The Winter Challenge has begun!  EARC participants have been split into two teams–Team North and Team South–in a competition for the greatest number of meters on the erg during the months of December and January.

Enjoy the following poem that Dante sent to all club members this week:

Good Luck To All, Let The Erging Begin

Twas the night before erging when all through the gym
Not a rower was rowing not even Tim
The ergs were set up near the fans with great care
In hopes we can row harder with cool blowing air.

The playlists were downloaded so rowers could hear
Inspirational tunes to keep them in gear
With Jim on one team and Kate on the other
Each settled in for a lonely winter slumber

When up in my brain there arose such a plan
A crazy idea about ways to expand
This crazy contest we’re about to engage
Unfortunately some team mates it might have estranged

The moon on the breast of new fallen snow?
How the hell do I make that fit in with row?
Something about reindeer and a miniature sleigh
I got it! It’s about a cox and an eight!

With a little light cox, certainly not my fat ass
We knew in a moment this spring we’d go fast
More rapid than 20 year olds we’ll row this spring season
Cause we’re erging this winter what an obvious reason

Now 8 seat now 7 now 6 seat now five
Now 4 seat now 3 seat now 2 seat let’s fly
Bow seat we haven’t forgotten about you
It’s all eight and a cox that makes a fast crew

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly?
Is he kidding me?  This
stanza I’m just going right by

And then in a twinkling I saw strategically placed
Water bottles, power bars, and towels for our face
It’s going to be long these two months ahead
I hope at the end I’m alive and not dead

We’re all dressed in spandex, well at least on our butts
All lean, and fit, and strong, and hard cut
A bundle of pride Team South has in our chest
As Team North foolishly thinks they’re surely the best

Their eyes how they twinkle, their emails so merry
They’re soon to find out it’s alive they’ll be buried
Soon they’ll be saddened and gasping for air
Please, please make it stop they’ll cry with despair

But it’s all in great fun we kid cause we love
This really is a wonderful club
When this over I’m sure we’ll all grin
So good luck to all, let the erging begin