SRA Stories: Patrick Eames

At Sammamish Rowing Association, we often say that rowing is a lifelong sport. As long as you are big enough to help carry a boat, rowing is a sport you can enjoy from middle school well into your senior years. While many of our adult (masters) rowers have begun rowing as adults through our Learn to Row programs, Patrick Eames is one of our masters who found his passion for rowing early on. 

---

In Kirkland, Washington, Patrick’s parents signed him up for a summer camp on Lake Washington when he was around 16 years old. The camp was meant to be both a rowing and sailing camp, but the sailboats were out of commission so Patrick found himself thrown in a single. “It was very large with a red deck and I remember thinking it was impossibly unstable,” Patrick said. “I never looked back from there and have been rowing since.”

His novice year was spent largely in that single where he recalls flipping many times. “Sometimes, it is a wonder coaches ever kept after me,” he joked. He remembers his first racing experience as a novice was at Junior Regionals where despite not recalling how they finished, he knows it was that moment that had him hooked on racing. 

Throughout high school, Patrick rowed and attended the typical local regattas— Brentwood, Greenlake and Regionals. He attended the University of Washington, but sculled out of his old boathouse instead of joining the team. This allowed him to be a highly proficient sculler. Following college, Patrick worked on the eastside and it made sense for him to join Sammamish Rowing Association (SRA). He started out as an independent rower, but gravitated towards the team structure joining what was known at the time as Rowing 2 on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. He credits the camaraderie as one of the main reasons he has continued to row alongside the opportunity to compete in regattas.

Patrick helps Coach Liza and Coach Ethan rig a boat at Masters Regionals

“While I have spent a lot of time in a single, rowing at its core (to me) is a team sport. I enjoy the team aspect of rowing— working with teammates toward the common goal,” Patrick commented. Racing with his teammates has created some of his best memories at the club. From winning the 2- with Marc McGinnis, the 2x with Jess Pare at regionals, the San Diego Crew Classic in the Men’s 8+, and placing 5th in the Men’s 8+ at the Head of the Charles Regatta— the memories and lessons learned are endless.

“If I had to pick one memory it would be medaling at the Head of the Charles Regatta in the Men’s 40+ 4+,” he added. The team had been racing in the Men’s Club 4+ for a few years and despite not winning, they kept qualifying to come back. Eventually they aged up into the Men’s 40+ 4+ category and drew bow number 24 of 24— starting in the back of the pack. “Once racing, our coxswain, Jess Pare, was able to steer a superb course. Every boat moved out of our way. One boat yielded, allowing us to pass, and then moved right back into our waking for the ideal line. We later found out we had taken 3rd place. We were ecstatic with this result having never medaled at the Head of the Charles Regatta.”

With years of experience racing in highly competitive local and national regattas, you would think Patrick would be completely comfortable and relaxed at every competition. That is not the case! “It is alright to be nervous before a race,” Patrick said when asked about his best advice for novice rowers. “I have been racing for more than 25 years. I am still sick to my stomach with nerves before a race. It is completely normal. Once you are racing, nervousness goes away.” He also added that novices should “enjoy the process”— that process being working towards getting better and faster with your teammates.

---

Patrick, bow seat, at a past Opening Day Regatta

Competition and the camaraderie of being on a team are the best parts of rowing in Patrick’s mind, but he added that the sport itself is a great option for those looking to exercise with less risk of injury. You can row as intensely or recreationally as desired. In fact, SRA’s masters teams offer those varying rowing experiences. Many of our adult rowers race, but others are just as happy to enjoy time with friends, get in some exercise in a beautiful natural setting, and cheer on their teammates who do choose to compete.

In his 25+ years of rowing, Patrick said that one thing SRA has done that has stood out to him the most has been the improvement of equipment. From boats to launches, SRA has made a huge effort to provide the best equipment possible for its rowers. Looking back on his earlier days at SRA, Patrick said, “I recall being at a race and running across a broken seat. It had almost literally split in half. We didn’t have a spare seat available and in an effort to get the boat racing a coach and I found a spare skeg and taped it to the seat to provide enough rigidity to allow it to be raced. Our rowing equipment has dramatically transformed since this time.”

Before SRA hired Coach Matt Lundberg, who manages our launches and other equipment, Patrick had assumed the responsibility of repairing the launch fleet. Once Matt was hired, that responsibility was transferred to him, but Patrick continues to help when the launches need work. Rowing clubs are hard on launches, and at SRA, most launches are used at least twice a day between masters and junior practices. There was one summer where Patrick recalled he and Matt would fix one launch only for another to go out of service the next day. 

“Launches require constant maintenance from changing steering cables that snap, to replacing batteries, to putting on new propellers because one just fell off, or replacing a whole flywheel.  These are just a few of the things that happen behind the scenes.” One might think Patrick is a mechanical engineer, but he has been a software engineer for The Boeing Company for over 25 years. He supports Boeing Commercial Aircraft building software to design, build, and support airplanes. 

---

Patrick shakes hand with one of his 5am rowing teammates

When he isn’t rowing, racing, or fixing launches, Patrick enjoys road biking. He will ride in any conditions, and while he does not do cycling races, he does enjoy cycling events. He has done the Seattle to Portland ride multiple times (a 200+ mile journey!) and enjoys riding with one of his daughters who shares his biking interest. In fact, Eames has twice ridden his bike back home from Northwest Masters Regionals in Eugene, Oregon! 

Patrick has three children with his wife, Ellen. Michelle (19), Nicole (17), and Erik (15) do not row, but they keep themselves plenty busy with a plethora of other activities and interests. Ellen rowed for a short time awhile ago, but Patrick remains the primary rower of the family. We are immensely grateful to have him as part of our community and for all the many hours he has volunteered to help fix our launches or other items needing an extra hand. He is an outstanding teammate and our SRA family always looks forward to seeing him— either at our 5:00am practices, regattas, or various community events.

“SRA is a fantastic rowing program,” Patrick reflected. “Our size, our sharing of equipment across teams, our desire to include people but also go out and race. SRA is a wonderful place to row.” We look forward to many more wonderful years of rowing with Patrick Eames!

---