of the race.”

The home stretch of the race that cuts directly through campus is something unique to the Head of the Charles, with other races ending closer to the foot of the river. Having the unique opportunity to row for their classmates, friends, and family was something all of the alumni emphasized as being special to this one event.

“It must be rowing through that stretch between Weeks Bridge and Anderson Bridge,” said Chen about his favorite leg of the course. “There were so many fans on the bridges cheering for us as we rowed under — our crowds are never closer in any other race, they’re usually 100 feet away on the shore. Last year, all four teams were still training out of Weld Boathouse, so as we rowed by, someone was also blasting music for us. It felt like a reminder that we were on our home turf.”

The Head of the Charles is a notoriously long race, with faster boats needing about 13 minutes from start to finish and less experienced crews needing about 19 minutes to cross the finish line. In order to maintain the fitness level necessary to gain a coveted spot in one of the alumni boats, and to stay competitive through the final stretch of competition by the Harvard boathouses, many alumni have turned to running as their primary fitness outlet.

“I decided to run a marathon this past September,” Andrews said. “I love running. I've really loved getting into it,” the Seattle, Wash. native explained. “I've done a bit of erging just to make sure that I'm ready.”

Similar to Andrews, Sack explained that she has been running every morning, while also occasionally erging and lifting.

“I miss RVL every day. The routine of waking up going to Weld and being on the water and having that be the start to that day, so I really tried to keep some of that routine in my daily life, and I found a lot of people that enjoy running and I've been running with them,” Sack said. “I find that it really brings community when you're on a team when you can work out together.”

While alumni may miss the physical challenges of rowing and the routine of training with a team, it is the sense of community and camaraderie that truly keeps draws them back to the Charles River year after year.

“I always knew that after graduation I was going to want to come back with former teammates and race in the alumni eight,” Sack said. “What I miss most is that RVL is such a close-knit team, being only like 20 to 30 of us. Over the years, they really become your family on campus.”

With intense 20-plus hour training weeks, fellow rowers become more than just teammates — they become roommates, classmates, and the people you spend countless hours with, both in and out of the boathouse.

“I miss that RVL family that I had and how we were all like minded and committed to the same goals,” Sack reflected. “I'm excited to come back and stay with some girls on the team and get back in the boat with alums from over the years and be on the Charles and do what we love again.”

A yearning for the structure and camaraderie that came with their time on the crew team was something consistent across all of the alumni’s reasons for participating in this year’s regatta. Having the opportunity to relive the exhilaration of being in the boat and share the common goal of victory with their teammates again was a draw for them to make the trek to Boston during the busy weekend.

“I definitely really miss all the bonding moments with my teammates, the structure of my athletic schedule, and the goal-oriented nature of being on a team,” Skouras said. “I also love pushing myself athletically and spending time outside, so it has been an adjustment to not have time blocked out of my day six days a week to do this.”

While the idea of training six days a week might seem daunting to a non-rower, Chen emphasized that the commitment to the team was built out of a shared sense of respect and love for the sport and the other rowers, which has created a deep bond that spans not just across current students, but across multiple alumni classes as well.

“We train hard together, and you get so much satisfaction from doing so, but we have a lot of fun along the way,” Chen remarked. “The camaraderie among the team is truly one-of-a-kind.”

This love for the grind will be evident to anyone watching the alumni boats make their way down the course. Whether you’re watching the newly-graduated alums come back and row with their friends, or the 70+ senior boats being cheered on by their children and grandchildren, the love for crew spread throughout Harvard this weekend will be palpable.

—Staff writer Katharine A. Forst can be reached at katharine.forst@thecrimson.com.

—Staff writer Natalie Weiner can be reached at natalie.weiner@thecrimson.com.