Korby's Connections: Late-life rower has had success

Arvid Brekke is a humble, Carlton County octogenarian and now a foreign sports medal winner.

Brekke, who lives between Carlton and Esko on West Palkie Road, returned from Germany this fall after participating in a successful 2024 World Rowing Masters Regatta in Brandenburg. He was joined on his September journey by several of his teammates from the Duluth Rowing Club.

Unlike the fairly recent George Clooney movie based on the Daniel Brown book, "The Boys in the Boat," this was not an Olympic rowing competition conducted in Nazi Germany under the watchful eye of Adolf Hitler. It was a regatta, but hosted by present-day Germany, near Berlin, with representatives from more than 50 countries. Rowing remains a very popular sport in the world, especially in Europe.

It was once popular in Duluth as well, with powerful teams a century ago.

Brekke grew up in northwestern Minnesota in Gonvick, which lies between Bemidji and Thief River Falls. He moved to Cloquet when his mother accepted a teaching job at Churchill Elementary School. Arvid spent four years in the Navy after high school and later graduated from the University of Minnesota Duluth with a degree in industrial education.

He married Nancy after they met at a Halloween party. They've been married for 51 years. His working career was mostly at Duluth's Modern Constructors, as a welder. Brekke is also an accomplished carpenter.

He retired from full-time employment about 15 years ago.

Brekke has been a cross country skier for many years, starting the sport in his 30s.

He is a full-blooded Norwegian, so skiing is part of his proud heritage. He skis on trails in Jay Cooke State Park, near his home.

Soon after his retirement, Brekke said he had an interesting conversation with the girls skiing coach at Duluth East High School. He was asked if he'd ever had an interest in crew or rowing. She sold the virtues of full-time, year-round physical training and alerted him of an opportunity with the Duluth Rowing Club. Brekke followed up on the idea and soon found himself immersed in and a proud member of the Duluth Rowing Club.

Brekke offered me a book, "Invincible," which chronicles the history of the Duluth Boat Club. It was initiated in 1886 near where the Great Lakes Aquarium is now located on Duluth Harbor. The club evolved and with the guidance of James E. Ten Eyck, a coach who transferred from Syracuse University in New York, the Duluth Boat Club became national champions and world renowned.

In 1909, the Duluth and the Boat Club touted itself as "the greatest water sports organization in the world." The book title is derived from the "four Duluth oarsmen who were never defeated in 22 elite races and were named the invincible four." It was front page news in the New York Times and other national newspapers in the 1920s.

It was more than a boat club. It was a social club, too. The founders built a new large building on Park Point along with a swimming pool, tennis courts, dance hall, locker rooms, tenant rooms. Times changed and with world wars and the Great Depression the facility closed.

Years later, the club reopened farther down Park Point to its current location and name: the Duluth Rowing Club.

Brekke, with his industrial skills, has volunteered many hours at the club and welded together big racks used for storing the long rowing boats. He's currently working on a fallen tree to be shaped and used as an outdoor seating bench.

Even after 15 years, Brekke does not consider himself an accomplished rower.

"It's a complicated sport and difficult to get all rowers performing in unison," he said.

He usually trains with three others together in their boat: All of them are over age 69, but he is the oldest at 81. Depending on weather conditions, they usually row towards Hearding Island off Park Point in the St. Louis River Bay. Occasionally, they'll row toward the Superior entry to Duluth Harbor or even venture onto Lake Superior.

The group traveled to Germany.

"Even though we performed admirably, and it was exhausting, I won the medal because of my age," Brekke said quietly but proudly.

While in Germany, the rowing partners toured Berlin and visited Frankfurt and Nuremberg and many historically significant sights.

"It's still obvious the destruction from World War II, but there are many sights that are beautiful and unique," Brekke said.

This was not Brekke's first international sports competition. He and his two kids, Erika and Chris, went to Finland for a cross country skiing event a few years back - a border-to-border race from Russia to Sweden near the Arctic Circle in Finland. The race is very popular with skiers and often on their bucket lists.

"It would be like skiing from Duluth to Fargo in a week-long event. My kids finished, but I fell a little short," Brekke said. I say "bravo" to Arvid Brekke for remaining such an elite athlete.

Steve Korby's interest in writing goes back to when he was in fourth grade and editor of the Scan-Satellite school newspaper in Scanlon. He welcomes ideas for human interest stories and tales regarding Carlton County residents, projects, history, and plans c/o [email protected].