Orcas rowing started their crack-of-dawn practices earlier in the year on Cascade Lake. Meeting before school and on Saturdays, this group of dedicated athletes has practice three to five days a week, including fitness, erging and on-the-water technique and racing.

Led by coaches Tina Brown and Martin Taylor, the team’s first regatta is the home-grown Dual Duel March 19 with the team looking at entering the Husky Open at the University of Washington on April 2.

The team includes 13 members rowing in multiple configurations including single, double and four-person shells. After regattas throughout the season, the culmination is the US Rowing Northwest Youth Junior Championships held at Vancouver Lake in late May.

Hannah Tuson-Turner begins her first year coaching the Orcas Sailing team in conjunction with sailing founder Burke Thomas. As a young Viking student, Tuson-Turner was on the first Orcas sailing team in 2001 and continued her sailing experience after high school coaching four years in the Bay Area. There are almost 20 sailors; one is a senior and about half the team consists of freshman.

“Practices are three days a week and include drills and races geared to improve boat speed with regattas usually 1-2 days,” said Tuson-Turner.