Husky Crew Honors Retired Police Chief

Patrick Fitzsimons' introduction to Washington crew was about 15 years ago, when the then-new Seattle police chief heard a predawn commotion outside his Lake Washington home.

Fitzsimons thought a crime was being committed and rushed outside to the street. Then he identified the noise as coming from the water.

That's where he saw a coach hollering at rowers in a half dozen shells. Curiosity awakened, Fitzsimons went out on the water, where he promptly was put in the coxswain seat of a shell by former Husky coach Dick Erickson. Fitzsimon said yesterday that from that moment on, "I was hooked."

His allegiance to Husky crew was honored yesterday when the UW dedicated a new $20,000 German Empacher racing shell in his name.

Fitzsimons was so overcome with emotion while addressing the crowd of about 60 at the crewhouse ceremony that he momentarily lost his composure.

"Irishmen are entitled to be emotional," said Fitzsimons when he resumed.

Donations for the shell were made by law-enforcement officials, some 101 club members and various Husky rowing boosters.

The retired police chief, who will teach police-science classes at the UW, christened the shell with his wife, Olga, in traditional Husky fashion - with water collected from the Montlake Cut finish line.

Notes

-- Most shells purchased in recent years by the UW have been locally made Pocock shells. Coach Bob Ernst said the decision to buy the carbon-fiber German boat was made because "we wanted to try the newest model available in the world."

-- Ernst said he is limiting the use of "hatchet" oars (the blade is shaped like a hatchet) by UW rowers to only a few times a week to prevent back injuries. He said 60 to 70 percent of rowers in the top three men's boats last year had to be treated for back problems.

Back injuries were cited as a reason for last June's disappointing fifth-place finish at the national collegiate regatta.

-- Ernst said oarsman Kestas Sereiva, a Lithuanian who rowed on the varsity in 1991 but was sidelined early last season, won't row again for the Huskies because of the injury. Ernst said Sereiva's injury can't be linked directly to hatchet blades.

-- John Parker, former U.S. Olympic-team stroke, is the new UW freshman coach. Parker, who rowed at Princeton, replaces Jiri Zapletal, who retired to devote more time to travel and other interests.