Nyack Rowers Prepare For Hudson 25K

What a difference a year makes.

Last year at this time, Ivan Rudolph-Shabinsky—director of the Nyack-based River Rowing Association—was too busy organizing the inaugural RRA 25K Hudson River Challenge to actually row in it.

This year the South Nyack resident reunites in a Quad shell with his two-time defending U.S. National Masters champion crewmates Joe Devoe, Peter Klose and Tom Chyla in a grueling attempt to better the 1-hour 58-minute standard established in 2009.

"This is a marathon of a race, probably the longest of its kind," Vince Ventura, chairman of the rowing committee at the New York Athletic Club, said. "In rowing, this is a really long distance."

"It's structured as a race, but it's such a long distance it's sort of like a marathon," Rudolph-Shabinsky noted. "Some enter to win, some just to finish. The fastest time you can possibly complete it is an hour and a half, which is unlikely, and it could take as long as three hours."

Saturday's challenge is also considered the unofficial kickoff to the fall season, which has different races than in the spring and summer when sprints of 1,000 to 2,000 kilometers are prevalent.

"In the fall, the typical head regattas tend to be 5K," Rudolph-Shabinsky explained. "This is five times longer, but it gets you ready for the shorter distances. When we get to them, after this, it won't feel so bad."

Last year's event was introduced more as a challenge from the RAA's director to his members, as part of the 400th anniversary of Henry Hudson sailing up the Hudson. It was contested upriver from the George Washington Bridge to the RAA's home site, just past the Tappan Zee Bridge in Nyack's Memorial Park. This year's event will start sometime before 8 a.m. and reverses course, running from the TZ Bridge to the GW Bridge along the mighty Hudson, which is known for its unpredictable water, tidal currents and shipping barges.

"We're going out with the current … that's the plan, but I'm not convinced yet," Rudolph-Shabinsky said on Thursday.

Besides the course, also different this year is that the challenge is open to kayakers. A few are expected to accept the challenge along with a variety of styles from singles to championship 8s.

"We're making this an annual event because last year everyone really enjoyed it," Rudolph-Shabinsky said. "As I said it's like a marathon. It's not actually easy, but if you finish you feel good about yourself."

For more information visit the association's website.