so apparently the rotsee in lucerne, switzerland, is frozen for the first time since the mid-80s. this infamous lake is where i’ve rowed at two world cups and where the olympic qualification regatta will be held this year. it’s one of the oldest naturally occurring 2k courses for rowing. it has the ideal dimensions of being only a bit longer than 2000m and wide enough for 7 lanes and not much more. add to that the fact that it is surrounded by steep swiss alp hills, and you have a very protected, ideal 2k course.
another random tidbit is that it used to have an algae in it that made its water appear red. unfortunately, they suspect with the introduction of new algae on the boats of visiting crews the red algae died out, erasing the namesake of the lake.
hopefully, this extra cold winter doesn’t prevent the water from getting nice and toasty in the late spring/early summer. hotter the water, the faster the times.
