Carleton’s rowing team headed to the Rideau Canal to compete against their rivals from the University of Ottawa (U of O) in an annual event known as the Koala Race on Sept. 20.
“It’s modeled after the Oxford-Cambridge race, which is like a prestigious event in which two eights race each other,” Anna Currie, a third-year member of the rowing team said. “Each eight has four varsity women and four varsity men in it. We race down the canal, [and] we’re trying to promote the program throughout the city and get as much of our school community out as possible to get excitement and school spirit.”
The two-kilometre race covered the distance from the Bank Street Canal Bridge to the Pretoria Bridge, with both teams expecting to complete the race in six to eight minutes.
In order to help bring some publicity to both schools’ rowing teams, the race was called a pre-Panda Game event.
“It’s the same weekend as the Panda event and we’re trying to use that as our advertising and get students excited for this race as well as the Panda game. It’s another example of the rivalry between Carleton and Ottawa U so we’re trying to model it after that,” Currie said.
Fourth-year rower Megan Haley added the name “Koala Race” was introduced because of the Panda Game.
“We decided to rename it the Koala Race, [to go along] with the theme of bears,” she said.
U of O rower James Denny said the event doesn’t get the same amount of publicity the football game does.
“We have our own trophy and everything, but it doesn’t get the same hype that the Panda Game does,” he said.
The race features both an alumni and a varsity team from both schools. This year, the alumni race was won by U of O. Following a close, exciting race Carleton came out on top and won the varsity race, mirroring the last minute effort by the Ravens in the Panda Game.
Despite it being a cold and rainy day, some fans still showed up to support both teams as they row, row, rowed their boats down the canal.
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