Most Competitive Boathouse

St. Louis Rowing Club, St. Louis, Missouri

All clubs have a history, but very few can refer back to a founding in 1875. The St. Louis Rowing Club began in that year in a boathouse along the Mississippi River, and until the mid-fifties, it flourished and thrived despite World War II forcing the club to donate the building to the war effort. In the 1950s, the club shut down and was brought back in 1983 by those of the old club who still met regularly, along with some fresh blood. Since that time, the annual Gateway Regatta has become a spectacle of the area, and the club was even selected to host the Midwest Regional Masters Championship. Also in the 90's, a junior crew was added to the ranks of rowers, winning a startling amount of honors at competitions nationwide.

The boathouse itself has also proved to be a point of resiliency for the club. The boathouse acquired in the 1980s flooded in 1993, only to be rebuilt into the boathouse currently used by the club. With a sturdy boathouse comes the sturdy determination of the team to continue to win and acquire fans from around the region. They have been featured on the local news, and even have a shop of apparel for those die-hard fans. Many can hardly boast a fan base of that magnitude, and it is one of the many things that keep those of the club rowing strong. Without a doubt, St. Louis Rowing Club is a wonderful place to both learn to row.