by William Matthias
John Bernfield and others escort the McQuaid and Canisius crews through Spencerport on June 15. The crews were enroute 340 miles on the Erie Canal rowing from Buffalo to Albany to raise money for Juvenile Diabetes Research. Provided photoSpencerport resident and champion rower John Bernfield says the part of the Erie Canal that passes through Rochester’s west side is an untapped resource for self-propelled water sports and he is taking advantage of that fact.
The 65-year-old head coach at the Genesee Waterways Center has witnessed the tremendous growth in popularity of rowing on the east side, while interest in rowing on the west side has remained relatively static. Bernfield views the limited rowing opportunities on the west side as a problem with a simple solution.
“It’s difficult for high-school-aged kids on the west side to pursue competitive rowing,” said Bernfield, who has coached three rowing crews on the local level, as well as the Purdue University women’s varsity crew. “Realizing what an ideal venue the Spencerport area is for rowing and learning of Ogden’s plan for developing Heritage Trail triggered the idea of creating a rowing program for these kids,” he said.
With the help of a few fellow residents, Bernfield has kick-started the Spencerport Rowing Club (SRC). The crew is seeking athletes to join the team with hopes of beginning practice in the fall and the possibility of competing in novice events at local regattas next spring.
Given the evolution of rowing on the east side – with the development of crews in Pittsford, Fairport, Brighton and the city – Bernfield foresees west side rowing gaining momentum.
A veteran rowing coach hopes area athletes will share his interest in the sport of rowing. He says The Erie Canal on the west side of the city of Rochester makes an ideal course. Provided photo“The programs on the east side continue to take on new members and they cannot get much bigger because they don’t have the space, the facilities or the waterways to do it,” Bernfield said. “And who knows, maybe there’s a kid on the west side who could take rowing as far as Henrik Rummel has.”
Rummel is a 2005 Pittsford Mendon graduate who was recently selected to compete for the 2012 U.S. Olympic rowing team.
“That sends a message to the community that young folks in the area can rise to that level of rowing, to become an Olympian,” said Spencerport Deputy Mayor Ted Rauber, who is also president of the Spencerport Depot and Canal Museum. “The SRC will provide an opportunity for youth to become more proactive in the community and to excel in an area outside of traditional-type sports.”
Rauber, who hopes to use the museum as a “launch site” for the SRC, said the Erie Canal through the suburbs west of the City of Rochester is the ideal place to learn and practice rowing because of limited locks and chatter (wave action). Bernfield agreed, stating that the Genesee River can become “quite treacherous,” and clubs rowing east on the canal are burdened by numerous locks and other divides.
West side rowers have the advantage of the “60-mile-level,” the longest continuous stretch of the 363-mile Erie Canal, between Lock 34 in Lockport and Lock 33 in Henrietta, according to Tom Grasso, president of the Canal Society of New York State.
The SRC is currently exploring ideas on how to generate interest in the club. Rauber said he will “administer” the effort from the “government’s end” and will help educate villagers about what Bernfield is trying to accomplish. Additionally, life-long Spencerport resident Helen Moore has joined in the effort to help spread the word, produce new ideas and make connections within the community to help bring the SRC to fruition.
“This is mostly for the kids,” Moore said. “It’s another outlet to keep them off the streets. But it could also be a great boom for the community, which is great because the state is really pushing tourism along the canal. This will hopefully add another piece to the overall picture of the economy.”
The SRC will be on hand with boat displays at the Spencerport Depot and Canal Museum during Spencerport Canal Days on July 28 and 29 to answer any questions. The group also plans to hold an interest meeting in the weeks following the celebration, Bernfield said. The SRC is open to all Monroe County resident boys and girls of high-school age who are able to tread water.
Bernfield said he encourages eligible residents to join the club because although rowing is a “difficult” sport, it helps youngsters develop a high-level of fitness, a number of friendships and a whole lot of memories.
“You can do it for a lifetime and there’s very low risk of injury,” Bernfield said. “But, most importantly, it’s fun. I wouldn’t have done it for 46 years if I didn’t enjoy it.”
Those interested in joining the crew or obtaining additional information should email the club at spencerportrowing@gmail.com.
