Checking in for one final OSU pull
will end his four-year rowing career at Oregon State University with his longest road trip ever.
The Beaver senior and 13 of his teammates left today for the Czech Republic where they will compete in the Czech National Championships in the southern Bohemian town Trebon June 30-July 2.
“This will be an opportunity for us to experience rowing in a different culture, a different place,” said Besson, a Roseburg High School graduate. “It’s definitely going to be exciting. It is a great opportunity for the team to experience something together, a great opportunity for the guys returning to continue their training and improvement.”
The OSU rowers, who will be borrowing Czech boats, will train in Prague for seven days and then will travel to Trebon-area lake for the regatta that will feature rowers age 23 and under. The Czech teams will be racing to quality for the World U-23 Rowing Championships.
Oregon State will enter an eight-man boat and a four-man boat. The Beavers will be the only U.S. athletes in the competition.
Besson, 22, has raced in an eight-man boat all of his OSU career, but on this trip he and three senior teammates will row in the four-man boat. Besson thinks the boats will compete in one or two races a day with all of the events being 2,000 meters (approximately 1 1/4 mile).
“I’ve rowed in four-man boats periodically for practice, but never to race,” said Besson, an electrical engineering major at Oregon State. “It’ll be interesting. I expect us to have competitive races.”
Besson explained that this trip has been in the making for the past year. Money to cover trip expenses has been raised through alumni, family and friends.
Besson said the Czech races will be the end of his collegiate rowing career.
Following the competition, Besson and seven other Beavers will extend their trip for two weeks in order to visit other sites in the Czech Republic as well as in Hungry, Croatia and Slovenia.
“It’s really been a great experience for me here (OSU),” he said of his college crew experience. “I can’t think of a better way to end my college career. It’s going to be sad moving on because there are a lot of things I’m going to miss about it.”
Besson added that he hopes to continue to row in the future, depending on whether there is a club near where he lands a job after college.
