2025 USRA Indoor Nationals

[Gorow]

Good news is we now know USRA Indoor National Championships will be held Saturday, February 1, 2025, in the multi-site + virtual hybrid format employed last year. The bad news is that USRA just solicited Site Host Proposals on August 22. Seems unlikely they will announce selected sites until early October?

I think we can assume Pittsburgh and Alexandria are in again. Would be nice to have a few more options.

(And will CRASH-Bs be one of the options?)

[rickbayko]

Alexandria is a great ergatta. If there isn't a closer site for me I'd definitely go back to Alexandria rather than doing virtual.

[Cyclist2]

NW Ergomania in Tacoma, WA was the only west coast site this year. Although Ergomania has been around quite a while, it is new at this site, hosted by this club, so it still has some growing pains. It's great they got a USRA host site in only their second year, so maybe this year it will be bigger. Hope they get the bid.

(I have noticed over the years that most of the hard core on-water rowers around here that I see at the top of the regatta results don't do erg races. Hmmm?)

[rickbayko]

(I have noticed over the years that most of the hard core on-water rowers around here that I see at the top of the regatta results don't do erg races. Hmmm?)

I'm infamous around the Community Rowing boathouse in Boston for being the only one in our crew who likes erg races.

[Gorow]

Just learned from official Alexandria ErgSprints sources that they will NOT be part of the USRA Indoor Championships this year. Too many technical requirements.

We are less than 3 months away from the announced February 1 date. Would be nice to know if we will have any in-person options. Pittsburgh? Tacoma? New Orleans? Atlanta? CRASH-Bs?

[Cyclist2]

We are less than 3 months away from the announced February 1 date. Would be nice to know if we will have any in-person options. Pittsburgh? Tacoma? New Orleans? Atlanta? CRASH-Bs?

Tacoma Rowing is hosting NW Ergomania again on February 1, 2025. Don't know yet if they are going to be an on-site option for the US Championships like 2024. US Rowing's website says they will have have on-site official host locations, will announce them in mid-November.

[rickbayko]

Just learned from official Alexandria ErgSprints sources that they will NOT be part of the USRA Indoor Championships this year. Too many technical requirements.

That's a darn shame, because the Alexandria event is now one of the best, if not THE best ergatta in the USA.

Ever since WorldRowing got involved and diluted the spectacular event that CRASH-Bs had been there has been a steady decline of indoor rowing races. As Joni Mitchell observed in song, "You don't know what you've got till it's gone."

[Gorow]

OK, this just in: USRA announced 5 in-person sites for the 2025 Indoor National Championships:

Atlanta Erg Sprints, NW Ergomania! (Tacoma), Pittsburgh Indoor Championships, South Side Smackdown (Chicago), Tennessee Indoor Championships (Chattanooga).

All competitions to be held on Saturday, February 1, 2025. The announcement does not mention a virtual “row-from-home” option.

[rickbayko]

It's good to have the sites nailed down. Now to just figure out which of the five venues will be the most economical for travel & lodging. Only 85 days till showtime!