HISTORY OF BOAT NAMES
Rowing is nothing if not full of tradition, and that tradition extends to the names of the boats we row. We give our boats names to distinguish them in our fleet, imbuing them with the power of a phrase, the support of our community, or memory of our loved ones. We choose names for our boats through a number of factors, in some cases we name boats as gratitude for a generous donation to the team. In other cases, the Coaches and Board will name a boat after a member of our community that has played an important role in our team. Some of our boats are also named for special stories connected to the team, small phrases that remind us that Mile High is our own legacy to carry and represent.
G-Pow II
Type of shell: 2007 Vespoli coxed four/quad
The G-Pow II is named in memory of George Dirth, the beloved son of Mile High Coach, Lisa Dirth.
George was an accomplished rower for both Derryfield School in Manchester, NH and Oregon State University. At OSU, he was a three-year varsity crew member, and as stroke, led OSU to a Top-10, D1 ranking his junior year. George was awarded All Pac 10 academic honors for three consecutive years. On several occasions, he served as a substitute coach for CJC.
G-Pow was his pen name for a blog site he created to educate people about his other passion: skiing and snowboarding in the Colorado backcountry. Tragically on December 31, 2013, George lost his life to an avalanche while backcountry snowboarding in Colorado. He was 27 years old.
In the photo here, CJC athletes wear T-shirts with “WWGD?” (What Would George Do?) on the front, and George’s favorite saying on the back. “People avoid risks in life, so they can make it to death safely.”
When MHRC athletes step into the G-Pow, whether out for practice or in the heat of competition, they carry George’s radiant spirit, true love for the sport and heartfelt determination with them.
Coach Anne Strobridge
Type of shell: 2022 Vespoli straight quad
The Coach Anne Strobridge is named to commemorate the dedication of one of our beloved Mile High coaches. Anne Strobridge is a retired high school English teacher who also coached with Mile High. Her love for rowing and enthusiasm for teaching young people made her an invaluable member of our coaching staff until her retirement from coaching in 2023.
Anne loved working with new athletes and helping them reach those “ah-ha!” moments both on and off the water. She is a firm believer in teamwork and togetherness - so in the spring of 2024 when Mile High purchased a new quad, Anne was the first on everyone’s mind to name it after. quads are boats that require communication, flexibility, and teamwork. All things Anne sought to instill in the athletes she coached.
Along with her years of coaching, countless hours spent on the road with the trailer, and innumerable clever jokes, Anne also donated her cox box, single, a pair of sculling oars, and Concept2 erg to Mile High. Our hearts will always be filled with the love Anne has poured into our team and the athletes her thoughtful coaching and donated equipment will continue to impact for years to come.
Vada Le
Type of shell: Vespoli coxed four
The Vada Le is named in honor and memory of Vada Le Stewart, great grandmother of former CJC athletes Vada and Zoe Smith.
Vada Le Stewart was born 1930 in Phoenix, Arizona and was truly an Arizona pioneer. She, along with her husband, raised four sons on a cotton farm in the remote Maricopa County in Southern Arizona. One of her best friends in her younger years was current Supreme Court Judge, Sandra Day O’Connor. Vada Le was the president of the school board in her town and was dedicated to youth development.
Vada Le had an adventurous spirit, traveling across the globe. She devoted a great deal of time to working with indigenous people in Peru, Mexico and here in the United States with the Navajo, Hopi, and Apache nations. She was also an accomplished artist, with her work displayed in numerous locations most notably – Grand Palais in Paris, San Miguel de AlIende, Mexico City as well as galleries in Laguna Beach, Tucson, Phoenix and Wagon Wheel Gap in Colorado.
Nancy
Type of shell: Vespoli coxed four
The Nancy is named for Nancy Pentz, former CJC athletes Saylor and Zachary Strugar’s maternal grandmother. Nancy was born in Alameda, California in 1935 in the midst of the depression. She and her twin brother Bob were adopted as infants by Myrtle and Clarence Nobmann. Nancy graduated from Scarsdale High School and went on to the Oberlin Conservatory as a pianist, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in English in 1957. During her senior year at Oberlin, Nancy met Paul Pentz and they married in 1958. Together they had three children and two grandchildren. They celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with friends and family before Nancy passed on April 14, 2010.
Nancy had an adventurous spirit, a fierce love of family, and was exceedingly strong and courageous in the face of adversity. Perfect characteristics for a racing shell.
Nancy’s most precious memories were of summers spent at the family cabin on a lake in northern Vermont. There, she watched her grandchildren grow. Nancy absolutely adored her grandchildren and they brought her endless joy. She and Paul would sit together on their porch swing or at the beach and watch Saylor and Zachary out on the water. They were always out on the water. As a gift to Paul, a man who is impossible to buy for and claims to need nothing but his family, christening a boat in Nancy’s name was perfect. Paul now delights in thinking about his grandchildren pursuing their passion in a boat named for his soulmate, Nancy, out on the water.
Lemon Pie
Type of shell: Vespoli straight quad/four
“Lemon pie” is a phrase near and dear to all members of the Mile High community, past and present. If you know, you know.