From frost to spring: The (dry-land) training for the Regatta has begun
In keeping with tradition, the participating associations for this year's Regatta gathered at the lakes in the University Park on Sunday, 1 March. However, the associations will have to wait a bit before jumping into the boat – the northern lake isn’t quite filled up enough yet, and there was still ice on the southern lake.
It's a clear sign of spring when training for this year's Regatta begins on 1 March, as per tradition. However, not everything remains as usual. The northern lake, typically used for the Regatta, has been cleaned and the stonework has been renovated. Due to frosty weather in January and February, the renovation was delayed. AU and the organisers had to prepare a plan B. Consequently, both lakes in University Park were used during the first training session of the year on Sunday, 1 March.
AU Resorts to Plan B to Ensure Traditional Spring Training for the Regatta
Organisers await green light
Omnibus meets the two organisers, Emil Ebbensgaard Kjær and Daniel Vestergaard, together with the rest of the medical students’ social committee, Umbilicus, down by the northern lake on the first day of spring. Here they are practising their so-called spin side by the lake.
Because the lake has to be filled naturally, it's still nok ready for the social committees to sail on it.
"We practise spin side by the big lake, and then we jump into the boat in the small lake," Emil Ebbensgaard Kjær says.
At the small lake by the Lake Auditoriums, a temporary plank reinforcement has been established, which resembles the permanent constellation at the northern lake. Here, the social committees can train in the water.
However, the two organisers are hopeful despite their training in the northern lake being delayed.
"We're just waiting for the lake to fill up naturally and for Aarhus University to give us the green light to jump into the big lake," Daniel Vestergaard says.
"It won't be that much of a delay," he says.
The delay affects all
At the lake shore, the Friday bar for chemistry, Alkymia, has also set up camp chairs.
"It's a shame that the lake isn't ready yet, but that applies to all of us," says Mads Madsen, who is a member of the Alkymia board.
Although the sun has begun to peek through, it doesn't seem like the delay bothers Mads Madsen much.
"It's also bloody cold to jump into the water," he says.
Whether this year's student social committees will have particularly good spin sides won’t be clear until 26 April, when the Regatta takes place.
This text is machine translated and post-edited by Lisa Enevoldsen.