Return to Danube

Z. Vrančić

After 11 years the Croatian Rowing Club (CRC) Vukovar has made its first strokes on the Danube

Vukovar rowers have waited too long for the day to start rowing on the Danube and finally it happened. In front of the still devastated Rowing Club building generations of Vukovar rowers, rowing fans and City authorities gathered, led by Mayor Vladimir Štengl. All of them could hardly wait for that moment when the boats were taken out and launched into the Danube.

Vukovar – Rowing has a long tradition in Vukovar. The rowing club was founded 90 years ago in this town which is situated at the mouth of Danube and Vuka. The war had stopped the club’s activities. Last year the Croatian Rowing Club Vukovar Assembly was held and a new Board was elected led by the chairman Krešimir Šlafhauzer. They started collecting equipment and finances for the reconstruction of the Rowing Club building—the Vukovar inhabitants’ special cultural gathering place.

Vukovar rowers have waited too long for the day to start rowing on the Danube and finally it happened. In front of the still devastated Rowing Club building generations of Vukovar rowers, rowing fans and leading town people gathered, lead by Mayor Vladimir Štengl. All of them could hardly wait for the moment the boats was taken out and launched into the Danube. Ivan Penava was the first to launch his skiff into the Danube.  Then Gordan Šestan and Branko Ivković took their boat out to row on the Danube.

The most ceremonious event was the launching of the eight “shell”. Krešimir and Miroslav Šlafhauzer, Siniša Šijanović, Krešimir Džalto, Mirko Benaković, Božo Dinješ, Berislav Vrančić, and the guest from Germany, Hartmut Cohrs, together with the cox Davor Šijanović, were passionately applauded by the audience. Together they started rowing again after eleven years symbolically marking the return of rowers to the Danube.

They were in a good mood and there were humorous remarks such as:” If only they do not sink” concerning the weight of the crew – carrying to many kilograms. The embarkation and disembarkation were successful and so the 3rd of July will be fixed as the date when rowing returned to Vukovar. The CRC chairman Krešimir Šlafhauzer did not hide his pleasure that he was one of the participants in this significant event:“We are proud that it is us, who have managed to continue with the tradition of rowing in Vukovar after 11 years, a tradition that started by our ancestors ninety years ago. We are all former rowers’ descendants and this sport has been handed down from one generation to another”.

The great number of children who came to see their fathers proved that he was right and surely there will be future rowers among them. The beginning will not be easy and Vukovar inhabitants are aware of that. “Our first goal is to reconstruct the Rowing Club building. We received good news that the Reconstruction Fund approved 1.500.000 HRK for its reconstruction and I hope that work will start soon. This is the precondition for the future development of rowing “, emphasized Šlafhauzer. 

The CRC Vukovar is equipped so far with five boats; four of them donated by Ulm Rowing Club DONAU from the German town of Ulm. “By chance we met Mr. Hartmut Cohrs, Head of the OSCE Field Office Vukovar. He is a rower himself and became interested in our club. With the help of the Ulm Rowing Club DONAU he managed the donation of four boats and 40 oars. We will get a new boat from the Rowing club Kaštela and we already have our old boat. We expect this year to use one or two boats for beginners and that is all for the time being. Hopefully we will be able to purchase some additional boats later. 

The plans for the future are:“ We have enough skilled rowers in the club, three of them graduated from the Physical Culture University and are the trainer cadre. After we will get a roof over our heads we’ll start a rowing school. I believe that we will motivate boys and girls and that quantity will turn into quality. We used to have at least one representation crew in each generation, or close to the representation. I am convinced that we will return to old successes and that our club will be again one of the stronger clubs in Croatia; but it takes time”, Šlafhauzer stated optimistically.

A small interesting detail at the end: When the CRC Vukovar started rowing on the Danube, they were accompanied by a Kayak-Canoe. Soon, he will also feel better because he will not be alone anymore – training together with other athletes is always easier.