Behind the Scenes - Roger Wilson - the Guy Behind the Voice
 

If you are attending the National Championships this year for the first time or the 31st time there is one thing that you cannot avoid. The course commentator Roger Wilson.

Roger has been involved in rowing all his life. He started commentating rowing in 1966 at the Yarrrawong Regatta. In 1973 he started commentating the Kings Cup for the ABC. Since 1973 he has called every Kings Cup for the ABC and has been head course commentator for many years.

Roger can recount many great races and rowers over the years. Some of the special moments of the Championship over the years has date back to 1973. He remembers calling the dead heat in the Presidents Cup in 1973 when there was a dead heat between Ted Hale and Jeff Sykes. The officials then declared that the two rowers re-race. In the re-row the lightweight Jeff Sykes beat the heavyweight Ted Hale. Roger recalled the 1993, 1995 and 2000 Kings Cups as the best he has seen And the best rower Peter Antonie. Antonie commenced racing at the National Championships in 1977 and won a National Championships every year to 1999. He won every boat class including lightweight and heavyweight.

As well as commentating the National Championships for the last 31 years Roger has called Olympic Games for ABC including 1996 when Australia won two Gold medals.

With commentators being the most public property of the regatta each word is analyzed. One of Roger’s best known sayings is "times do not mean anything in rowing."

Roger says one of the most challenging things about commentating is trying to recognise crews 2000 metres away without any assistance.

As well as his commentating Roger is the General Manager of Forty Winks the well known bedding franchise. He was recently made a life member of Rowing Victoria. Roger is well known in the rowing community and is much a part of our Championships as the Kings Cup itself.

Check out some of the commentary already on-line, and and Roger Wilson will call the Kings Cup later this week!