July 15, 2026
Summer is sweet, especially when you get to row in Leelanau! We all know summer is fleeting, so be sure toggle in and take advantage of the warm water, sunshine and great rowing while you can. We also encourage members to linger after their rows to socialize. Take a swim, bring a beverage and a snack to share to soak in all that is summer at NMRC.
NMRC Novice Programs
Summer Novice Program is off to a great start with 13 Rowers! If you are interested in rowing with our new members, to enhance their learning experience, please reach out to Novice Coach Katie or novice board liaison, Lindy. Having experienced rowers joining these sessions creates a comfortable & safe learning environment for our newest members.
Do you know someone who is interested in rowing? They can let us know by emailing: row@northernmichiganrowing.club
Member Reminders:
Coaches are responsible for planning and implementing each row sessions, setting the seat lineups and working with the coxswains to execute the row plan. If you have specific individual needs (such as rowing one specific side) please communicate that to your coach, and/or boat captain.
While rowers often have preferences, our coaches strive to expose members to different boats, seats & oars, to build confidence and improve skills.
Regattas
The Beer City Regatta will be held August 8th in Grand Rapids, MI, on the Grand River hosted by the Grand Rapids Rowing Club. This fun, pretty chill regatta features Masters, novice, and recreational racing, and notably concludes with teams celebrating their medals with local craft beer. Rowing? Beer? What could be more fun?!
NMRC is seeking Sponsorships to help our members attend Regattas. If you know an organization or someone that would be interested in a business sponsorship to help support our growing competitive programming, please have them contact a board member.
Next up on the planning calendar…
Other regattas under consideration for the 2026 season:
Iron Oars, Marquette, MI (UP), 8/22/26
Henley On the Boardman (TACR), Traverse City, 9/12/26
Head of the Hooch, Chattanooga, TN - 11/7/26-11/8/26
Regatta registration deadlines vary.
As a member, if you are interested in joining NMRC at any regatta, please reach out directly to Kathy B. at physicsfox@gmail.com
Coxswain Training
Do you have interest in learning to be a cox? Are you a sculler and periodically need to bow cox your boat? We have a few resources for you:
Good Coxswain Guide from Faster Masters - This is a comprehensive, progressive coxing program that takes you from your first nervous outing to commanding championship races with absolute authority. It is 12 PDFs and 2 additional resources for you to work through on your own. This guide has been donated to our club and can be downloaded by members of NMRC. If you are interested, please reach out to marti@northernmichiganrowing.clubfor the link to download the guide.
Coxswain Training at NMRC - If you are interested in attending an in person training in August (date TBD), send an email to marti@northernmichiganrowingclub. Once we gauge interest in a training, we will set a date and time.
Volunteers at the June 27th Learn-to-Row and Glen Lake Yacht Club
Volunteering is what keeps our club running smoothly
NMRC is a member / volunteer organization and we could not do it without you pitching in! Since our last newsletter on July 1st, members have logged many volunteer hours. Thanks to everyone who has helped out.
Building more shelves and organizing at the Solon oar house
Lawn care at Solon Township boatyard
Sub-Coxing
Filling seats on novice night (we always need seat fillers)
Photos and Video for Social Media
NMRC now has a lawn mower and a weed whacker available in the storage shed and the boathouse thanks to Rich Bahle and David Hampton. We would like to find 3-4 volunteers to be the boat yard lawn care "crew." The frequency of mowing has typically been done on an "as needed" basis. The best times to do this work would be Sunday morning and Tuesday or Thursday evening during the time that many of the boats are out on the water. Please contact gary@northernmichiganrowing.club if you would like to volunteer for this important crew.
If you want to help the club out but don’t know where you best fit, feel free to contact any board member or reach out to row@northernmichiganrowing.club
Upcoming Volunteer Opportunities - Sign up in iCrew
The club earns money for our participation in the following events. Please go to iCrew and sign up today.
Cedar Polka Fest - Friday Evening, 8/28/26
Cedar Polka Fest - Saturday Evening, 8/29/26
Sleeping Bear Marathon - Saturday Morning, 10/3/26
Guest Rowing
NMRC welcomes rowers from other clubs to join us for limited rowing sessions while they are visiting Leelanau. Many other clubs offer reciprocity as well. So next time you are traveling and looking to get on the water and row, reach out and connect with other rowing clubs!
Donations and Needs
Donations:
In kind donations are often needed and greatly appreciated. BIG THANKS to David and Rich for their generosity and dedication to NMRC!
Weed whacker - David Hampton
Wood for more shelves in the oar house - Rich Bahle
Needs:
Boat yard lawn care crew…man and/or woman power needed
Donations are often needed and greatly appreciated.
Thank you!
Meet member Steve Smith
In his own words:
Greetings, fellow members of NMRC. My name is Steve Smith, and I am going to tell you a little about my family and myself. My lovely wife Stacey and my 10-year-old twins, Addison and Robbie have a primary residence in Okemos, just outside of East Lansing. I also have two grown children with children of their own in the same vicinity.
What brought you to the sport of rowing? My story begins in the midst of Covid, back when the world was going to end at any moment. In that weird time as we worked from home and the twins were in kindergarten, we decided to buy an RV and take to the road for several weeks. Those several weeks turned into 5 months of traveling the country.
We met many great people and saw many great places and decided we really liked the RV element of traveling. So, we continued that post-Covid and ultimately ended up at Leelanau Pines Campground.
Like others, we fell in love with the area and Lake Leelanau. During one of our stays last year, after filling up with ice cream, we wandered into Dana Fear’s shop. I am not sure how the topic came up, but she mentioned the word “rowing’, and I then proceeded to pepper her with questions. From that chance encounter I was hooked and started with the novice program last year. One moment leads to another and now we own a cottage on the lake and a single sculling boat.
What you like about rowing …They call soccer “the beautiful sport”. I think rowing is right alongside it. What could be more beautiful than watching an eight-seat boat of elite rowers flying across the water in perfect harmony. Then when you actually dive into the sport yourself and understand what it takes for those rowers to get to that perfect state of mental and physical focus, well what is there not to like about that? I love rowing. I love being on the water.
What rowing has meant to you… For me rowing has meant a new mental and physical challenge. For most of my life I have been an avid cyclist and although I still love cycling, I did not treat it as challenge anymore. As I age, I continue to look for new challenges that I can grasp and hold onto. Rowing has done that for me.
A rowing challenge ~ one you have set for yourself or a challenge you have met … As time progresses, I am sure other challenges will present themselves. For the time being though the goal I am focused on is to get the “training wheels” off my Fluid Design single (it’s really tippy). I have moved them up out of the water substantially and I feel pretty good about that. But recently I tried a short jaunt without them, and that did not go well. The good thing about training wheels though, is they continue to allow me to focus on the stroke without worrying about ending upside down.
Thanks for the opportunity to tell you a little bit about myself and looking forward to seeing you on the water.
NMRC Leadership
Lindy Kellogg, President: lindy@northernmichiganrowing.club
Marti Chamberlain, Vice-President: marti@northernmichiganrowing.club
Cindy Opie, Treasurer: cindy@northernmichiganrowing.club
Cam Lanphier, Member at Large: cam@northernmichiganrowing.club
Gary Chleboun, Member at Large: gary@northernmichiganrowing.club
The NMRC Board of Directors is a 7-member board and 2 spaces are currently vacant. If you are interested in learning more about our club leadership or want to become involved, please reach out to any of the members above.
Supporting our club is always in season!
We are a volunteer, member-run 501c3 organization, and depend on donations to sustain our club. Membership fees go toward overhead costs and staff (coaches and coxswains). All equipment repair and upgrades are supported by the generous donations of our community.
Charitable donations can also be made via RMD (Required Minimum Distribution) contributions if one is retired and/or reached the age where one must take their RMD. Making donations this way may reduce your tax burden. Contact your own financial advisor.
NMRC is now registered to receive donations via Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) from Fidelity Charitable. If you have investments with Fidelity, it is an easy and secure way to make donations.
Business Sponsorships:
Our business sponsorship program is outlined on our website under the Support NMRC tab or this link.
Please reach out to any businesses that you think might be interested in sponsorships!
Corporate Rowing Program:
Great for team building, as a staff benefit, or as a fitness challenge for your company. Details are at this link.