KOMO rowers win Windermere Cup Media Cup for 2nd year in a row
SEATTLE — The coveted, crystal Windermere Cup Media Cup was won, once again, by the KOMO News crew team!
This was the 10th Annual Windermere Cup Media Cup Matchup! It is a friendly matchup between Seattle’s television news stations, to help kick off the annual Windermere Cup Rowing Regatta.
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The crews row the length of the Montlake Cut, mimicking a shortened version of the Windermere Cup race that will take place on Saturday, May 6.
The KOMO team handily won the race, by about two boat lengths, but they didn't just breeze into the competition. The team was forced to make a few last minute roster changes, due to injury and the Seattle Kraken, advancing to the next level in the Stanley Cup playoffs!
KOMO News Sports Director Niko Tamurian flew to Dallas Monday, for the start of the Kraken series, so the team had just 24 hours to find a replacement. Fortunately, rowing is a sport that's more popular than some may realize. Sarah Monn, a KOMO employee, who rowed in college and then joined the coaching staff at WA State University, was available and willing to take Niko's seat.
Each team fields a roster of at least four media representatives combined with experienced rowing volunteers from Windermere Real Estate and Pocock Rowing and then the University of Washington hosts the race out of its Conibear Shellhouse!
The KOMO Boat included Denise Whitaker (KOMO News), Steve McCarron (KOMO News), Brandon Burnstead (Seattle Refined), Mike Oboy (KOMO News Local Sales Manager) and Monn.
And then KOMO filled the rest of the boat on its own, with Mike Ferreri (former KOMO News Sports Director), Jennifer Wren (whose dad has been at KOMO more than 45 years) and Greg Purnell (who's coached by Wren). Pocock Rowing assigned us Coach Kevin and coxswain Patty.
Ferreri helped create this event back in 2012, which started out as an impromptu matchup between KOMO and KIRO, back in 2012. KOMO has won the cup every year but two, 2012 and 2019, when KIRO won it.
The race does more than pit the news stations against each other, it also raises money for charity. The Windermere Foundation donates $500 on behalf of the winning team, to a charity of their choice. The KOMO team this year, chose Operation School Bell as its charity.
The Windermere Cup race on Saturday is the big kickoff to Opening Day of Boating, which features a parade of decorated vessels through the Montlake Cut, immediately following the races.
