BOSTON - On Saturday, the modern rowing world will descend upon Boston University’s Agganis Arena to participate in the World Indoor Rowing Championships, an annual winter event in its 26th year. Commonly referred to as the CRASH-Bs (Charles River All-Star Has-Beens), the world-class event is making its first appearance at Agganis Arena.

The CRASH-Bs, which brings in competitors from all over the world, involves racing a distance of 2,000 meters on rowing machines or “ergometers.” There will be around 2,000 competitors in 35 individual events that span across gender, age and weight. With the computerized machines networked together, virtual reality boats will be projected onto a large screen monitor to simulate a racing situation.

“CRASH-Bs is always a fun event to watch,” said BU Head Women’s Rowing Coach Holly Hatton, who is also on the Board of Directors for the CRASH-Bs. “It is a gathering of the rowing community in the midst of winter training, servicing a need for competition and self-evaluation." 

Hatton also emphasized the uniqueness of the event. “It is rare that you have an event like this where some of the best athletes in the world are competing in the same room as weekend-warriors and novices.”

This year, the event is new at Agganis Arena. Having opened in January of 2005, the new state-of-the-art facility is able to accommodate the tremendous growth of the event with more space, more parking and easier access by public transit. In addition, because large screens are used to illustrate what is happening on the floor, the stadium-style seating provides great views of the screens and competition floor. 

“It’s really an ideal place for this kind of event,” said Hatton. “We have lots of space to set up the ergs, while keeping a warm-up area, and there are 6,300 seats, all with great views, to watch from. I have no doubt that this will be one of the best CRASH-Bs we’ve ever had.”

For more information on the event, please visit http://www.crash-b.org.