How Morrell almost lost the race!

Iron Mike Sluzenski bow, Rick Reddog Dove stern. Strong catch of stroke.

Brigantine bay, New Jersey 1979.

We did our last set of starts, making sure we hit our first 10 strokes as fast as possible. Practice had went well and my bowman Mike "Slu" Sluzenski pulled the truck near the race boat as I took the oars and set them in the truck bed. One of the local girls walked by and Lieutenant Mike "Thor" Morrell pulled up on the patrol quad. We chatted a minute but wanted to get the footbraces and seats out of the boat and left Morrell and Sherry to talk. I hear a loud cackle from Morrell as he and Sherry take off down the beach in the truck. I yell, "get back here with our oars!" and Morrell just cackles harder.  About twenty minutes went by and we had walked up to Beach Patrol Headquarters and Morrell pulls up laughing his patented cackle. "Real funny Thor!" I annoyingly shout. I walk around to the back of the truck and Slu's bow oars are there, but only one of my stern oars. "Yo Thor, where's my other stern oar?" "I don't know, what its not in there?"
At first I thought he was playing a joke on me but when he told me how fast he drove to the the deserted north end bouncing over uneven beach, I knew he wasn't kidding.
 The next day, the day of the biggest race on the lifeguard circuit was the 1979 South Jerseys. Atlantic City who had earned the chance to host by winning the title last summer was hosting 13 cities from Brigantine to Cape May Point.
Since the oar was lost, I had to search 12 other guard stations for an oar. I commandeered several and after testing them, found only one that was not worn out. 
During warmups I didn't like the way the oar felt as I applied pressure through each stroke. "Hey man!" I told myself, "no excuses, it will fine!"  The oar would wiggle in the water ever so slightly making gripping it an effort in concentration.
 I said nothing to my rowing partner and fellow teacher at Atlantic City High School.  Slu, Mike the bowman keeps course was wrapped applying a triangulation formula so that he had points on land to guide us out to our flag thus covering the shortest distance.
Starting signal flag is raised up, we see it drop and we get a great start, and setle rowing about 30-32 strokes per minute. We are first to the flags half a mile out, dead on course.
We had trained hard with the idea that we wanted to win big so no one could sneak by us by catching a sea from further out.  A boat further out get the waves first. Sure enough with what seemed like a comfortable 6-8 boat length lead, here come's big 6'6'' bow man Sam Downs and his sternman flying down the biggest wave of the day, almost straight at us.

  They approach within a boat length of us, and I lose all feeling in my left forearm and the oar starts sliding out of the boat. Slu who never yells, shouted! "grab that oar this race isn't over yet!" I had one chance, reached out grabbed the handle by the very tip and I made it count! I managed to pull with Slu for several more strokes. Lucklily Downs fell off his wave in the gulley and we caught the same one and shot an arrow straight into the beach winning Brigantines' first doubles victory in the history of the South Jerseys dating back to 1926. 

Singles man Mark Spencer sealed the team title by winning his race, likewise arrowing straight into the beach.   South Jersey Champs: In boat left to right Spencer, Dove Sluzenski.