INTERNATIONAL ROWING TURNS PROFESSIONAL boats, but it seemed to be very political, and I started to realize that no one really wanted the absolutely fastest boat . . . if they weren’t in it, so I kind of stood around on the outskirts while they courted each other.”3631 Among the athletes present were Wayne Frye from the 1952 Navy Olympic Champion Eight,3632 Dan Ayrault,3633 two- time Olympic Gold Medalist, in the coxed- pairs in 1956 and in the coxless-fours in 1960, back from a long layoff, Ayrault’s 1960 teammate Ted Nash,3634 and of course Conn Findlay,3635 the 1956 Olympic Champion and 1960 Bronze Medalist in the coxed-pairs, with his latest partner, Ed Ferry.3636 Lyon: “Stan kept trying to put together a fast eight, training and racing everybody in small boats and putting the eight together periodically, but no combination got under six minutes, and the ‘jayvee’ boat sometimes beat the chosen eight. Usually the boats with Conn and Ed prevailed, but they felt that they had a much better chance in their pair than in a slow eight.”3637 Two eights would go out regularly and scrimmage. The times were not particularly fast. Durbrow: “The big problem had been that everybody had all had so much success rowing their own way that they weren’t very good at adjusting and rowing together. Each seemed to think the other guy should do it ‘my way.’”3638 The Seattle Times: “In an informal race while most of the city slept yesterday morning, the Lakers stroked by Lyon trailed 3631 Durbrow, op. cit. 3632 See Chapter 64. 3633 See Chapter 82 and 83. 3634 See Chapters 83 and 84. 3635 See Chapter 82. 3636 Ibid. 3637 Lyon, op. cit., 2008 3638 Durbrow, op. cit. the Vancouver, B.C. Rowing Club by two and one-half lengths. “‘Winning or losing that race was not a deciding factor for us,’ Pocock said. ‘We’ve got a week left to see whether we can find the right eight to slide up that blinking slide together.’”3639 Lyon: “The Eights Trials were July 11, the Small-Boats Trials August 26-29. I think it was around July 4 that Stan sadly told us it was time to choose our own small boats. He said we should have learned by the 1960 example: make the small boats go fast before putting together an eight.”3640 Georg Meyers of The Seattle Times gave Stan’s decision a parochial twist. Meyers: “The Lake Washington Club declined to organize an eight because the members did not wish to compete in the Olympic Trials against the University of Washington crew. The club was primarily to develop small-boat crews.”3641 Durbrow: “Eventually, we gave up on trying to put together an eight and started focusing on small boats. “Then disaster struck for me. It was decided we should all row in singles to get a sense of who were the best oarsmen. I had never even sat in a single before, so – I’m admitting this for the first time – I went to Stan and said that I needed to return home because my mother was not well. He was very sympathetic and said to come back as soon as I felt I could. Lake Washington at Night Durbrow: “Instead, I would get up early each morning and watch the guys in their 3639 Georg N. Meyers, An Olympic Decision, Laker Eight Eager, The Seattle Times, June 28, 1960 (estimate) 3640 Lyon, op. cit. 3641 Georg N. Meyers, Clubmen Spring Pre- Olympic Upset, The Seattle Times, September 26, 1960 999
