Bringing together all of Row New York’s community, this year’s Jingle Mingle included themed sprints, an ugly sweater contest, a bake-off, a clothing drive, and the highly anticipated ergathon. With 30 teams, and over 300 participants competing to row the most meters in an hour and a half, the day was packed full of energy and excitement. Team Arctic Chill brought in the win, rowing an impressive 24,085 meters throughout the relay! Charlotte, from the Manhattan middle school team, won over the bake-off judges with her delicious chocolate torte! Last by not least, judged by the loudest applause, Gabby (accompanied by the cute puppy Skylar), won the ugly sweater contest. Explore our Flickr album to experience all the cheer and fun from this year’s Jingle Mingle.
Curious to know what it was like to compete in the ergathon? Or, how rowers felt surrounded by eager competitors and friends? Read on to hear firsthand accounts about the day from two of our varsity members!
by Azra, Manhattan Varsity Team
My team, Candy Canes, was coming in first place for the first third of the ergathon. We were back to back with Arctic Chill for the second third, and fighting our way through the last third – just to make sure we weren’t going down without breaking a sweat. Well, there was definitely sweat.
Being close to the front of the room, it was just amazing to look down the alignment of ergs and think, “wow, now that’s what I call rowing.” Everyone hovers over their teammate, supporting them every inch of the way, while they give it their all. Not once was there the slightest glance of disappointment. I like to tell myself, and my teammates, that even when you lose, you win.
I mean, that’s what makes the Jingle Mingle so much fun. You get to know people outside of your team, laughing and showing them your life outside of Row New York. The Jingle Mingle is the time of year where Row New York can raise money for a good cause while having fun, meeting new people, and rowing of course!
by Gislaine, Queens Varsity Team
The Jingle Mingle is an annual ergathon that takes place at a unforeseen venue every year. An event that obviously takes time to prepare for, but never fails to exceed expectations. 2015 was no exception. Walking into an area filled with excitement gives a rush through the body. The smile that appears from cheek to cheek is undeniably uncontrollable. Seeing all the “death machines”, aka ergs, lined up, and walking up to receive the wristband that will separate you from everyone else but your own team – the adrenaline starts to pump.
The 500 meter dash is one of the first events. Even though you’ll have a lot more screaming to do, that doesn’t stop you from cheering on your favorite contestant. From alumni to coaches, and even coxswains, the screen shows “go,” and the crowd goes insane. Screaming comes from middle school students, who might be experiencing this emotion for the very first time, to all the excited staff. It translates into the non stop yelling of novice and varsity members, of both the Manhattan and Queens boathouse.
Very soon after, it’s the adaptive rowers’ turn to shine, and shine they did. Two very strong and powerful ladies took the challenge. Together, they finished fast. The huge smiles of accomplishment they gave were priceless. All along, the Row New York family cheered them on, through the finish line.
The main event was next. An hour and a half of sprint work between teams of 6 – 10 people. Middle schoolers, varsity members, novices, and some athletes who were up for the challenge, made up these teams. Now here’s the fun part: the team, whose members likely barely knew each other, had to work together to be as productive as possible. Strategies were created, as everyone mingled and got to know their team. These strategies ranged from long, hard 5 – 10 minute pieces, to sprint work of 1 – 2 minutes. All in all, the party was just getting started.
You could feel the electricity of excitement sizzle through the whole venue. People were strapped in, and handles were grabbed. Ready. Start. STOP! One of the competitors had gotten too excited. That was all right though, nothing a simple restart couldn’t fix, and we were back on. After the go, all that was heard were the fans turning, as teams worked together to switch on and off. The cheering and energy that filled the room lasted all the way through to the last seconds of the piece. Even then it seemed like there was a power surge through every individual, since the cheering got louder and the numbers on all the screens seemed to get lower.
The 2015 Jingle Mingle was a success. Fundraising done right, that’s how I would describe it. Fun, exhilarating, and power-filled. Jingle Mingle, you proved to be painful another year in a row. There is no doubt it’ll be the same way next year, but now the expectations are high, and we’ll have to wait to see what the next year’s Jingle Mingle will bring.
We’re so proud of every team and the amazing effort they put in. A big thank you to all of those who helped support and make this year’s Jingle Mingle a success!
