By Marty Zier

Special to the Islands’ Weekly

Jake Zier, a junior at  Orcas High School, was crowned the fittest person on the island at the Orcas Island Rowing Association’s annual Island Madness Indoor Rowing Fest on March 12. Zier had the fastest time of 6:19.1 and set a new OIRA club record for the 2,000 meter erg.

Lined in orderly rows at Oddfellows, the silent mechanical sentinels, known as ergs, stood as an obstacle between a rower’s target time and the limit of their bodies physical ability. The fest was open to the public, searching for those that dared challenge the erg.

OIRA crew members raced 2,000 meters while guest rowers were able to opt to compete against OIRA members in a graciously diluted 500 meter race. Brave novice rowers faced the erg for the first time with impressive results while most varsity rowers set their personal best. Even parents jumped in for a 500 meter sprint, learning what amazing shape the rowers were in. Ran by coaches Tina Brown, Dave Rosebury, Mike Reid and Martin Taylor, the IMIRF introduced new people to OIRA and provided rowers an annual benchmark for their progress on the erg.

For more info or to follow the OIRA blog, visit www.orcasislandrowing.org.