Word: regatta
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...didn't have enough opportunity for craziness, tomorrow marks the beginning of the 35th Head of the Charles Regatta, held right here on the banks of Memorial Drive. The two-day rowing event--the largest in the world--draws more than 300,000 spectators and 5,400 athletes from around the world...
...Harvard Crimson: What's it like coaching and competing in such a large event, with international, national teams in there? Ed Kloman: This is the greatest regatta ever. I started rowing this regatta in 1975. I first rowed as a high school kid. And it is the best. There's no crowd like the Head of the Charles crowd. There's no competition like it. We practice out here every day, but to be able to race with these buoys, to compete against other boats, and to see the shore lined with 300,000 people, it's unbelievable...
...Rowing in general is a low-visibility sport, it's not a spectator sport. EK: Well, this is the one regatta where it is a spectator sport. I mean the Olympics are a spectator sport, but this is truly a spectator sport in that there's always some crew going by and in that way, it's a gas. So I think corporate sponsorship is fine. But I don't think people are getting paid to row, which is a not a bad thing. Plus, you get to see all the latest technology in boats...
...organization has increased, the event has become more commercial over the years. Is that something you think affects the racing? HP: In recent years, for several years now, they've relied on corporate sponsorship of various kinds, but the regatta itself, I don't think I would use the term that it's commercialized at all. The sponsorship part of it is not very intrusive. It's still very much the Head of the Charles, a very amateur event, if you will. But they clearly are much better organized, and they tap into a lot of resources...
...with superb athletic talent. The champ eight has four returning varsity rowers, but Wilhelm feels wary about his young team: "inexperience can lead to inconsistency." However, the novice crew was 8 and 2 last year, with talent that bodes well for the future. "It's great to have a regatta this size in our own back yard," says Wilhelm. But as to winning the regatta, he says, "with crew, you never know...