Ο "αγρότης" κόντρα στο "παχουλό αγόρι"

The "farmer" versus "fat boy"

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09/12/2008

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When Olympic Champion Olaf “the farmer” Tufte races against World Champion Mahe “fat boy” Drysdale there is no doubt the tussle will be tight and intense. And it was. The waters of New Zealand’s Whanganui River in Wanganui, attracted the two best single scullers in the world in memory of Billy Webb who had defended his World Professional Sculling Championship title on this very river 100 years ago. But unlike 100 years ago the New Zealander did not come out on top.

In this post-Olympic off season mode, Tufte accepted an invitation to leave the Norwegian winter behind and head to a warmer part of the world for training and adventure. Drysdale, who is affectionately known as Fat Boy, has recently returned to New Zealand following travel and racing in the United States, Switzerland, Italy and Great Britain. Drysdale admitted he may be a bit “over-recovered” at present.

The two sculling rivals are firm friends off the water and after travelling the length of New Zealand rowing and indulging in adventure tourism, they headed for the Whanganui River to prepare for the Prospace Billy Webb Centennial Challenge and aim for the $5000 (USD2700) winner’s purse.

The 5130m head race mirrored the exact course race by Billy Webb in 1908 when he beat Australian Dick Tressider. This time, in 2008, the two best scullers had an extra challenger. A 2000m “wildcard” race two days earlier between seven of New Zealand’s top single scullers decided a third boat to race in the Challenge.

The wildcard race, and $500 prize, was won by Hamish Bond after he beat Nathan Cohen in rough Whanganui conditions. Bond is a world champion from the men’s four and Cohen raced at the Beijing Olympics in the men’s double.

This earned Bond the right to race against Tufte and Drysdale. In perfect rowing conditions Tufte jumped out at the start treating the race, in Drysdale’s words, like a 2000m sprint. Drysdale held on to Tufte’s pace with Bond dropping back early on in the piece.

The first 2000m was covered by Tufte in a time of 6’40”, only five seconds shy of the course record and commentator, Dick Tonks (New Zealand’s head coach), could not say enough about Tufte’s smooth flowing strokes. Drysdale managed to gain on Tufte through the body of the race and challenged the leader coming into the final straight. But Tufte was able to counter all of Drysdale’s moves.

At the finish line Tufte had a three-length lead over Drysdale, with Bond behind in third. Drysdale admitted that he had tried a bit too hard to catch up through the race and “was a gonner” by the last straight. Bond, who had finished seventh in a 160km cycle race the week before, admitted that he did not quite have the legs to hold the pace.

Tufte crossed the finish line in 18’30”. This time is faster than the 1908 finishing time of Webb who completed the course in 20’28”.

The Challenge had many parallels with the heady days of professional single sculling races. Billy Webb was a top sculler who turned professional in 1906. He challenged the reigning world champion Charlie Town a year later and won to become “Champion of the World”. In 1908 Webb defended his title on the Whanganui River in front of a crowd of 20,000 spectators. There are some estimates that the 2008 race also attracted up to 20,000 spectators.

In Webb’s day it was possible to bet on the sculling races and this attracted spectators from throughout New Zealand. Webb arrived in Wanganui with his support crew including his trainer, his financial backer and a pacer. Tufte arrived in Wanganui with Drysdale.

The steamboat, Waimarie, followed Webb’s race 100 years ago. The very same steamboat repeated the journey in 2008. Both times the Waimarie was unable to keep up with the pace of the racing scullers.

The Sculling Championship of the World was first raced in 1876 with an Australian, Edward Trickett, winning. In 1880 Trickett was beaten by Canadian Edward Hanlan. At that stage the prize at stake was a whopping 1000 British pounds. Hanlan retained the title until he was beaten in 1884 by Australian William Beach. The win by Webb in 1907 was the first time a New Zealander had become Sculling Champion of the World.

The Billy Webb Centennial Challenge was organised by former Olympian and Trans-Atlantic rower, Rob Hamill. Hamill says there are plans to make the Challenge an annual event.