Just the Photo - Approaching the Bridge

photo by Cassandra Mohr

 
 
  Right now we're getting some much needed precipitation and clear skies are a memory of last week (when this shot was taken).  I'm ok with that.  We need the rain, and I like a certain amount of gray skies.
I'm also good with it because we had clear conditions for the Christmas Boat parade.

    Here's hoping that we'll have a dry week surrounding Valentine's Day.

Twilight on the 25th

The phone rang,

the cruise was booked,

I changed into my stripes,

and was out the door.

 

 

It didn't matter that it was December 25th.

 

When you own the business and someone wants to book a cruise,

you take the cruise if nobody else can.

 

Really, there are worse ways to spend time.

It was a brilliant evening on the water in Newport.

 

 

Lots of lights on homes and boats,

and gorgeous color changes on the horizon.

My passengers and I definitely had a merry Christmas.

 

 

Merry Christmas from the Gondola Blog

(photo shamelessly stolen from The Gondola Company in Coronado, CA)

Buon Natale!

photo by Nereo Zane

On this serene Christmas Eve, I wish you
and those closest to you - the very best. 

A warm Buon Natale to you from the Gondola Blog.

Tiny but Mighty...and BITEY!

Watching the Newport Harbor Christmas Boat Parade,
you begin to notice the variety of different boats that pass by.

Some are bigger than others.
Some are louder than others.
Some are brighter than others.

Quite often, the most impressive entries are all three:
bigger, louder, and brighter,
but there are a few exceptions.

One of my favorites each year is what we call the "Shark Boat".
This one's tiny, but mighty.

It's a small Zodiac-style inflatable with an outboard motor.
The pilot generally flanks a larger well-decorated yacht.
Pound-for pound, this boat may have more lights per square foot
than any other boat in the procession.

Ah, but it's the design that I'm a fan of:
it's a shark, wearing a Santa hat, and the lower jaw of the mouth
has a chomping motion as the boat bounces by.

Here's a video clip from tonight:

I've never actually seen the "Shark Boat" affect a bite on another boat.
I'm not even sure if it can bite, but then I'm not about to get close enough to find out.

Boat Parade on a Saturday Night

Out on the water again tonight, I had a family from out of town to see the Christmas Boat parade, and as usual, it did not disappoint anyone.

 

We saw some great lighting displays on homes as well.

Sometimes the parade seems to actually light up the sky above.

 

 The parade is a wonder of light, water, sound

and motion - especially for kids.

 And yes, some parade entries are brighter than others.

 

The Christmas Boat Parade happens for five nights - this year it's the 17th through the 21st of December.  Saturday night is often one of the biggest nights. We'll see if tomorrow can trump tonight.

Sea Dragon

videos by Elisa Mohr

Here in Newport Beach, the Christmas Boat Parade is upon us once again. 
At the last minute we had some friends in the area who hadn't seen the
parade from a gondola and we felt the need to remedy that, so off we went
in two gondolas.  Simon jumped aboard to row the second boat, and ended
up filling the foreground of some pretty decent photos and video clips.

Here's the first parade boat passing by:

 

 

Spend enough time on a gondola, and you will

be serenaded with a bad version of this song:

After watching the whole parade spin through the turning basin
in front of our docks, we ducked under the Lido bridge to catch it again. 
It's a neat trick: go under a bridge, and get a second helping of parade. 

 

During our second viewing, we got a closer look at the

boat that wowed us earlier: the "Sea Dragon".

 

 

Each year someone comes up with a clever way to incorporate a hot-air-

balloon burner into their design.  Here's the Sea Dragon in action:

 

Boston Beauties

After the US Gondola Nationals in 2014, my wife and I drove up to Boston
and visited with Joe Gibbons. 
He showed us around, pointed out all the interesting places,
brought us in to see his boats, and made us feel welcome and at-home.

For having just been hauled out after a busy summer,
the Boston gondolas were in great shape.
A few days later the gondolas were moved into an enclosure for winter.

At the end of our visit, we stopped in the Little Italy neighborhood,
had some phenomenal pizza, enjoyed a pitcher of Narragansett,
and shared lots of stories and memories.

The gondoliers in Boston have an enviable location and an exemplary operation. The fleet is well-kept and of manageable size.

Many thanks to Joe for his hospitality,
and for showing his beautiful boats to us.

Red Flag!

photo by John Kerschbaum

 

Eric Bender (a.k.a. "The Snapper") beginning his solo sprint run

on October 26th, 2014 in Providence, Rhode Island.

 

With all races, the timekeeper started the clock as soon as the ferro of the gondola emerged from under the Crawford Street bridge.  A spotter on the bridge gave the signal to start the clock by raising a red blanket. 

Yes, a flag might be more official, but the blanket was bigger.

Christmas Lights and Shooting Stars

Out on the water tonight, my passengers and I enjoyed a well-lit shoreline,
with so many homes decorated.  Alas, I didn't think to snap any photos of them, so you'll have to settle for this shot of the new Winery restaurant.

We'd expected to see lots of lights on the homes, as well as on passing yachts. We hoped we'd see some stars overhead as well, but we were not expecting to see some of those stars go shooting by.

As it turned out there was a meteor shower this evening.
I saw at least a dozen in an hour, just out of the corner of my eye.
My passengers were on their honeymoon, so lots of wishes were made as the stars went shooting by.

Kerschbaum Kicks Off

John Kerschbaum, the man from Minnesota - kicks off his solo sprint run
on the final day of the US Gondola Nationals in 2014. 
With a good running start, he passes under Crawford Street Bridge,
making a mad dash towards the finish line, which is a little ways down-river.

Blue Light Special

 
For most folks, "deck the halls with boughs of holly" is the norm,
but for some of us gondoliers, it's:
"deck the bows with battery-powered Christmas lights".
Oh sure, it may not have the same poetic ring to it, but it sure looks good.

I just got finished carefully wrapping the perimeter of one of my motorized gondolas in a radiant blue.
 

 

Throughout the years I've settled for whatever I could find at the store.

That's code for:

I procrastinated until the last minute and went with the only options left.

 

This year the Newport fleet will all be decked out in special blue lights.

I had my wife order a case of them

(when she's involved, things tend to be more organized).

 

 
Of course, in Newport Harbor, there are an estimated 10,000 boats.
Most of them are painted white, and have all manner of decorative lights
draped from stem to stern.

Next week everyone who can, will be out on a boat in Newport to see the famous Christmas Boat Parade.

What that means to me as a gondolier is that there will be thousands of people driving boats, who won't be looking for me.  They'll be too busy watching the parade and on a black boat in the dark, they'll have a tough time even seeing me.  So these fancy blue lights aren't just for decoration...they're a survival tool.

So this year we're decking our bows (and the rest of the hulls too)
with these special blue lights, both to be seen, and to be stylish.

Lit Boats in Venice

photos by Nereo Zane

 
      My good friend Nereo Zane sent these images from the other night
      in the lagoon. Nereo wrote:
Last Saturday we finally launched the new caorlina "Gianni"
in memory of a historical member who died last year while working on the new carriages of Mestrina.

Mestrina, of course, is the GSVVM's 14-oar quattordesona, which was expertly designed and built by Agostino Amadi - a famous boat builder in Burano.

      The Mestrina is so big, that she is transported to and from the hoist
      on rolling cradles that some club members call "carriages".

Nereo also said:
This late afternoon we will be in two processions on Canal Grande with boats enlightened with led chains.

The boats look great, and very well-lit.
In fact it looks like they would do well in a Christmas parade
in Newport or Huntington Harbour.

Good Guys Wear Black

As the days get shorter and the mercury drops lower,
clothing choices follow suit.

Some gondoliers pull their boats out of the water,
while others reach for the "winter uniform".

photo by Isabella Mohr

         The pants are black, as is the sailor-collared overshirt
         (known as a "marinera").

         Some gondoliers keep with the navy and white stripes,
         but instead of a T-shirt - it's a thick knitted sweater.

Amadeo of La Gondola in Providence rows in his striped sweater

with an accordionist on board.

 

At the top of it all, the hat is the same, but the ribbon is black.

In Southern California, I spend most of the year in a summer uniform.
For a few months though, I swap out my red-ribboned capello,
for this beauty - one of the many masterpieces that have come out
of the shop of Giuliana Longo.

               Look through photos of the various gondoliers in the US
               and you'll see a lot of Giuliana's hats.

Hats off! (and on the wall) at the awards dinner
of the US Gondola Nationals in Providence, RI.

Rafaello and Alberto enjoy food and conversation.

As the sun shines less on the top half of the planet,
thin, light clothing makes less sense to us gondoliers.

Temperatures urge us to wear clothes that are warmer.
Tradition inspires us to wear black.

Black, because good guys wear black - just ask Chuck Norris.

Setting Up Camp

After the slalom event in Providence was over,
we all climbed into the gondolas and rowed downriver to a fondamente
that was perfect for both staging races, and watching those races.

The first order of business in setting up camp:
unload the provisions - including the coffee and Dunkin Donuts.

Slalom Snapshot

photo by Elisa Mohr

Upward Angle of a Boston Tail

The tail section of a gondola in Boston, set against a clear blue sky.

Each year, the folks at Gondola di Venezia haul out their two beautiful Venice-built boats for winter.
They spend most of the cold season in an enclosure, but I was able to visit them after haul-out, and before they were moved into their winter home.

Normally it would only be possible to get a shot from this angle by standing
(or swimming) in the water, but I had lucky timing.

Twilight Reflections

On the eve of the U.S. Gondola Nationals,
some of us out-of-towners showed up at the dock
to catch up with our friends from Providence at La Gondola. 

We enjoyed watching the way their operation ran and getting to know their waterway and the boats we'd be rowing for the next couple of days.

Here we see the "Cynthia Julia" at rest in the latter part of twilight.
Fall leaves float by, and the reflections of downtown buildings can be seen on the surface of the water and the deck.

Happy Thanksgiving from the Gondola Blog

photo by Cassandra Mohr

Thanksgiving is such a great holiday.
We gather together, both family and friends.
We set aside time to give thanks for all that we've been blessed with.
I have so much to be thankful for, including the many great friends I've been fortunate to have in the gondola business.
Thank you for reading, dear friends,
and have a happy Thanksgiving.

Tim Jones Rows with Row Venice

My friend Tim Jones has contributed many great photos to the Gondola Blog.
He also had the opportunity to row in Venice on board one of the Row Venice boats.
Here's his story:

Our RowVenice Experience
by Tim Jones

I first went to Venice in 2001 on a trip with my family.  

We were doing a tour of Italy and went to 10 different cities in about 14 days.

It was a whirlwind experience where I really only got a brief sample of each city. Venice was, unfortunately, only a day trip.  

I saw the major sites like St. Mark's square and the Bridge of Sighs and of course my first gondola ride.  

I remembered thinking as we turned down a quiet canal away from hustle of craziness of St. Mark's just how beautiful and peaceful it was back there.  

We quietly drifted under bridges and past old wooden doors to the sound of the gondola oar gently splashing into the water as we went.  

For 11 years after that I vividly remembered those narrow alleyways and I desperately wanted to go back one day and just get lost back there.  

Finally, in 2012 I took my girlfriend (Dana) (who had never been to Europe) to Italy.  I fondly remembered all the cities we saw back in 2001 and I wanted her to get to see all of them as well...So we extended the length of that trip to 20 days and we spent at least 3-4 days in each of those cities.  

Venice was our favorite place though.  

Again we took a quiet gondola ride through the canals.  

Our gondolier sang a beautiful song while he rowed (which we didn't even ask for, but tipped heavily for later because it was amazing).  Somehow he seemed to row us down the most beautiful and completely deserted canals.  

Maybe I was just in the moment, but I don't recall even seeing more than a couple other boats and not a single other gondola.  

It was this experience that sparked my desire to one day row one of these boats down the canals for myself.

After the 2012 trip we both said we wanted to go back, but that before we did we would take 5 to 7 years and visit other places in between.  

Well....2 years later we couldn't stand it anymore and decided to go back.  

This time putting 10 days in our schedule just for Venice.  I immediately set out looking for a way that I could get to row a boat while I was there.  

A quick search later and I found www.rowvenice.com.  

Dana wasn't sold on the idea at first, and even some of our friends gave us funny looks when I told them we were going to learn to row while we were there.  But I didn't care, I really wanted to do this.  

The day finally came and we met up with our instructor (Jane). 

 She took us to her boat (a beautiful Batela).  We started off learning the basics with Jane in the back while I rowed from the front of the boat.  

We turned out of the harbor on the north side of Venice down a quiet and fairly wide open canal with little traffic.  Rowing from the front was not particularly difficult.  I have lots of rowing experience from my childhood.  

My family owned a sail boat and we sailed around the great lakes of Michigan every summer while I was growing up.  Dana also had no trouble getting the hang of rowing either, and she had almost no prior experience.  

We switched off taking turns rowing from the front a couple times while Jane instructed us.  After about 1/3 of our lesson, Jane told me that she thought I should come to the back and row.  

I climbed onto the back and took position.  She explained how I was supposed to steer by turning the oar just so and allowing it to drag in the water to pull the front of the boat back around.  I'd always ever rowed with two oars so this was a little complicated at first.  I quickly learned that if you drag the oar too hard it has a tendency to want to pull you right back into the passenger area of the boat.  Fortunately, I caught my balance before I tumbled forward into the boat.  For a little while Jane rowed in the front helping to provide some forward momentum.  When I started getting the hang of it she quit rowing and just sat back with Dana while I rowed all by myself.  This first canal was a bit of a work out for me.  I was paddling upstream and it was a little hard to keep the boats forward momentum going.  If you don't have forward momentum it becomes quite a challenge to steer the boat.  I did have one mishap where I bumped a wooden pylon, but fortunately it wasn't a very hard bump.  We reached the end of the canal,  turned around another corner and started back down a different canal.  

This canal was more narrow and had a little bit of traffic on it.  

It was shaded from the sun by the taller buidings and the current was now helping me and the whole experience became easier.  

It was a cooler, more beautiful canal and was just the type of canal I had been dreaming of rowing down the past couple years.  

Buy this time I was getting a good handle on the boat.  

I felt in control and Jane had quit giving me instructions and was just chatting with us while we glided down the canal.  

I remember seeing my first low stone bridge coming up.  Not too far beyond it was another boat we were going to have to pass closely by as well.  

It was time to see if I really could handle this boat.  

I drifted to the left as I approached the bridge knowing that a little ways past it I'd have to pass another boat.  This meant I had to duck down a little more than I would have wanted to in order to make it under the bridge, but I made it. Didn't hit anything or scrape the sides.  

We were now starting to get close to the other boat.  I got as far to the left as I could.  Both Dana and Jane got quiet as we approached.  I remember the local man looking at our boat, looking at the two girls sitting quietly together and then up at me.  As we passed by he gave a little wave and said "Ciao" and I replied back to him the same.  Jane told me that its very rare that locals will acknowledge outsiders rowing their canals.  

I don't know if that's true or not, but it made me feel like a million dollars.  

We were getting close to the marina again and the end of our lesson.  

Jane took control of the boat as we were getting close to a very high traffic area.  She said we were her last lesson of the day and she wanted us to experience the grand canal.  Dana took the front position and Jane took the back.  We headed down a busy canal and popped out onto the grand canal.  Vaporetto were whizzing by and Dana nearly lost her balance and went for a swim once as wake bounced her sideways.  But there we were, rowing the Grand Canal.  It was pretty intense and I could tell Dana was a little overwhelmed by it but she was doing great.  We didn't spend long on the grand canal and turned and headed back to the marina and the end of our lesson.  After we began walking back towards the center of town looking for a place to grab some dinner we were talking about our favorite moments of the whole experience.  I was totally exhilarated by my experience rowing that quiet canal, just the way I had hoped it would be for the past two years, and Dana, several times over the next few days bursting out from quiet moments with

"I can't believe it....I rowed down the Grand Canal!!!"

We are definitely doing this again the next time we are back to Venice.

My sincere thanks to Tim for the above story, photos, and video.

To read more about Row Venice, visit their website http://rowvenice.org/

For further reading within the Gondola Blog, check out

"Rowing Lessons in Venice"

photo by Nan McElroy

Look Ma', No Hands!

photo by Isabella Mohr

 

Yes, this was taken during an actual cruise.

And yes, I do have a good dental plan.

 

Tandem Distance - the Brothers Haynes

photo by John Kerschbaum

On October 26th, on a cool and windy afternoon in Providence, Rhode Island, the participants in the 2014 U.S. Gondola Nationals raced in the final racing event of the competition - the Tandem Distance race.
 
THE COURSE
The race was supposed to follow the same route that had been used in the Solo Distance race, but the winds had increased.  To avoid having gondolas bouncing and grinding against walls and bridges in those tight quarters, 
it was decided that the two-man distance event would remain in the lower part of the channel.
 
This was a timetrial event - so rowers had nobody to measure their speed against.
The distance of the race was just over two miles.
Like the sprint events, the timekeeper started the clock as the ferro of the gondola emerged from the Crawford Street bridge.
Two-man teams rowed down to the foundations of the old Route 195 bridge, with the wind at their backs, turning around or beyond one of the remaining foundations.  Next it was a fight against the wind back up to the Crawford Street bridge, passing under to turn and re-emerge to do the same down-and-back a second time.

Gondola racing in New England in the Fall.

 
STRATEGY
It became obvious early on that the biggest enemy to gondoliers on this course was the headwind we fought against while returning from the old Route 195 foundations.  Many teams sought refuge by hugging the wall to their left, as there was sometimes a wind-shadow there. Finding a good stroke synchronization and making the best and tightest turns were also important.
 
POLE VAULTING
As this was a tandem race, finding the right partner to row with was of great importance.
While describing the camaraderie between gondoliers, I've often told people "nobody understands you, and that weird thing you do,
like someone who does that weird thing too."
People who aren't gondoliers just don't understand sometimes.
I suppose it might be comparable to pole vaulting.
Sure, we've all seen it done, but until you've actually experienced it;
until you've run, planted, and then been flung into the sky by a 15 foot pole, you'll never be able to truly understand it from a vaulter's perspective.
 
As a gondolier, nobody understands you as well as another gondolier...
unless, of course, you have a brother who is a gondolier.
That guy gets you.
Want to find someone who will mesh well in a tandem row?
He's the guy.
 
HAYNES x2
Their names are Matthew and Alexander Haynes.
On the gondola they are known as "Marcello" and Alessandro".
They were born a couple of years apart - Matt's 35, Alex is 33.
Both played a lot of soccer growing up, then later on Alex was a wrestler and Matt got into traditional rowing in college
(yeah, the kind where you sit on your butt and pull).

A year later Matt found an amazing summer job and became a gondolier at La Gondola in Providence, Rhode Island - he ended up buying the business years later from the previous owner and, like many of us gondola operators, has truly found his calling.

Two years ago, Matt dreamed up and brought to life the very first gondola competition in North America - the GondOlympics.

This year Matt and his brother Alex competed against each other in other races, and they both did well.  Their Tandem Sprint run was excellent too, but when they got on the boat together for a distance race, they were unbeatable.

photo by John Kerschbaum

They grew up in the same house, and sure, there were sibling rivalries, but Matt explained to me that because they were two years apart, they were never able to compete in the same league, much less on the same team.
Matt said:
"I was thrilled to get the opportunity to race with Alex.

We were never able to just be athletic together and see how far the two of us could challenge each other."

They were both gondoliers, but didn't get much training for this race.
Both are married and have young children at home, both have day jobs,
and then there was all that planning and preparation Matt had to take care of just to bring this event to life.
Alex told me:
"My brother and I hadn’t really rowed much together.  We’d said we wanted to get out there and train but never really trained for it."

He added
"When I got there I wasn’t sure what we were gonna do,

except go out there and row." 

Last year, at the U.S. Gondola Nationals in Huntington Harbour, I heard about Matt's brother Alex, and how it was a shame he couldn't make it.  Those who knew him were sure he would've been a strong contender.

 

Indeed, Alex took third place in the Solo Distance race.

When these two brothers rowed together in the Tandem Sprint, they finished in second place.

 

So what was it that this team had on their side to take second in the sprint event, and then finish ahead of everyone in the Tandem Distance?

 

Based on my conversations with both men, and having been there to see the race go down, I believe the Brothers Haynes had several things going for them.

 

     1. Brotherhood

Like I said, nobody knows you like your brother,
and if he rows (and you can stand each other),
he's the guy you want on the boat with you.

photo by John Kerschbaum

 

     2. Form

In a post-race interview, Matt stressed to me how important it was to have, and maintain good form throughout the race.
"Form wins a race", he said.  This was a discipline he had carried over from his traditional rowing back in college.

Matthew Haynes - pushing hard and maintaining form.

photo by John Kerschbaum

 

     3. Turns

"In addition to that, there’s the other crew element – we were going to row it as a focused race, setting up the turns together"

From Formula 1 to gondolas, races are won or lost based on how well you did in the turns.

Alex told me:

"The turns were what we really focused on.

The turns were what I really wanted to improve on from the first GondOlympics.

We were inches from the objects we were turning around."

 

The "top turn" under the Crawford Street" bridge.

     4. "Tens"

Traditional rowing may seem opposite from Venetian rowing, but as we can see, there are some things that translate well.  And then there's a little focusing trick Matt took with him when he stepped out of his college boat: "power tens".
As Matt explained to me: "where you're pushing as hard as you can,
but then take it to another level - two strokes to warm up,
and then counting to ten with power strokes."
Matt served as a sort of coxswain up front. Alex said:
"He kept counting to ten.  That little focus method made the difference".
During their second approach to the dock, I walked down to the wall that they were passing. 
I snapped this image with my phone.
The guys were so close I could hear them breath. 

I heard them counting to ten, in between counts their breathing told me that they were rowing at maximum capacity.
I stood there in my orange jacket and they didn't even notice me. 
Obviously the focus trick worked.
Looking back, Matt told me:
"I remember very little of the race - except that we were racing."

     5. Poseidon
Matt has a nickname among his fellow gondoliers in Providence.
Two years ago, when everyone was competing in the GondOlympics,
the winds were a real challenge.  When it was time for Matt to take his turn, he stepped on the gondola, rowed out to the starting line, and the winds and the water all mysteriously went calm - allowing him to row with an extra competitive edge.
For that reason, Matt is also known as "Poseidon's Illegitimate Son".

I can't speak to his true lineage, and unfortunately I wasn't able to be there to witness his run two years ago.

There are two statements I can make though:
first, it did seem less windy during Matt and Alex's run this year.
Secondly, it was windy as HECK during my run with John Kerschbaum.
I have no basis for comparison here, because I wasn't on the boat during other runs, but based on the treatment John and I received from the wind,
I had to wonder if Poseidon or some other force associated with wind...hated us that day.

     6. Frustration
As it was for many competitors, I think the guys on this boat were a little frustrated after watching a certain San Diego rower take first place in everything...including the slalom.
This was the last race, the last chance to blow it all out, empty the gas tank and leave it all out there on the water.
Alex tells me that Matt said: 
“all I want you to do is stand on the back and push”.

This was it, the race for all the marbles.
All the hopes and pains, all the inspiration, frustration,
dedication and even retaliation went into one race.

Two brothers on one boat,
rowing their hardest while counting to ten - again and again.

Throughout the race, they had no idea how they were doing - no idea if their run was even worthy of the top three.  It was a true case of "be the best you can be".

They pushed harder than either of them thought they could.
Alex said:
"We left it all out on the water.
I couldn't stand up after that race.
My ribs were sore for three days afterwards."

Alex Haynes in full "battle mode"

photo by John Kerschbaum

It had been a good ten years since Matt had competed in traditional rowing, and yet some of his greatest advantages were borne out of those days of rowing crew in college.
The sense of accomplishment could be seen in their faces as they finished the battle - against the wind, the water, the clock, and themselves.
They had given it their absolute all.  Regardless of how the times stacked up, we all knew how hard they'd rowed, and respect was in the air.

photo by John Kerschbaum

As it ended up, the two sons of Jackie and Ed Haynes finished in first place, and wore gold medals that night.

My sincerest congratulations to Matt and Alex; for rowing an excellent race,
and showing everyone how it's done.

The final push towards the finish line.

 
Tandem Distance - complete results

Place  Name                                      Origin                             Time

1.     Alexander “Alessandro” Haynes  Providence, RI                  16:32.27

        Matthew “Marcello” Haynes        Providence, RI

2.       Eric “Enrico” Bender                 San Diego, CA                   17:13.70

        Cole “Colombo” Hanson            San Diego, CA

3.     Richard “Ricardo” Corbaley         Huntington Beach, CA       17:17.43

        Tim “Bepi” Reinard                    Huntington Beach, CA   

  4.     John “Giovanni” Kerschbaum       Stillwater, MN                  17:41.40

        “Gondola Greg” Mohr                  Newport Beach, CA

5.     Adam “Ivano” Alves                    Providence, RI                 19:01.75

         Tim “Amadeo” Coffey                 Providence, RI

 6.     Greg “Rafaello” Coffey                 Providence, RI                 21:56.06

        William “Alberto” Oberg               Providence, RI