The thought struck me in the weeks leading up to this year’s Summer Eights that for all the alliteration in the title this year, it being 2011 – Eights Eleven – it was likely to be a physically gruelling experience. It’s one of the many paradoxes that I’ve come to recognize are inherent in bumps racing, and in this particular Trinity Term staple. Of course, they’re what set Eights apart from Torpids, and from typical head races. But it can be difficult to determine whether they make for a more exciting or terrifying experience.
Violence is implicit in the term Torpids itself. It connotes a torpedo, an explosive device. Torpedoing literally references the wrecking of another ship. So in Torpids, when boats mercilessly crash into one another, scraping the rudders, scratching the paint, and on occasion even swinging an oar against a member of another boat’s crew, it all seems rather natural. Even the weather fits in with the scene, grey clouds hovering ominously overhead, and rain or ice or sleet marring the already choppy waters of the Isis.
But Eights takes place in the summer, with sunny skies generally gracing the day. Warm temperatures and calm waves seem to fool participants, luring them into a false sense of security. And then the rowing begins. In a split second, crews are transported to an adrenaline-charged atmosphere of competition and ambition, resulting in eventual euphoria or disillusionment.
The juxtaposition of the loveliness of a summer day down by the river, colleges filling their boathouses with cheering supporters, drinking Pimms and barbecuing, gathered to support their crews, with the reality of what happens once athletes are in their boats, is sharp. As a coxswain, it’s magnified beyond even what the rowers must feel; to be in a position where you’re required to check on what every other crew is doing only heightens the tension.
And yet, when it comes time to make the aforementioned choice, it seems safe to say that Eights breeds more excitement than fright. There’s always a little of the latter, especially when uncontrollable incidents happen – for example, an oar slamming into your neck from another boat is never enjoyable. But on the whole, being transported to another world while racing down the river works both ways. Whether you bump, or you are bumped, or just row over down the length of the course, there will be a moment to soak up the sun and appreciate the memories being made.
