Lightweight History

Former University of Washington Lightweight oarsman Paul Julien (early 70’s) has been beating the drums for a webpage dedicated to Husky Lightweights. Rowing Archives answered the call… sort of. This is our temporary Lightweight Rowing page, where we will post anything of interest about lightweight rowing at the University of Washington and any other University with a lightweight program. While lightweight rowing is under pressure to remain as a component of our sport at all levels, it is still very robust in the junior and collegiate levels in the North America. Hail to the Mighty Lighties! (Full disclosure, I was a LW rower, sort of, during my freshman year at the U.W., but as soon as we had to weigh in that fun escapade was over).

Enjoy the photos, films and stories below. Send us your (high-resolution) images and anecdotes, and we’ll endeavor to get them up here. As always, efforts like this require time and resources to establish and maintain, so please help out with a donation, just click on the DONATE button above.

1970 U.W. Lightweight Varsity 8+

Lineup: (L-R) Jim Stanton, Denis Sullivan, Paul Julien, Malcolm Lindquist, Larry Burgher, Steve Protzeller, Kurt Hoelting, Hulet Gates, (cox in front) Ed Bennett.

Paul Julien: This boat consistently beat the HW Frosh first boat, and came second behind the seniors in the Class Day race. Undefeated on the West Coast against LW crews and small college HW crews.

1972 Olympic Selection Camp Erg Test

Paul Julien: “We rowed all our erg tests with a mask on. The doctor collected all our exhalations and analyzed them. They poked us and took blood samples immediately upon completion and at intervals afterwards. I remember being in the middle of the pack in my erg scores. But the posted blood analysis's showed that John Buse and I had the same and vastly higher lactic acid blood counts than anyone else at the camp. I had, and still have, no idea what that meant, but I felt great finally being at par with Jon Buse on something!”

Power 10

In the late 1970’s Washington Head Coach Dick Erickson and Boatbuilder Stan Pocock conjured up a ten-man shell for a lightweight crew by inserting an extra two seats in the middle of a sectional eight. The theory was that ten lightweights might give competition for a fast varsity eight. The experiment did not support that theory. One oarsmen called rowing in the Ten like rowing a noodle. Head to our video page and see some amazing footage of this shell in action at a practice in 1977.