The Pemgibeers: Starting Strokes

May Bumps are on the horizon and the tension is mounting as boat clubs from all colleges can be found on the Cam, working hard to ensure that they bring glory to their club. At 3:45pm on a Wednesday, Kit went to join one such crew chasing dreams of blades and victory.

The Pemgibeers have been entering into the Bumps since 2014 when they achieved two bumps. They bettered that in 2015 with three bumps and sights are now raised with the hope of taking home blades.

To attain this lofty goal, the crew must first overcome some difficulties, notably the varying weights, experience, and athletic skill of the members. Although the team can boast four members who have been part of the Pembroke Boat Club at various times, they have one novice rower and one novice cox to contend with.

As they sat by the river waiting for the cox they had subbed in for the practice the crew were relaxed, discussing the haka they had performed the previous year and whether practise would be necessary to tighten up the routine for this year’s team. With only half the boat have competed for the Pemgibeers previously, the new recruits can be found learning about the proud history that has developed within the club.

Though their practice was delayed, once they hit the water, they were off, choosing to focus their early practices on getting the crew to work as a cohesive team. They navigated the river with a few missteps but by the end were feeling pretty confident about their chances once they all get a feel for working together.

I agreed to catch up with them again before the Bumps to see how they are getting on.

If you want to find out more about the Pemgibeers in the meantime, you can follow them on Facebook or check out their website.