On Feb. 11, Harvard crew began to draw attention for its off-the-water actions when Skey helped direct rowers in the erection of a giant snow phallus in Harvard Yard. Its subsequent condemnation and destruction by feminists sparked national debate and even earned a Saturday Night Live mention. Publicly, Skey stayed out of the controversy and summed it up succinctly by saying, “Smart kids overanalyze things.”
Harvard crew was in the news again after March 8, but this time it took a far more serious tone. Sophomore Malcolm Howard of the first varsity was allegedly assaulted by two Northeastern rowers after a charity event at Weld Boathouse. Howard, who lost consciousness and suffered facial injuries at the time, was back in time for Harvard’s first dual race of the spring—against Northeastern. Rowers on both sides were quick to stress that the attack had nothing to do with Harvard or Northeastern crew.
“It’s the kind of sports talk that happens around other sports that you don’t think is ever going to happen around crew, but that’s the way it goes,” Blomquist said.
Once the season began, the heavyweights started being recognized for what they did best—winning. The first varsity beat Northeastern by 11 seconds, its largest margin of victory over the Huskies since 1968. It was followed up by a 16-second victory over Brown, a 13-second triumph over Princeton, and a five-second win over Navy. Harvard’s dominance was only beginning.
Throughout the spring, the Crimson kept trying to push its margins, thinking that someday it would be raced all the way to the end of the 2000-meter course. But that never happened, not at Eastern Sprints or IRAs.
Going into the final race of IRAs, the first varsity rowers thought certainly four-time defending champion California, up-and-coming Washington or old nemesis Wisconsin would give them a race down the final 20 strokes. But just like every other race this season, no one could keep up with Harvard by the halfway point.
Given the competition the Harvard first varsity boat faced and the consistent margins of victory it won by, the case could be made for it being among the greatest crews in Harvard history. But the rowers themselves are not going to say that. While invincibility may be one trait of the first varsity, humility is another.
“Every crew is special and if [others say] this is one of the best crews in history, okay, so be it,” Blomquist said. “But I just think the way it goes, we’re just another crew, one that happens to be pretty darn fast.”
—Staff writer David R. De Remer can be reached at deremer@post.harvard.edu.