2025 KISS - Kitsap Invitational Summer Scrimmage

On the morning of August 3, 2025, the club's new trailer rolled out of Port Townsend just as it was getting light, with Ted Shoulberg at the helm and Kim Matthews at shotgun, marking the trailer's first trip to an out-of-town regatta. It felt like you could hear Willie Nelson's "On the Road Again" blasting out of the windows of Ted's pickup.

A total of 18 club members ventured down to Poulsbo for the annual Kitsap Invitational Summer Scrimmage (KISS). This year it was an oval-shaped 4000m race on Liberty Bay, with one 180 degree turn. The KISS regatta is held each year to honor Bill Richards, founder of multiple rowing clubs including Kitsap Rowing Association. It was the first KISS race for many club members who went, including three fresh out of Learn-to-Row class. After much discussion, some help from Ron Moller, and a life-size game of “Trailer Tetris” (or jenga), five boats were nested on the trailer, with only a couple having to be de-rigged. We had four boats for Rat Rowers, and one loaner for rowers from Port Angeles.

It was a consummate gray Northwest morning, dramatic clouds but only light winds and near-perfect weather, in contrast to the windy 2024 edition.  There were two heats: quads and eights (plus one quad).  Bainbridge Rowing delivered many of the eights and quads used for the race. Traditionally this is a “Ham-and-Egger,” meaning an event where rowers are randomly assigned to crews. The tradition of the Ham and Egg race was started by Stan Pocock in the 1940s to break up the monotony of winter training.  

Three Rats participated in the Ham and Egg style race: Amiee Moyers (scull and sweep), Ann Weinmann (scull), and Mari Friend (sweep).  Ann found herself a seat at the last minute with three Amazonian women from Bainbridge who welcomed her into their boat and kicked butt.

The rest of the Rats planned to race in the sculling heat in our quads. The top times in the quad class were close, with the quad Rex Clothier (Bainbridge?) winning the class with a 20:19. Glen Eppick coxing Ted Shoulberg and new members Dylan and Andrew Rauch came in second in its class with 20:51, taking the club’s top spot over the second RIRSC quad by just 15 seconds. That boat, coxed by Bill Mahoney with Peggy Myre, Paul Carter and Kathy Woods-Smith, came in third in its class with 21:06. Next in line among our club boats was cox Sally Giesler flying the wooden boat flag with Kim Matthews, Janet Palmer and Karen Richards. They had a 21:49 to get 5th place in the class. Following them were Mari Friend's quad with Meredith Milholland, Kari Griffin-Harte and another new member, Angela Dunham. That boat overcame rudder trouble to still clock in at 24:11.

After the quad heat, the eights were mustering and several of the scullers had to jump out of the quad and into the eight, including Aimee and Mari. There were not enough rowers to fill the eights, however, so after some strong-armed recruitment by the eight teams, Kathy and Peggy both jumped into an eight.  So, out of five eights in the heat, four had one Rat in each. (Sweep?  What’s that?  Well, Kathy had done it once before…). The top race time overall was an eight with 18:56 followed closely by a single at 19:11.

The event wrapped up with a bountiful potluck on the scenic pier at Oyster Plant Park with an inspirational talk about Bill Richards by his wife. Awards were announced, and then the Rat crew headed back to Port Townsend.

Our heartfelt thanks to the tireless event organizer Mac Noyes and co-sponsors KRA, Bainbridge Island Rowing and Clam Island Rowing. And of course thanks to our own crews behind purchasing the trailer (Ron and Dave Winters); rehabbing it (Ken Shelton); pulling it to Poulsbo and back (Ted and Kim); organizing the crews (Peggy); keeping everything organized (Sally) and all the rowers' dedication to getting the travel job requirements done. They looked like race car pit crews while in action, swiftly carrying boats, gear, rigging, derigging and making it all happen.

Back in Ted's pickup, as he returned the trailer to PT Mini, we could hear Willie saying it all: "Just can't wait to get on the road again. The life I love is makin' music with my friends. And I can't wait to get on the road again."

Slideshow of photos