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Crew: Jonathan Apirion
Hometown: Tucson, AZ
Vessel: C1X Coastal Scull, Edon
Class: The Muscle Group
Get to know Team Marigold
First thing first. Why race in WA360?
Not sure. This kind of thing is out of character. Maybe I will figure out what is going on with me once I get there. I have wanted to boat the area for years, but I have been putting it off for one reason or another. At a minimum, signing up for this event means I am less likely to make the same excuses for not doing the huge drive to get there.
What’s your connection to these waters?
None. I used to work out of Bellingham, but that work was in the mountains and I never did anything on the water. I want to see if I can time the tidal flows correctly.
Superpowers. Each crew member gets one. What are they and why?
I am just the shadow of a wave moving across the water. No power, certainly no super-powers. You need not fear me. I get tired of people saying I am weird.
Defend your vessel choice for WA360. What makes it so cool and worthy?
It is pretty fast for a boat capable (barely) of carrying some bivi gear and supplies. I actually have a lot to share about this particular boat if anyone has specific questions or is looking to buy a coastal rower. This is a new boat for the manufacturer. The hull shape is awesome. It has a bulbous bow like a big ship. The build quality on their other boat – a training scull, which they have been making for years, is great.
What are your adventure qualifications for WA360? What makes you (y’all) cool and capable?
My enthusiasm for trying new things crystallized on my first day ever in a sail boat. I took a laser down the Severn towards Chesapeake Bay. There was a good wind blowing up the river and I had a great time tacking into it, hiked out and going fast just like I had imagined, but when I headed back down wind the boat did a shoulder roll and I was in the water. I got going again a little confused about what had happened. I tried going downwind at an angle, which meant a jibe as I neared the shore, The boom hit me in the back of my head hard enough to knock me out for a few seconds. The water was cold and I woke up. I figured out how to turn safely by doing tacking turns up into the wind which galvanized my faith in my ability to work things out for myself.
What is going to break?
My butt. My posture starts to sag a little after three hours and my right ischeal tuberosity starts to roll over a big nerve and then all hell breaks out in my leg. My day-dreaming ego thinks the solution is to go faster the whole way in order to minimize sitting time. I look forward to seeing if any of my more realistic strategies work over several days of rowing. For me, the whole race is basically about my butt.