Our local ‘Men in the Boat’
By Charles P. Eberson
Senior Moments
Holy Spirit High School’s champions of the 1974 Henley Regatta gathered at the Dr. John W. Holland Boathouse in Ventnor on Sunday, July 7, for a 50-year reunion.
Oarsmen from the crew were Jim Thompson, Geoff Lapres, John O’Conner, Mike Peacock, Mark Brestle, Mark Fitkler, Tom Reed, Nick Placentra, Leo Egnor, Mike Walsh, Dan Kelly, Ken Monar and Anthony Caravello, including the spares. Absent from the reunion were Monar and Kelly.
A special guest appearance at the reunion was the original wooden shell, the Dr. John W. Holland, M.D., in which they competed. Atlantic City architect Tommy Sykes found the boat online in Chicago. Recognizing the historic significance of the Holland, terms were negotiated, and with the assistance of a generous Viking Rowing Club benefactor, the shell was purchased and made its way back to its home waters.
Rowing in South Jersey, especially Atlantic County, is extremely competitive, but we are a tight-knit group – like a family; occasionally dysfunctional, but still a family.
On Sunday, many members of this family joined together to celebrate a reunion, celebrating the moment these oarsmen would once again get in the shell for a ceremonial row.
Preceding the row was a time for photos and speeches.
Mark Brestle, in seat number five, gave accolades to their coach, Stan Bergman of Ventnor, whose rowing credentials could fill a book.
Brestle said they were just a “regular bunch of dudes” whom Bergman molded until they believed they could be the best in the world. Brestle went on to say that they try to pass on that inspiration to other people.
Coach Bergman is the Teflon Man when it comes to taking credit for his contributions, and I say that with the highest respect. He is quick to deflect praise to others including Dr. John Holland, who is considered the father of local rowing, as well as Holy Spirit High School’s Father D’Amico who did the yeoman’s work of keeping the program on an even keel (pun intended). It was Father D’Amico who “volunteered” Bergman, at the age of 24, to coach the program.
Bergman said taking the assignment was the best decision he ever made in his life. He also credited the athletes, describing them as a bunch of bold, tough guys who put in the work on the back bays.
But being tough is not enough. The coach has to be a technician.
Coach Bergman had the technical eye of a fine watchmaker and used his skill to bring out the finesse of the rowers to complement their power and endurance. In doing so, prior to Henley, the Spirit crew won the 1974 Philadelphia Scholastic Championship, the Stotesbury Championships and the North American Schoolboy Championships.
Finally, Bergman also gave credit to the local communities. Sending a crew and equipment to Henley was an expensive proposition and members of the community as well as bars in Atlantic City and Margate, stepped up to raise money.
With speeches concluded, the oarsmen walked the eight-oared shell down to the dock together as they did 50 years ago, and climbed in, although perhaps not as gracefully as they did back then. The Henley champs pushed away from the dock and started rowing out of the lagoon. They looked as unsteady as newborn foals.
Soon they made their turn into the Intracoastal Waterway and disappeared, only to come into view a few moments later.
Once again, half a century later, under the watchful eye of Coach Bergman, they looked like a different crew. They were rowing more together and their oars were off the water during the recovery as they finished with a flourish of a few power strokes.
The crew coasted alongside the dock, realizing that this could be the last time this bunch of “regular dudes” from South Jersey would come together for a row as a crew.
For a few special moments, these men were boys again, but they will forever be the 1974 Henley Royal Regatta champions.
Charles Eberson has been in the newspaper business for over 25 years. He has worked as a writer, advertising executive, circulation manager and photographer. His photography can be viewed at charles-eberson.fineartamerica.com
