The 2010 Dad Vail Regatta is rowing to Rumson, NJ and in its wake are many floating index fingers pointing in numerous directions about who exactly is to blame for ending Philadelphia’s 56-year run as host of the one of the sport’s premier North American events. In that wake is also a report that the regatta apparently had more than one suitor.
Who else tempted the oars from the Schuylkill's shores? The largest collegiate rowing event in the country, with over 130 schools participating, very nearly dropped anchor on the Wissahickon Creek in Philadelphia’s Fairmount Park. Yes, the almost-impossible-to-navigate creek in the city’s northwest section made a serious attempt to lure the race to its banks.
Several days after eager Rumson officials presented to the Dad Vail board of directors, the Wissahickon Creek Rowers Association followed with a 4-hour presentation to the board—showing nearby amenities and facilities—in an effort to sell the waterway by the same name as a possible host.
Charles Farley, the president of the Wissahickon Creek Rowers Association and longtime rower, was able to secure $99,999 from private donors in an effort to persuade the Dad Vail organizers (Rumson promised $100,000) of the viability of the creek.
The creek has never been a rower’s destination because of rocks, shallow water, dams, larger rocks, impossible-to-maneuver bends, low bridges, unpredictable currents, water fowl, its narrow width and rapid changes in elevation.
“We looked at the many waterfalls and jagged rocks along the fast-moving stream as exciting new challenges to future rowers and regattas,” said Farley. “The shallow parts of the stream would have been dredged for the event.”
The creek, which is a tributary of the Schuylkill River, winds its way for 23 miles from central Montgomery County and ending in Philadelphia. The cost of dredging a 2-mile portion of the lower Wissahickon would have been prohibitively expensive. In addition, some of the stream’s most dangerous boulders would have been blasted away using dynamite, driving up the cost even more.
When asked how taking the event away from the larger, more rower-friendly and neighboring Schuylkill River would have looked, Farley shrugged his shoulders and replied, “Probably not too good … but at least it would have stayed in the city.”
Some on the WCRA wondered whether the Dad Vail board gave serious consideration to the Wissahickon as a legitimate host.
“We want everyone to know that we didn’t just simply or quickly dismiss the Wissahickon as a possible host site,” explained Bob Forther, a Dad Vail Regatta board member, when asked about the WCRA concerns. “The presentation by Charles [Farley] was well thought-out and included many vivid graphs and charts. The Wissahickon Creek is one of the most scenic natural areas in the country. Unfortunately, it just came down to finances. The WCRA couldn’t match what Rumson had on the table. It had nothing to do with the stream’s protruding rocks, as many on the board viewed them as an asset.”
"We may not be hosting the Dad Vail in 2010," said Farley, "but we'll sure be installing more rocks and dams over the coming year."
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