With an eye out for the future, Empire Rowing has chosen Lake Perris to be the site of its efforts to grow the sport in Riverside County.
The Empire Sprints Regatta will take place on March 23 and 24 at the chosen rowing venue of the 2028 Olympic Games, hosted by Los Angeles.
Sanctioned by US Rowing for competitors ranging from eighth to twelfth grade and entries from singles to the coxed 8, the regatta will host schools and clubs representing more than 400 athletes. This year’s competition has drawn athletes and teams from Southern and Northern California, Washington state, Nevada and Canada.
Cooperative efforts from the California State Park system, the City of Perris and Empire Rowing enabled the creation of the 2000-meter race course that will be used in the competition.
“We are pleased that we are able to bring a permanent buoyed course to Southern California that will not only serve the needs of our region, but we will strive to serve the needs of the rowing community as a whole,” said Aaron Green, co-founder of Empire Rowing. “Meanwhile, we will be introducing a new sport to the youth of Perris, Moreno Valley and surrounding areas in hopes of building a new robust rowing community. Needless to say, our expectation is also to bring economic growth to a well-deserved community.”
Since the new 2K course meets industry standards, the regatta will offer an opportunity for stewards located in the Southwest to assess boat speed and create proper rankings before the Southwest Junior Regional Championships, held in May.
Food and beverage vendors, as well as merchandise vendors, will be on site during the regatta. Spectators can bring bicycles and ride along a paved road to follow the races. Results for the competition will be posted on herenow.com.
