South End Rowing Club
Encyclopedia
The South End Rowing Club, founded in 1873, is one of the oldest athletics clubs
in the western United States
. The boathouse, with a fleet of 30 boats, is located in San Francisco, California
, at 500 Jefferson Street near Fisherman's Wharf, adjacent to the San Francisco Aquatic Park
. The club supports participation in rowing
, swimming, handball
, and running
. It is open to the public from 10 am to 6 pm (for a $6.50 fee) on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Boats may be used by members only.
Members of the public who are interested in learning to row can participate in monthly rowing clinics from March to November. A $25 donation is requested but not required, and clinics run for three hours on a weekend morning.
The original boathouse was located near present-day AT&T Park
, at the southern end of San Francisco. The boathouse was moved by barge to Aquatic Park
in the early 1900s, and to its present location in 1938. Portions of the original boathouse remain a part of the club.
The South End Rowing Club maintains a fierce but friendly rivalry with its next-door neighbor, the Dolphin Club. The clubs hold an annual triathlon in rowing, swimming, and running. As of 2010, the South End Rowing Club has won the competition 29 of the past 31 years. The ladies' crew from the South End races its wooden barge against the ladies' crew from the Dolphin Club.
Every year since 1978 the South End Rowing Club has hosted the Bridge to Bridge Regatta in September. This race is open to the public, and typically includes singles and doubles, and plastic and wooden boats alike. The race courses vary from year to year, but there is typically a 10.5 nautical miles (19.4 km) "long course" which starts at Aquatic Park and circumnavigates the south tower of the Golden Gate Bridge
and the westernmost tower San Francisco – Oakland Bay Bridge, as well as a "short course" from Aquatic Park around the Bay Bridge tower and back.
The South End also hosts a yearly competitive swim from Alcatraz Island
in San Francisco bay to the Aquatic Park, which is open to the public. The event is limited to 600 swimmers and reaches its capacity for registration months in advance.
Sports club
A sports club or sport club, sometimes athletics club or sports association is a club for the purpose of playing one or more sports...
in the western United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The boathouse, with a fleet of 30 boats, is located in San Francisco, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, at 500 Jefferson Street near Fisherman's Wharf, adjacent to the San Francisco Aquatic Park
San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park
The San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park is located in San Francisco, California, USA. The park includes a fleet of historic vessels, a visitor center, a maritime museum, and a library/research facility...
. The club supports participation in rowing
Rowing (sport)
Rowing is a sport in which athletes race against each other on rivers, on lakes or on the ocean, depending upon the type of race and the discipline. The boats are propelled by the reaction forces on the oar blades as they are pushed against the water...
, swimming, handball
American handball
American handball is a sport in which players hit a small rubber ball against a wall using their hands.- History :...
, and running
Running
Running is a means of terrestrial locomotion allowing humans and other animals to move rapidly on foot. It is simply defined in athletics terms as a gait in which at regular points during the running cycle both feet are off the ground...
. It is open to the public from 10 am to 6 pm (for a $6.50 fee) on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Boats may be used by members only.
Members of the public who are interested in learning to row can participate in monthly rowing clinics from March to November. A $25 donation is requested but not required, and clinics run for three hours on a weekend morning.
The original boathouse was located near present-day AT&T Park
AT&T Park
AT&T Park is a ballpark located in the South Beach neighborhood of San Francisco, California. Located at 24 Willie Mays Plaza, at the corner of Third and King Streets, it has served as the home of the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball since 2000....
, at the southern end of San Francisco. The boathouse was moved by barge to Aquatic Park
San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park
The San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park is located in San Francisco, California, USA. The park includes a fleet of historic vessels, a visitor center, a maritime museum, and a library/research facility...
in the early 1900s, and to its present location in 1938. Portions of the original boathouse remain a part of the club.
The South End Rowing Club maintains a fierce but friendly rivalry with its next-door neighbor, the Dolphin Club. The clubs hold an annual triathlon in rowing, swimming, and running. As of 2010, the South End Rowing Club has won the competition 29 of the past 31 years. The ladies' crew from the South End races its wooden barge against the ladies' crew from the Dolphin Club.
Every year since 1978 the South End Rowing Club has hosted the Bridge to Bridge Regatta in September. This race is open to the public, and typically includes singles and doubles, and plastic and wooden boats alike. The race courses vary from year to year, but there is typically a 10.5 nautical miles (19.4 km) "long course" which starts at Aquatic Park and circumnavigates the south tower of the Golden Gate Bridge
Golden Gate Bridge
The Golden Gate Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the Golden Gate, the opening of the San Francisco Bay into the Pacific Ocean. As part of both U.S. Route 101 and California State Route 1, the structure links the city of San Francisco, on the northern tip of the San Francisco Peninsula, to...
and the westernmost tower San Francisco – Oakland Bay Bridge, as well as a "short course" from Aquatic Park around the Bay Bridge tower and back.
The South End also hosts a yearly competitive swim from Alcatraz Island
Alcatraz Island
Alcatraz Island is an island located in the San Francisco Bay, offshore from San Francisco, California, United States. Often referred to as "The Rock" or simply "Traz", the small island was developed with facilities for a lighthouse, a military fortification, a military prison, and a Federal...
in San Francisco bay to the Aquatic Park, which is open to the public. The event is limited to 600 swimmers and reaches its capacity for registration months in advance.
External links
- South-End.org - The South End Rowing Club homepage
- DolphinClub.org - The Dolphin Club