Sports - Head of the Fish boasts biggest year in history

Therefore, the best in athleticism was on display at the 2008 Head of the Fish Regatta, held on Fish Creek in Saratoga Springs on Oct. 25 and 26. The event, which is in its 23rd year, brought together the best rowers from around the world for a two mile race spanning the Stafford and 9P bridges.

The 2008 Head of the Fish proved to be the biggest year in the event’s history, as nearly 4,600 participants in 1,500 boats took part, a jump from 1,000 boats the previous year.

“It was incredible” said Chris Chase, Executive Director of the SRA. “Aside from the Head of the Charles I can’t name another race that has 1,500 boats.”

The event drew 168 teams from 17 states, as well as teams from Canada and England. In the past, teams have also come from New Zealand, Australia, Ireland, Scotland, and Mexico. In addition, the race also draws a large cross-section of rowers, with ages ranging from 15 to 70 years old. In addition, several local schools and colleges took part, including Saratoga Central High School and Skidmore College.

Such a massive event is extremely difficult to put on, and Chase thanks the numerous volunteers that assisted in the undertaking.

“With the weather, it was very difficult,” Chase said. “We had some volunteers working 10-12 hours a day. They’re the lifeblood of the event.”

Numerous races were well-represented by area schools. On Saturday, the Saratoga Rowing Association had boats finishing 1st and 12th in the Boys’ 2x event, with Albany, Niskayuna, Schenectady, and Burnt Hills also taking part. The Saratoga Girls’ 8 finished first in their event as well, with Burnt Hills finishing 4th. In addition, Saratoga also saw their Girls 4 boat finish 5th, with the Girls’ Freshman and Novice 4 finishing 4th. Saratoga’s Boys’ Open 8 finished 4th in their race, and their Boys’ Junior 4x boat finishing 7th.

Skidmore College also found themselves performing very well over the course of the event. On Saturday, the Skidmore girls took 1st and 4th in the Girl’s Open 8, and also finished 5th in the Men’s Open 8. In addition, boats from Skidmore finished 6th, 7th, and 12th in the Open 8 event, with boats from Saratoga finishing 5th and 15th.

On Sunday, Skidmore finished 8th in the Women’s Collegiate Novice 4+, and finished 17th in the Men’s Collegiate Novice 4+. The Men’s 2x came in 6th, and took 2nd and 3rd in the Women’s 2x. Lastly, Skidmore took 5th in the Men’s Collegiate 8+, with the Men’s Collegiate Novice 8+ placing 17th and the Women’s Collegiate Novice 8+ placing 16th.