VICTORIA – The UBC Thunderbirds are ready to compete in the 31st Brown Cup against the UVic Vikes on Saturday on the Gorge Waterway in Victoria in front of thousands of spectators.
 
The Brown Cup mimics a format made famous by the historic Oxford vs. Cambridge annual boat race. The UBC men are seeking their fourth consecutive Brown Cup victory, while the women are looking to take first place for the first time since 2018.


 
"The Brown Cup is the peak of the spring term and an opportunity for our athletes to demonstrate the effectiveness of a long winter of training on the ergs and weight room and team selection events on the water," said men's team head coach Mike Pearce. "We've got some catching up to do as UVic currently has double the number of wins at 20 to our 10. But over the last decade, we've tilted the wins in our favour and the guys are keen to get their opportunity to keep straightening the record."

"The team is looking forward to this epic race," added T-Birds women's rowing head coach Craig Pond. "There is no better way to close out the season, the rivalry continues to grow each year along with the amazing fans and alumni along the race course and watching on live stream at home. With this type of racing there are so many factors that play into the day, weather, lane choice and of course preparation. The team and I are confident and I know they will put it all out there on Saturday. They have been putting in the extra miles over the winter and we are where we need to be in terms of fitness and ability to race."
 
The matchups are predicted to be hotly contested given that the UVic women edged UBC for the National title in the fall after a banner-deciding Eight victory. The Thunderbird men won the National title and the Eight, while the Vikes took bronze.


 
The men have been dominant all season, claiming the banner at the Canadian University Rowing Championship with a decisive 23-point margin. The blue and gold also showed their aptitude at the Western Canadian University Championship and the historic Head of Charles Regatta earlier this season. Pearce's team will rely on second-year standout Owen Bartel and veterans Axel Ewashko and Julian Black to bring home the cup.
 
"The strategy is pretty straightforward forward really, work hard to get a lead early and then work on extending it," continued Pearce. "Obviously, a lot can happen in a tight race over a narrrow winding course so you don't want to leave things to chance and the coxswains prefer to have a little room to manoeuvre if possible. Keeping your nerve and focus is critical, too often the tables get turned just after the point when someone says 'we've got this!'."

"For sure we have to prepare for anything," commented Pond, when asked about the potential need to navigate obstacles on the course outside of the UVic competition. "Luckily we train where we face a lot of elements – float planes, logs, barges and yes…Canadian Geese. The team trains hard every day to shut out these elements and focus on the boat and pulling for each other. We have a fantastic team of athletes and competitors – I know they will keep their eye on the prize and overcome any adversity they come up against on the day."


 
The UBC women are one-for-one in regattas with the Vikes this season, having won the Western Canadian Championship back in October. The seasoned squad will look to set the record straight when they go for their fifth-ever Brown Cup victory on Saturday. Laura Stankiewicz and Gabriella Worobec are two to watch on the 'Birds roster.
 
Apart from the competitive aspect, the Brown Cup also attracts a significant crowd of spectators who line bridges and the waterway pubs along the Gorge to witness the action.


 
"This has become a really special part of the race and it's a big addition to the excitement the athletes and coaches feel on the day," reflected Pearce on the boisterous fan support along the course. "Rowing can be a tough sport to watch with limited ability to see how races unfold. The Live Stream crew has been doing an outstanding job capturing the action from start to finish over the past few years. Fans follow the races on their phones then get to cheer their crew on live as they hit the bridges. It creates a really fun and unique sport experience."
 
The event in the province's capital will begin with the tale of the tapes at 9:00 a.m., followed by the reserve races. The varsity races will start just after 1:00 p.m. To livestream the 2024 version of this historic Brown Cup, tune in here.