Winklevoss Twins Aren’t the Only Family Team Rowing in the Same Direction

Nicholas Osborn, 17, and Lynn Osborn, 57, on the Charles in October 2014. Lynn Osborn

By Shan Wang

October 18, 2014

7 minutes to read

Lynn Osborn and her 17-year-old son Nicholas, of Belmont, have always shared a birthday. This year, they’ll also be sharing a boat at the 50th Head of the Charles Regatta. Mother and son are rowing together in a doubles boat as part of the regatta’s Parent/Child Director’s Challenge race, a special charity event that raises money for the Head of the Charles Endowment.

The significance of competing in the 50th anniversary of what is widely considered to be one of rowing’s most famous annual events, with around 11,000 competitors and an estimated 400,000 spectators, is not lost on the Osborns. But for them, as for so many other local parents racing with their children, rowing is first and foremost a family affair.

Lynn, 57, rowed in numerous Head of the Charles mixed doubles races with her husband Charley, until he died in 2001 due to complications from ALS. She’s been setting off into the water with her children — two sets of twins, three years apart — “since they were old enough to hold an oar.’’

Nick’s twin sister Sarah rowed with their mother in the Head last year; his older sisters Katie and Ellen, now in college, each rowed with their mother in the same parent/child event years previous. Nick jokes that his recent growth spurt from five-foot-seven to six-foot-three has put him back into friendly competition with his sisters, all of whom used to smoke him when he was a newbie.

“Before I started rowing, you could say I was ‘pleasantly plump,’’’ he says. “But I didn’t want to just be the unathletic one. And rowing is big in our family, so I was looking forward to upholding that Osborn name.’’

Rowing Runs Deep

Lynn describes her family’s attachments to rowing as “ancestral,’’ back to a photo she remembers of her husband’s grandfather rowing. The river runs in the veins of many local families. Rowing parents have passed down their love of the sport to their children, who they say are learning fast and poised to outstrip them in technique and speed.

Jaime Hintlian, 54, of Winchester, taught his 17-year-old daughter Katherine, to row in her freshman year of high school. She says she would never have tried it otherwise, particularly because she’s so much smaller than the average rower. Today, on the water, Katherine is often the boss.

“We were just out practicing yesterday, with Katherine behind me in the shell, and there was some commentary from back there on my technique,’’ Jamie says. “She’s been coached well. But this is the only place where I would allow it!’’

Jamie first started rowing at age 12 and has been involved with HOCR planning for about a decade. He will be racing Saturday in another eight-man boat, while Katherine will be racing in her own eight the following afternoon. The parent/child event is one of the few that allows participants to row in two events during the regatta weekend.

David Lippold, 58, and Caroline Lippold, 22, are returning to the Head of the Charles after hiatuses of 35 and five years, respectively, as part of the Friends of Andover Crew boat club.

“I’ve always loved rowing, and Caroline I think knew that,’’ David says. “We finally saw an opportunity to row together this year, instead of taking turns seeing each other row. Both of us could be in the same boat at the same time — it’s a unique experience.’’

But who’s the better rower? David is quick to say Caroline, who laughs it off but does not immediately protest.

David Lippold and Caroline Lippold in October 2014Photo by Ted Keany

Like Ducks to Water

Many rowers start young. They are taught quickly not to fear flipping their boats and learn quickly how to weather the physical strain. Good rowers can cut through water effortlessly, with a smoothness that belies an enormous amount of power and concentration.

For Tal Sternberg, 14, of Newton, the parent/child event in this year’s 50th HOCR will be her first real race. Her dad, Jeremy Sternberg, 49, rowed in his first Head of the Charles 30 years ago and several more times since then. Of the 39 entries in their event, the Sternbergs have the youngest combined age.

“When I got into a skull for the first time [at camp], I was so nervous,’’ Tal says. “The first thing they do is make you flip the boat, to show you it’s really not that bad.’’

Just a few years later, she’s already found the rhythm of rowing.

“Once you get onto the river, once you find that stroke, it’s really peaceful and really calming,’’ she says.

Tal Sternberg (front) and Jeremy Sternberg (back) on the Charles in November 2013Photo by Milos Nikolic

It’s also a first HOCR appearance for Janet Conklin, 15, who will serve as coxswain — the person who sits at the front of a boat to help steer — to a Philips Andover alumni boat that includes her dad Foster Conklin, 54. While they’re not registered to for the parent/child race specifically, it’s the first time in Philips Andover history that a father-daughter has competed in any official athletic event.

“I’m not really that nervous; just more excited to be coxing for my dad,’’ Janet says. “Rowing is something I’m good at. But there’s also such a good community of rowers who are so accepting, no matter your skill level.’’

Janet Conklin (left) and Foster Conklin (second from left) at an Andover Crew reunion row in June 2014Photo by Sam Darby

Chad Wolfe, 37, and Craig Wolfe, 69, are on the opposite end of the spectrum, as the oldest parent/child combo racing Saturday. Chad started learning just as early as the others, however, rowing with his twin and older sisters through programs at the Hull Lifesaving Museum around age ten. Not on a river, where there are already big waves caused by speedboats and other rowers, but in the formidable open ocean.

“I somehow convinced them that was something normal people did, rowing in the ocean in the middle of winter,’’ Craig says. “Shhhh, don’t tell my children!’’

But, he says, the kids took to the sport “like ducks to water, quacking happily.’’

“More like squawking,’’ Chad replies.

Chad Wolfe (left) and Craig Wolfe (right) at the Hull Lifesaving Museum’s Windmill Point Boathouse in October 2014Photo by Kim Greaves

Family Ties

When you’re in a boat with family the rules of the river are different. A lower-place finish is as sweet as any victory. And when you’re in a boat with family, the rules of the river are different. Russell Murphy, 54, and his son, Russell, 16, agree that rowing with family means not just extra bonding, but also extra training.

“It’s definitely different rowing with a family member, even if it’s my dad,’’ Russell, Jr. says. “He’s so much more experienced. I can always learn something new, improve on something. I can always fix something. He doesn’t hesitate to point that out.’’

“The dynamic is different with someone who is much younger and still learning to row,’’ dad says. “The fact that Russell is my son makes it easier and harder. I probably criticize a little more than I should!’’

For Molly Pierce, 17, of Wayland, her dad Jim, 48, isn’t just a teammate. “I hadn’t rowed much, but have been around rowing all my life because of my parents,’’ Molly says. “This has been a good opportunity for me to expand, try something new, and work on my technique with my dad kind of as my coach.’’

Robert Wettach, 57, and his son, Robert, 26, cheerily say they are “shooting for a finish,’’ and using the regatta weekend as a chance for a little family reunion. On separate coasts, the two have only had the chance to practice together once so far.

The elder Rob has been rowing since college, but Robert only picked up the sport competitively a few years ago after moving away from the Boston area out to Seattle for his job.

“This has been the family’s thing for forever, though I never really joined in,’’ the younger Robert says. “When I moved out to Seattle and started having a day job where I sat around all day with no physical activity whatsoever, I decided, hey, I really need to move around. Rowing is fun, and I’d be joining the ‘family business,’ as it were.’’

“What I think is pretty special, is after your kid moves on, they still come back,’’ Rob says. “I felt a real sense of pride that Robert wanted to row with me.’’