207th Royal St. John's Regatta draws thousands to lakeside, cheering on rowers
Thousands of onlookers have gathered on the shores of Quidi Vidi Lake for the 207th Royal St. John's Regatta.
Early Wednesday morning, organizers gave the go-ahead for the annual race, which draws thousands of people lakeside to take in games, try tasty food and cheer as small boats cut through the water.
Organizers made the call while gathered along the shores of Quidi Vidi Lake, triggering the unique mid-week, weather-dependent citywide holiday.
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The regatta is North America's oldest continuous sporting event, typically running on the first Wednesday each August.
Keith White, vice-president of the Royal St. John's Regatta Committee, said the decision to proceed was unanimous.
"It was a quick decision. We looked at a number of factors, weather, wind of course [and] temperatures," he said.
"We look forward to seeing you lakeside throughout the day."
This is the first year the event will have an open category for all rowers, regardless of their gender.
The first race began at 8 a.m. NT with the Rogers amateur senior women's race.
This year marks the 207th Royal St. John's Regatta, with races kicking off at 8 a.m. NT. (Ryan Cooke/CBC)
"The athletes that row, these are real athletes. They take so much pride in their sport, their training, on and off the pond, 12 months a year," White told CBC News.
He said rowers build friendships through the sport that last decades and lead to strong ties, including standing in each other's weddings.
Thousands of people head to Quidi Vidi Lake to take in the regatta. (Ryan Cooke/CBC)
Sophie Connors, cheering from land and jumping up and down, was there to watch her mother and aunt race.
"I want them to win," she said while smiling, adding she doesn't know a lot about the rules of the sport but her mother trains a lot. "She's really strong."
Kateryna Sobko was also lakeside with her family. This year was their first experience of the regatta since they moved to Newfoundland and Labrador from Poland last fall.
"We enjoy this day. We love to find new information about Newfoundland, about Newfoundland's celebration," Sobko said. "[My daughter] likes to choose who will be the winner all the time."
The day got started well before the first race, with food trucks setting up and spectators starting to arrive for the early morning paddles.
"We come every year for the mini doughnuts," race watcher Alana Gale said. "Whether it's the morning, the afternoon, we're like, 'That's our first stop."
Ziggy Peelgood's owner Todd Hickey estimates there are usually between 30,000 to 40,000 people who head to the lake each year.
"We'll probably serve six, seven thousand people," Hickey told CBC News.
He said he enjoys the excitement of getting ready for the big race day, and the day before the regatta also tends to bring in good business.
Getting a hot plate of fries is a Regatta tradition for people like Patrick Collins, who visited during a trip home from Aurora, Ont.
"I remember, as a little boy, being here. I think I was in Grade 9, and I lined up for french fries. And I remember getting my french fries, and I was a walking back, somebody bumped into me and all my fries fell on the ground," he said with a laugh.
"It was a sad story, but I got another plate of fries later."
'Like Christmas Day'
Seth Hyde, who's rowing with the Outfitters team, didn't expect to race on Wednesday.
A team member was injured and Hyde got the call.
"Twenty-four hours ago I didn't know I was rowing in the boat today," he said.
The Royal St. John's Regatta is a municipal, weather-dependent holiday. (Ryan Cooke/CBC)
"We're really excited. That team has won their last three regattas so I'm really excited to be in the boat with them."
Hyde is a seventh-generation rower, and his father is a member of the regatta's hall of fame.
"Regatta Day is like Christmas Day for me," he said.
The annual event has only been moved a few times in its history — this year because of the Canada Summer Games, which begins on Aug. 8 and will make use of the historic lake over the event's two weeks.
This article, written by Elizabeth Whitten and Alex Kennedy, was originally published for CBC News. With files from Jenna Benchetrit and Jessica Singer