Austin Rowing Club

45 YEARS OF ARC | IT STARTED WITH ONE BOAT ❤️💙

This year, Austin Rowing Club is celebrating 45 years, and over the coming weeks we’re going to dig into the stories, people, boats, races, and moments that made ARC what it is today.

And where better to start than the very beginning?

ARC started with a single wooden eight and a simple mission: teach any and all how to row.

There was just one problem. The boat wasn’t in Austin.

ARC’s first shell, a donated wooden Donoratico eight, had made its way from New York to Boston and eventually Madison, Wisconsin, where it was still 1,200 miles from its new home.

Months later, two Austinites borrowed a trailer from Oklahoma, drove to Wisconsin, and started the long journey home. Along the way, icy roads sent the trailer and its fragile wooden boat skidding into a ditch, damaging both.

So some of ARC’s earliest recruits weren’t handed oars.

They were handed tools and sandpaper.

Together, they repaired and varnished the boat until it was finally ready for the water. Soon, that wooden eight was traveling up and down Town Lake, attracting experienced rowers and complete beginners who shared the same love of moving a boat through water.

On August 18, 1981, Austin Rowing Club was officially incorporated. Sam Martin was elected ARC’s first president, and membership had already grown to approximately 50 people.

Forty-five years later, we’re still here.

What started with one wooden eight has grown into a community that has introduced generations of Austinites to rowing, paddling, competition, recreation, and Lady Bird Lake.

As we celebrate our 45th anniversary, we’re asking the ARC community to help us continue what those first members started.

❤️ Give $45 for 45 years and help us build the next 45.

https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=JJ2BTRXM2L7FE

Were you part of ARC’s early years? We’d love to hear your stories. Share a memory in the comments or post an old ARC photo below!

We are excited to officially launch our Merchandise Store! Now selling ARC gear! Need any fall hoodies or sweaters? PREORDER NOW!

Available for pick up at the boathouse or delivery 👀🎉

https://austin-rowing-club-merch.square.site/

1981 ➡️ 2026
Same location, different boathouse. How the skyline around us has changed! We are proud to have been here in downtown Austin for the last 45 years! And we look forward to serving the Austin community for years to come ❤️

August 18th, 1981 Austin Rowing Club was incorporated which means we are officially 45 Years old! 🎉

ARC started with just a few members who shared a passion for rowing and getting out on Lady Bird Lake. 45 years later that passion has grown into an incredible community and an organization that has become more than just a rowing club.

We are so grateful to be a part of the Austin Community and for everyone who has helped make ARC what it is today.

Here’s to 45 more years on Town Lake and 45 more! ❤️

Interested in our Junior Rowing Program?

Join us for our Junior Rowing Open House at Austin Rowing Club!

📅 Saturday, August 15
⏰ 9:00–11:00 AM
📍 Austin Rowing Club

Open to students entering 8th–12th grade.

Rowing is more than just a sport! It’s an opportunity to challenge yourself, build confidence, make lifelong friendships, and be part of an incredible team. Whether you’re looking for a new sport or just want to try something different, we’d love to meet you!

Come learn about our junior program, meet our coaches, tour the boathouse, and get out on the water to experience rowing for yourself.

🔗 Sign up here https://www.crossbar.austinrowing.org/program/competitive-program/16536

Waterway Ban Update‼️

The City of Austin has extended the waterway closure through 5:00 PM Monday

We know how frustrating this has been for our rowers, paddlers, bat tour guests, and everyone who loves spending time on Lady Bird Lake. Please know that we’re finding out about these extensions at the same time the public does, and we understand how disappointing the uncertainty has been.

As a nonprofit organization, Austin Rowing Club depends on our daily rentals, tours, and programs to support our mission of getting people out on the water and making rowing and paddlesports accessible to our community. Being closed during July, our busiest time of the year, has had a significant impact on our organization.

While safety will always come first, we hope that when the waterway reopens you’ll consider coming out to paddle with us. Whether you rent a kayak or paddleboard, join a tour, become a member, or simply help spread the word, your support directly helps sustain Austin Rowing Club and the programs we provide for the Austin community.

Thank you for your patience, your understanding, and for standing with us during this challenging time. We can’t wait to welcome everyone back on the water. ❤️

Trust us… we want to be open but the waterway just isn’t safe yet! We hope to be open Saturday at 5!

‼️UPDATE‼️ Due to continued floodgate operations, the City of Austin has extended the ban prohibiting all personal and commercial use on the following waterways for 48 hours, effective until 5 p.m. on Saturday, July 25:
🚫Lake Austin from Mansfield Dam to Tom Miller Dam
🚫Lady Bird Lake
🚫Colorado River downstream of Longhorn Dam
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‼️ACTUALIZACIÓN‼️ Debido a las operaciones continuas de las compuertas de control de inundaciones, la Ciudad de Austin ha extendido por 48 horas la prohibición de todo uso personal y comercial en las siguientes vías fluviales. La prohibición permanecerá vigente hasta las 5 p.m. del sábado 25 de julio:
🚫Lago Austin, desde la represa Mansfield hasta la represa Tom Miller
🚫Lago Lady Bird
🚫Río Colorado, aguas abajo de la represa Longhorn