THE GOLDEN AGE OF AMERICAN ROWING The shell was running beautifully, and the men picked up their fine lead through here. “Having gained his lead and taken command in no uncertain fashion, Salisbury settled his crew down to a beat of about 31 and stayed there until the last mile, when Cornell finally began coming along. But Cornell had much too far to go. It never really had a chance. “California went up to 34 and held it un- til the last few hundred yards. Then it gave the final and complete answer as to whether the stroke which had been criticized as short would stand up for four miles. “As they popped alongside the thick fleet at the finish, California went to 34, and on a boat which bore a huge California pen- nant in her rigging a lone whistle cut loose with an exultant bellow. “Little Graham’s arms, clad in golden sweater sleeves, were raised high above his head in a wild wave of triumph, and Cali- fornia knew it was in. Smoothly and unhur- riedly, rowing with finish and strength, the boatload won with open water, plenty of it, between them and a Cornell Varsity which had started going finally to swing into sec- ond place, but which could never cut down much of the space which lay between its prow and the rudder post that Norris Gra- ham held so steady at the stern of the Cali- fornia boat. “There has been a sign hanging in the California crew quarters all spring reading, ‘California’s Crew for California’s Olym- pics,’ and tonight this great Varsity Eight reads new meaning into that slogan. “Since the victory of California in 1928, the East has been ruling the Hudson Riv- er.1967 But tonight, the West came back to take charge. “Great as the credit to California was, a great deal had to be reserved for a Washing- 1967 Columbia in 1929, Cornell in 1930 and Navy in 1931. ton crew which came back from an eight- een-length April defeat at California’s hands to stay in this famous four-mile fight for a good part of the distance and row a splendid race, finishing ahead of every Eastern crew but Cornell. “Washington and California are both going to the Olympic trials at Worcester next month and will remain here in training for a while.”1968 1932 Olympic Eights Trials Three weeks later at the Olympic Trials, two great boats lined up beside one another, undefeated University of California, the nation’s best college crew, and the Penn A.C. Big Eight, winner of the 1930 Europe- an Championship and multiple U.S. and Ca- nadian championships. On board the latter were two former Olympians, one a 1928 Gold Medalist, and their second boat had already secured Olympic berths in the Coxed- and Coxless-Fours Trials. Both crews rowed very similar Classical Techniques. Just as Ky Ebright had mod- erated the Cal back swing from +35° to -35° down to +30° to -30°, Frank Muller had guided the Penn A.C. from +40° to -40° in 1930 down to +30° to -30° in 1932, and both crews were prepared to row the entire 2,000 meter Olympic distance at ratings never fall- ing below 37. Robert Kelley outdid himself in de- scribing the race in The New York Times, “Out West, in the boathouse of the Universi- ty of California at Berkeley, they can strip down the signs which have demanded all during the racing season ‘A California Crew for the California Olympics.’ “That was no longer a slogan tonight – it was a statement of fact. 1968 Robert F. Kelley, California Eight Victor on Hudson As 50,000 Look On, The New York Times, June 21, 1932 533
