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Gold Cup Stirs Emotions Of Lone U.S. Competitor
 Ken Jurkowski Finally Sits In Spotlight, Thanks To Philadelphia Challenge Cup The vividly arrested scene is a reminder of a time that history forgot. Thomas Eakins' painting "The Champion Single Sculls" depicts sculler Max Schmitt gazing down upon the Schuylkill River from his gently gliding shell. When the painting was crafted in 1871, Eakins and Schmitt had long been friends since their high school days at Central High School in Philadelphia. From there, Eakins went on to become one of America's greatest and most acclaimed artistes. Schmitt, meanwhile, took a different path after serving in the Civil War and became one of the most recognizable figures in a rowing event rapidly gaining popularity in the United States — the single sculls. By the time Eakins died in 1916 — 16 years after Schmitt's death and 45 years after brush touched canvas on "The Champion Single Sculls" — single scullers had grown to the realm of national heroes, alongside prize fighters, champion golfers and the goliaths of the baseball diamond. They were all household names at the time. For the next five decades, scullers like John B. Kelly Sr., Joseph Burk and Don Spero basked in the spotlight of American fandom. Their legends grew to lore. That was then ... *** For much of Ken Jurkowski's career as a single sculler, he heard stories and mentions of the seemingly mythological Philadelphia Challenge Cup — a fabled Gold Cup that disappeared from the rowing world in the mid-1960s. From 1920 to 1966, the Cup, commissioned by Philadelphia's own Schuylkill Navy, honored the undisputed world champion in the single scull. The titans of the sport — American champions like Kelly Sr., Burk and Spero, along with international legends like England's Jack Beresford, Australia's Mervyn Wood and the mighty Vyacheslav Ivanov of the Soviet Union — all had their names engraved upon the trophy.
But then, as America's interest in the single sculls vanished from the national conscious, the Gold Cup vanished into thin air. A 45-year saga unfolded. The Philadelphia Challenge Cup went from a prized emblem of worldly prominence, to a missing treasure shrouded in mystery, to a relic ultimately discovered in a Philadelphia antique store in 1996, to a reborn championship trophy. The tale reads like a Sherlock Holmes novel penned by Red Smith instead of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Thankfully, though, the story has a fairytale ending, thanks to a private group of Philadelphia rowing enthusiasts headed by local philanthropist Herb Lotman, who salvaged the Cup in 2010. Due to their dedication, the Gold Cup is officially back. And this Saturday afternoon, during the grand finals of the Aberdeen Dad Vail Regatta, the 91-year-old trophy will be won for the first time in 45 years. After all this time, a new name will finally appear on the Philadelphia Challenge Cup. It really is a great story," said Jurkowski, a single sculler on the 2008 United States Olympic Team. As the only American competing for The Gold Cup this weekend, the New Fairfield, Conn., native finds himself in a surreal situation. "It's just incredible," said Jurkowski, who finished 11th at the Beijing Olympics after winning the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials. "In terms of being from the United States, to win it would be more significant than any result in an international event. It would be pretty meaningful to be in the company of guys like Kelly, Burk and Spero." A student of the sport, Jurkowski knows his lineage. When he lines up on the Schuylkill River on Saturday against Iztok Cop, a five-time Olympian from Slovenia; Luka Spik, a former world champion and Olympic gold medalist also from Slovenia; and the Czech Republic's Ondrej Synek, the defending 2010 world champion, he will fully understand what a victory would mean to the single sculls in the United States. "If you're aspiring to scull at the highest level, you have to know the tradition of the great single scullers in U.S. history and those are the guys that are engraved on the Cup — Kelly, Burk, Spero," Jurkowski said. "It's very exciting for me and I'm looking forward to being a part of it." *** In Ken Jurkowski's home in Ann Arbor, Mich., near the Huron River, a print of "The Champion Single Sculls" hangs on the wall. Like any U.S. single sculler, he longs for the days when his event was the preeminent competition in rowing. For this weekend, at least, he will get his wish. "For the Gold Cup to be back on the race calendar with a lot of enthusiasm put behind it — it's just amazing," Jurkowski said. "It's something that should not be lost in history. This represents a time when single sculling was the premier rowing event and the focus of the country's attention." For all intents and purposes, Jurkowski could be a member of the U.S. National Team in a 2-, 4-, or 8-oared boat. In fact, he was ... back in 2005 and 2006. But Jurkowski zigged when his fellow rowers zagged. Despite America's heavy emphasis on larger boats, he drifted to the solitude and self-discipline of the single scull. "I was drawn to it because it's the most challenging test," Jurkowski said. "It's difficult to describe, but the single scull is the toughest critic. It's the most difficult event and you have to be completely self-reliant and that makes it the most rewarding." The rewards came almost immediately upon Jurkowski's switch to the single in 2007. He quickly fortified his niche, kept a mobile perspective and earned a spot in the 2008 World Championships. The rest is history. Now, on the same hallowed river named after John Kelly Sr., Jurkowski will attempt to help shift the focus of American rowing back to the single sculls. "Between the history of the race and the opportunity to be a part of something that has involved such incredible American athletes, there wasn't a question whether this was an opportunity worth taking," Jurkowski said. "I just want, at some point, to be in the same company as the guys on that Cup. I'm doing what I can to get us back to the level that was established by guys like Kelly and Burk and Spero." There's no better opportunity than this weekend at the Aberdeen Dad Vail Regatta. To quote a letter from Thomas Eakins to his father, Benjamin Eakins, in 1868, "The sentiments run beyond words." For complete information on The Philadelphia Challenge Cup, visit dadvail.org Photo Credit: Allison Frederick, USRowing Photo Credit: Todd Rothstein, Gold Cup Brendan F. Quinn Editorial Writer Dad Vail Regatta Organizing Committee DVROC Office Line: (610) 234-2076 brendan.quinn@dadvail.org. www.dadvail.org www.twitter.com/DadVaildotTV About the Aberdeen Dad Vail Regatta, Presented by Coca-Cola® The Aberdeen Dad Vail Regatta presented by Coca-Cola is the largest collegiate regatta in North America with over 100 colleges and universities from the United States and Canada. Held annually since 1953 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on the Schuylkill River, thousands of student athletes and spectators visit the City of Philadelphia during the weekend of the second Saturday in May. About Title Sponsor — Aberdeen Asset Management Aberdeen Asset Management Inc is the wholly-owned U.S. subsidiary of Aberdeen Asset Management PLC, a global investment management group which is headquartered in Aberdeen, Scotland, and manages more than $287 billion of assets for both institutions and private individuals (as of Dec. 31, 2010). Philadelphia is home to the U.S. equity and fixed income investment management teams, as well as U.S. client servicing, consultant relations, business development and other operational staff: more than 180 employees in total. Aberdeen manages and services approximately $53 billion in total assets on behalf of North American and international clients. For more information, visit www.aberdeen-asset.us Here in the U.S., Aberdeen is also proud to be one of the supporters of the British Garden at Hanover Square, New York. This New York City park celebrates historic ties of friendship and unity between the U.S. and the UK. Globally, Aberdeen has a long standing association with university rowing competitions having sponsored the Oxford v Cambridge University Boat Race in the UK from 1999 – 2005. The company also continues to support the Aberdeen Universities Boat Race in Aberdeen, Scotland in their annual event which takes place every February. About Presenting Sponsor — The Coca-Cola Company The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is the world's largest beverage company, refreshing consumers with more than 500 sparkling and still brands. Together with Coca-Cola, recognized as the world's most valuable brand, the Company's portfolio includes 14 billion dollar brands, including Diet Coke, Fanta, Sprite, Coca-Cola Zero, vitaminwater, Powerade, Minute Maid, Simply and Georgia Coffee. Globally, we are the No. 1 provider of sparkling beverages, juices and juice drinks and ready-to-drink teas and coffees. Through the world's largest beverage distribution system, consumers in more than 200 countries enjoy the Company's beverages at a rate of 1.6 billion servings a day. With an enduring commitment to building sustainable communities, our Company is focused on initiatives that protect the environment, conserve resources and enhance the economic development of the communities where we operate. For more information about our Company, please visit our website at http://www.thecoca-colacompany.com. To download this story in PDF: 2011_Aberdeen_Dad_Vail_Feature_13_Ken_Jurkowski.pdf Content reviewed and published: 5/12/2011 4:01:58 PM |
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