Senior crew-member Beau Hoopman recently joined UW alumni Matt Smith, Eric Mueller, Ryan Torgerson and Katie Hammes to compete in the 2002 FISA World Rowing Championships in Seville, Spain.
Hoopman’s boat placed sixth in the ‘B’ men’s final four-without-coxswain race on Saturday, Sept. 21 with a time of 6:16.66.
Just getting to compete in the tournament and be a part of a national team were realizations of dreams for Hoopman — dream that Hoopman didn’t really believe would come true.
“It was nice getting selected,” said Hoopman. “You don’t expect stuff like this to happen to you.”
Hoopman’s performance on the world stage shouldn’t come as a surprise, however; in July, he earned a gold medal in Genoa, Italy for his impressive performance in the under-23 world championships. He added this piece of hardware to an already growing collection, which includes a silver medal from the 2001 tournament.
Despite his success in Seville and Italy, Hoopman was quick to recognize his coach’s and teammates’ role in making the tournament an experience he will not soon forget.
“The best part about it was that my coach [Chris Clark] and other rowers from Wisconsin were there,” said Hoopman. “Having a bunch of people that I’m really close to and having them share that experience with me made it even more special.”
For Hoopman, the spectacle of the world-rowing scene is now behind him for the time being.
The senior is now back in Madison and has already found the rhythm of his typical daily regiment, which includes practices on Lake Mendota at 6 a.m. Not a schedule that many of us who struggle to get up for our 9:55 classes want to imagine. It is not easy waking up and busting your hump on a frigid November day at 6 a.m. on Lake Mendota, but the early hour of rowing is something that isn’t without its benefits either.
“We go early, because the wind hasn’t come up yet, and there is usually nice water,” said Hoopman.
As for this year’s team, Hoopman is optimistic about what UW’s squad can accomplish.
“The only people who can stop us are ourselves,” said Hoopman. “It’s a trite expression, I know, but it’s the truth. We’ve pretty much got all the guys coming back from last year’s team ? and we had one of the best seasons ever.”
The senior-stacked lineup is currently preparing for its first regatta, the Head of the Charles, which will take place in Cambridge, Mass. on Oct. 19. Hoopman has his eyes on getting the team off to a great start and continuing the success he and the Wisconsin crew have enjoyed in the last few years.
Last year’s team became just the third team to win four consecutive trophies, awarded to the team with the most overall points at the IRA (the biggest tournament of the year), in the 100-year history of the regatta. Wisconsin and Cornell were the only schools to do it previously.
Hoopman has high hopes for the team this year, but he can’t help looking down the road at things to come. Upon graduation this spring, he plans on heading to Princeton to train for the upcoming Olympics.
“It’s an Olympic year, and if I don’t do it, I’ll fall behind, or I won’t get selected,” said Hoopman. “I plan on coming back to Madison, though.”
Even though Hoopman is a golden boy in the world of rowing, he isn’t much different from anyone else at UW. A few of the places he likes to frequent are Mickey’s Dairy Bar and The Plaza. So, if you’re interested in meeting a potential Olympian, you might be able to catch him at one of these venues. Otherwise, you could just head down to the placid waters of Lake Mendota at 6 a.m.
