Los Gatos Rowing Club was founded in 1979 by Skip Braatz. Skip rowed on the east coast and wanted to bring his love of rowing to high school athletes in the Santa Clara Valley. The original high school squad consisted of 14 athletes – just enough for a men’s eight and a women’s four. Today, 150 athletes are enrolled in our robust middle school and high school programs. Adult rowing was added to the club in 1982 and today we have 100+ adult members.

From its inception, the club has called Lexington Reservoir home, thanks to Santa Clara County Parks & Recreation. The original boathouse was located on the dam face and shared with the Santa Clara University (SCU) rowing team. As the club grew, a larger boathouse was built in 1982. A shocking act of arson on Memorial Day 1994 resulted in complete loss of the boathouse and all boats.  

Thanks to the determined fundraising and planning efforts of both LGRC and SCU, a new boathouse was built at our current Lexington Reservoir location. Rowers, parents, community members and local authorities all rallied together to make this incredible feat happen. The building was dedicated in October of 1996. R

After the fire, a new LGRC logo was designed containing a rising sun to illustrate the re-birth of the club and the motto “Per Ardua ad Meta” or “Through Adversity to the Goal.” 

Club History - Long Version