Pulling a Fast One

There's no stopping (or catching) these guys. Five members of the Kent Mitchell Rowing Team are, in the words of an older oarsman, "outstanding has-beens" who were Stanford rowers and Olympic medalists in the '60s. Collectively, those five boast three bronzes, a silver and two golds--and they're still fiercely competitive.

The Bay Area-based group has entered, and usually won, at least one major regatta a year since they teamed up in 1993. "All we do is get together and try to beat people," says founder and coxswain Kent Mitchell, '61.

Shown here in 1998 clinching one of the world's largest regattas--Boston's Head of the Charles--are, from left: Mitchell; Mike Still, former Stanford frosh crew coach; Andy Kerr; Dick Lyon, '61; Greg Springer; Ed Ferry, '63; Larry Hough, '66; Skip Spiering; and Dick Draeger, '59.