The Canadian Secondary School Rowing Association championships continue to rebound.

This year’s 77th annual Schoolboy which started Friday on Henley Island has seen an increase in numbers as the regatta bounces back from a two-absence due to the COVID pandemic.

There are about 720 entries, 1,590 athletes (120 more females than males) and 137 schools.

“We are up almost 100 entries from last year and we are probably at 100 less entries than pre-pandemic,” regatta chair Ken Campbell said. “We always said that it was going be a two-or three-year rebuild.”

The pandemic cost high school rowing two years of athletes.

“The first year of the pandemic, the kids who were in Grade 9 didn’t get to row. Then they got to Grade 10 and they couldn’t row and the Grade 9s couldn’t row. They lost two years of training and people weren’t getting involved,” he said. “That is a lot of athletes and it is across the board with everybody.”

Campbell is hoping the resurgence will continue.

“I don’t know if it will ever totally rebound but it is getting closer. It is building up. We are up probably up a dozen schools but mind you, a lot of schools that are coming are just bringing one or two athletes. But there are programs in the schools and they are starting to build.”

The number of American schools competing is about the same compared to past years because of a few late cancellations. Canadian schools are coming from across Canada and there is even a school from the Bahamas with six athletes competing this week.

“I know talking to some of the American schools earlier in the year that school boards are still not letting them cross the border.”

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