ANZAC Centenary with Canberra Surfboat Crew

A surfboat crew of four Canberra women attended the 100th ANZAC Day Commemoration by making an impromptu landing in the ANZAC Cove to pay their tributes. The crews began a marathon at Eceabat, and were among 26 other surfboats from New Zealand, Australia and Turkey to attend the ceremony.

Crew member Vikki Fischer expresses her experience rowing the waters of the Dardanelles in order to commemorate such a significant and emotional time in history.

Claudia: What did it feel like to be a part of the 100th ANZAC memorial over in Turkey?

Vikki: It was incredible. We knew we were going to be apart of an amazing experience. I did a lot of reading and research on Gallipoli so I learnt more about the war than what I did in school, especially the Turkish side where 85 000 of their young soldiers lost their lives as well. Such a revolting waste of life. I really didn’t comprehend that before I went over.

Despite all that happened in history, I was amazed by how the Turkish were so welcoming and friendly. We knew before we left Australia that it was going to be something big and it turned out to be even more emotionally charged than what I expected.

Claudia: Can you explain how surfboat rowing is symbolic to ANZAC and the war?

Vikki: Absolutely, if you go to the war memorial you can have a look at the Ascot, which was one of the boats that was used to row the men ashore off of the big ships. These poor men were sitting for a number of days off the beaches of ANZAC Cove. They couldn’t see where they were going to land and no one knew exactly where they were going to land. The boats were bigger than a surfboat but still quite small and it took one rower to row them in.  So there is a story about the Ascot, the man who put his hand up to row the soldiers ashore.

Claudia: What was it like emotionally touring the surroundings of the battlefields by boat?

Vikki: Incredible, looking at the landscapes. There were no tears in the boat, but silence. I remember when we were rowing, looking at the coastline. I was thinking, why didn’t they land there? But the Turks had lined it with barbed wire and it was so barren with a lot of reasons why they didn’t. So ANZAC Cove when we arrived there, looking at that cliff, it was super steep with lots of thorny bushes. While we were rowing you could see people walking the battlefields and you could just imagine a couple of soldiers up there, so easily camouflaged that they could have just shot you from anywhere. It was incredible just to be there and empathise all of that.

Claudia: What was the Surfboat event like for you?

Vikki: Being a part of 26 boats was like a big family with incredible mateship and bonding. They kept reminding us that it wasn’t a race, but you know when that gun goes off… it’s a race. There was a competitive spirit. I was a little cranky before we left to come over because I believed we didn’t put in enough effort of training and thought we were not very prepared. But it turned out that we were pretty damn hot and we did very well. Not only did we race and row really well, a couple of men’s boats passed us, but afterwards we were in front when we hit the dance floor and the bars.

Claudia: Were you rowing to achieve a place or a prize?

Vikki: I certainly wanted us to row competitively, I didn’t want us to go out there and look silly. But really we were rowing to be a part of a commemoration and ceremony. All of the girls in my crew from Broulee and Canberra each had relatives who had lost their lives in the war.

Claudia: What was your most memorable part?

Vikki: We had an impromptu landing at ANZAC Cove, which was the most emotional moment for me out of the whole event. The awards were cool, the dawn service was amazing with the sun rising and the views, but when we pulled into ANZAC Cove and performed the ANZAC salute with 26 boats lined up with all the oars vertical in the air. Crews that weren’t rowing were on the beach and a couple of boys from barkers college knew the ode, and others joined in and then the Bagpipes started…

I find that they bring tears at the best of times. At that moment I kind of wished that I had my sunnies, you know. I had a sneaky peak around and saw all these blokes around me with tears streaming down their faces so I thought, ‘Ah well, let it all out’. The boys also sang an incredible version of Waltzing Matilda.

Claudia: What does surfboat rowing involve as a sport?

Vikki: Surfboat rowing from Canberra is a different experience because we do a lot of technique rowing on Lake Burleigh Griffin. It’s cold and there are no waves. It can get a little bit dull. The training we do in Canberra is certainly only half of what you need, only part of what you need. Surfboat rowing by the title you can imagine requires surf. We have to do that on weekends, down at Broulee, which is a great club, very friendly and family orientated.

As a kid I grew up without playing a sport, it wasn’t until uni that I was introduced to a Rugby club. I found it the same sort of vibe. For me surfboat rowing is such a team sport, a little bit like rugby but even more dependent on every member, all four of you have to be there to train, all four of you have to put in the same effort otherwise the boat goes around in circles and it wouldn’t work! Surfboat rowing requires a full body effort. For people who say ‘I have little arms, I can’t be a rower’ I say ‘Mate, arms are the last part of the exercise!’ It is a whole body exercise.