By Jonathan Leask  January 12 2010

The Ashburton College rowers have been back out on the waters of Lake Hood in preparation for the first competition of the year this weekend.

They had the first training on Sunday morning after the holiday break as they look ahead to the Otago Championships in Twizel this weekend.

 This week’s training is designed to get the crews back into the swing of things before the competition season starts this weekend.

 “It’s a short sharp shock to get them back into it,” coach Steve Beveridge said.

 Then after the Otago champs they will resume training in another week-long training camp, but due to it being the summer holidays the times have had to be adjusted to fit in with summer work commitments.

 The Ashburton crews are lucky to have the lake on their back door, so unlike other schools they do not have to travel long distances to get in some quality training.

 “Some of the Christchurch schools have headed down already for a week’s training,” Beveridge said.

 Some of those schools will also remain based at Twizel for a week after the competition as it is a chance for them to get some uninterrupted training.

 “Christchurch only has that one little creek to share between all the schools. Timaru has three schools and just a 1000m creek so we are pretty lucky."

 Rather than having to share with a number of other crews on a smaller venue, the Ashburton College rowers are lucky enough to have a full size course to train on all to themselves, and only a short distance away.

 Beveridge knows all to well how lucky the Ashburton College crews are. “I grew up in Westport and we used to have to wait for the tide to go out to train. Then you still had to walk through the mud to get out there,” Beveridge said.

Pictured: The Ashburton College girls’ eight plough across lake hood in preparation for the first competition of the year this weekend, (from left) Cox Adam Hodge, Amy Cullimore, Emma Mears, Harriet Wilson, Shannon Brawley, Nicole Hazelhurst, Rebecca French, Emma Jary, and Olivia Bain. - Photo Sarah Chamberlain 100110-SC-030