Cougar Crew Wish List

     The Crew continues to train 9 times a week, as well as conduct full scale fundraisers 10 weekends throughout the season. We greatly appreciate all of the donations that are made to the team, regardless of size. Sometimes people like to see their money go to something specific. We've had some requests to generate a wish list. Here is a list of specific things that the team could use, but does not have the financial capabilities to purchase at this time. Prices may vary, and the team is always open to purchasing used items in good condition if available. Perhaps you know another parent/alumni or friend that may go together with you for one of the items below. To coordinate making any of the below purchasing please contact our Head Coach Arthur Ericsson at (509) 863-5913. Thank you!

     As the head coach, I am intimately familiar with our equipment. Our shells are heavily used day after day, year after year. On any given day, Cougar Crew will execute more than 100,000 strokes on the water. Boats are kept in service with spare parts, repairs are done in-house, even shoelaces are reused. We use the whole buffalo, comments Coach Ericsson. Nothing goes to waste. Our rowing shells are the very core of our program. It is my goal to match the quality of the shells with the effort put forth by our athletes. The time has come for a call out for donations to support the acquisition of new rowing shells in several categories. A new 8 costs $37,000. A new 4 costs $23,000. A new pair costs $13,500. It is because the price tags on these boats are so high, that we must seek help from outside the team itself. If one large donation is not feasible, alumni, parents, and friends of Cougar Crew can join together as a team to pool their resources. A fun tradition is that the donor of a shell gets to decide what to name the boat. The team is not above acquiring "almost new" boats, and has frequently purchased demo boats at a discount to help reduce the total cost. We thank you for considering the following:

* 1 heavyweight 8 (our #2 shell, the Struckmeyer is no spring chicken anymore, it is now 9 years old). We could then retire our oldest shell, which is now 22 years old.

* 1 heavyweight 4 (our #2 shell, the Kistler is a poorly made shell to start with, it is now 8 years old).

* 4 mid/hvywt 2-/2X (we have two pairs which are strictly training shells, 19 years old).

Having four pairs is a dream so that on a nice day I can break an 8 lineup into pairs and they can do pieces against each other to see who can move boats. It's conducive to skill development and will be tons of fun for the guys. Pairs are made that can also be switched to sculling doubles, which will add another dimension to the team.
br /> It is hard to prioritize these for if we always overlook the pairs then the dream will never come true. But the 8 is most practical for the entire team, and the 4 is most needed for the varsity.

~Coach Arthur Ericsson

     Small boats make better rowers. The team does not have any competitive pairs. The team would like two heavyweight pairs and two lightweight pairs so that they will be able to do pieces side by side against each other. These boats are fun to row and will help rowers fine tune their technical skills. Haivng four pairs will allow the coaches to run a pairs matrix so that an entire 8 can do time trials with each partner rowing the opposite side. Results will yeild a true comparison of each rower's boat moving skills. This will also give WSU Men's Crew the chance to be competitive at conference and national championships in this event.

Whether you buy one boat, or multiple boats, you get to choose a name for the shell in your honor.

     Please help fund the production of Washington State Cougar spirit panels so that when we're driving to and from our competitions, people know who we are representing!

     SNAP-LOC Cargo Net 96"x192" For 16' Trailer, Nylon The SNAP-LOC cargo control system offes a simple, safe and convenient way to move and secure our gear within our trailer during travel to our competitions.

     The team has been relying on mostly old, broken hand-me-down strength equipment since our inception. Used equipment is fine by us as long as it is structurally sound. We do not have enough olympic bars and plates to conduct a team weight circuit.

Ergs needed for months of crucial land training. New or used.

     The team could use 3 sets of the Thieman Tees ground slings.

     4 bags needed, with each bag holding 2 riggers. Protects expensive carbon fiber wing riggers during travel.

     The team pays for annual service tuneups on both of its outboard motors. This service is done in Lewiston, Idaho. However, we have never been able to get the outboard motor on the wakeless launch properly tuned up because we cannot transport the entire boat to the marina for service. The coaches must painstakingly remove the outboard, throttle and cables, as well as disconnect the steering and electrical, in order to bring that assembly in for service. But without the completely assembled launch and motor for the marina to work on, we often find that once we reassemble it, further unknown adjustments or electrical issues surface and hinder or hault its use. A pontoon boat would put an end to these costly frustrations, as well as allow the team to transport this coaching launch to Tri-Cities for their spring break training or anywhere else.