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Earle(y) morning man
"I just love being around the rowers and the boats. I'm happy to put in as much time as it takes so that they can have a perfect boat, get there on time, have nothing go wrong…" David Earle
Each month Andy Hay introduces one of the invaluable volunteers who add so much to keeping rowing going. In the first instalment, meet David Earle, a former rower with a prestigious Maadi Cup record.
David Earle was born just after the Second World War but that's not why the family call him 'Boomer'.
" My grandkids started it from very small," says the 75-year-old. "It's to do with the loudness of voice. My wife berates me all the time for talking far too loud."
So far there have been no complaints from the neighbours in the new apartment buildings at the end of Launch Rd in Hobsonville Point where David can be seen most mornings helping out the rowers at Westlake Boys' boat-launch area.
Early mornings have been a part of his life since he was a high-school rower himself and then as a pilot in the RNZAF and Air New Zealand.
These days, the early starts are part of what he calls his "new job".
He opens up the compound where the coach boats are stored, gets them primed up and lined up for launching off the pier that juts out into the Upper Waitemata.
"I get up at about quarter past four, so I'm down there at about quarter to five and I can save the crews about 20 minutes getting on the water," says David, who lives just up the road on what was once RNZAF Hobsonville, and where he was once based.
Talk about going full circle.
David started rowing shortly after arriving at Whanganui Collegiate.
The school was in the middle of what remains the longest winning streak in Maadi Cup history, masterminded by their revered coach, the late Dr Peter Irvine.
By the end of the fourth form, he'd made the senior eight with his older brother Robert and at the Maadi Regatta at Lake Waihola in 1966, the two Earle boys were part of Collegiate's winning crew.
David Earle in four seat of the 1966 Wanganui Collegiate eight. It was to become the first of his three straight Maadi Cup wins. David’s older brother Rob is in seven seat. The coxswain is Simon Dickie.
David made the boat again the following year and was rowing captain in '68. He's one of a handful of young men to have won three or more consecutive Maadi Cups and possibly one of the few people who remembers the wee incident with Peter's wife and the trophy just before the Maadi regatta in '67.
"They were getting ready to go to Karapiro, the cup was at Peter's house being cleaned to hand in and he must have put it down on the side of the driveway and Janet backed into it in the car. Peter rang my father because he knew Frank Drew, who was a jeweller, and I think it was whisked away, panel-beaten and repaired in a day."
It was from Doc Irvine that David learned the meaning of service to your sport.
"He was tough as hell," says David. "But we rowed for him, for ourselves as well, but we saw the amount of effort he put in turning up at 5.30 every morning."
The winning Collegiate crew of 1966 taken after the formal photo. David’s in the middle row above cox Simon Dickie. David's brother Rob is bottom right.
For David, the 5.30am starts would also prove to be a limiting factor after he left Collegiate with one clear goal in mind; to follow his uncle Michael - who flew Wellington bombers over Germany during the Second World War - into the Air Force.
" I knew that rowing was totally amateur. I knew that to get an accelerated promotion in the Air Force I had to get a degree. I knew I had to totally concentrate, not be down at rowing at 5.30 in the morning, then trying to do a degree, it would have affected my whole career."
David knocked off his science degree at the University of Canterbury in three years and found himself at flying training on Harvards and Devons in the RNZAF at Wigram. On gaining his wings, he was posted to Whenuapai in Auckland to fly Bristol freighters.
He retired from the Air Force after 10 years and went flying with Air New Zealand for 38 – co-piloting Fokker Friendships, then as captain on the Boeing 737s, 767s and 777s.
Rowing and the disciplines required for flying suited his personality.
" I know a lot about mechanical things and boats. I love checklists and planning, but that comes from being a pilot. I think Julie [David's wife] would say I'm a bit OCD."
The fridge magnets at the home of David Earle, all in order and perfect as a row of soldiers. His wife Julie reckons he's a bit OCD/OTT.
"I just love being around the rowers and the boats. I'm happy to put in as much time as it takes so that they can have a perfect boat, get there on time, have nothing go wrong…"
The mention of this triggers an OCD/OTT flash.
"…right, now I've got to remember that the 'Ansell' five rigger, the bolt came out of the top and if the boys had turned the boat over, the whole lot would have gone on the pontoon. So, I've got to go back and do that."
David's son rowed at Auckland Grammar so they got the benefit of his help; "I went to every regatta and helped fix boats and get them ready."
Now he's looking after the boats at all the regattas in a red Westlake shirt; his grandson Hadley's an Under-16 at the school.
Now and then: David Earle with the trophy that’s been a big part of his life.
David with his grandson, Hadley - an Under 16 rower at Westlake Boys.
He's also the brains behind ensuring the ramp down to the floating dock, which can get steep on a low tide and slippery in bad weather, is safe.
The danger of a runaway coach boat and trailer while 60 rowers are launching got David's mind working overtime on a modified belay system.
By coincidence, his neighbour had just offered him some climbing rope, which must have got his subconscious going.
" I just woke up in the middle of the night with what we needed. I worked out I needed a rope about 75 metres long, and then I could make a loop system that's tied off. I needed a cross strap, U-bolts to run the whole line through and a whole pile of carabiners."
It was an instant fix.
" I'm proud of having done that," says David. "That's how I feel I can put back. Volunteering is my job now, it gives me a reason why at 75 I can still stand up and still do things."
Before there was "slay", "drip" or "lit" there was "bonza" and yes, "boomer".
Just different words for great.
That's our David Earle.
Andy Hay
Andy Hay is a freelance producer, writer and Maadi Cup-winning coach. He was cox of the world champion New Zealand eight of 1982 and '83. He is NZ Olympian #446.
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- Home
- /
- School Rowing
- /
- Earle(y) morning man
Earle(y) morning man
"I just love being around the rowers and the boats. I'm happy to put in as much time as it takes so that they can have a perfect boat, get there on time, have nothing go wrong…" David Earle
Each month Andy Hay introduces one of the invaluable volunteers who add so much to keeping rowing going. In the first instalment, meet David Earle, a former rower with a prestigious Maadi Cup record.
David Earle was born just after the Second World War but that's not why the family call him 'Boomer'.
" My grandkids started it from very small," says the 75-year-old. "It's to do with the loudness of voice. My wife berates me all the time for talking far too loud."
So far there have been no complaints from the neighbours in the new apartment buildings at the end of Launch Rd in Hobsonville Point where David can be seen most mornings helping out the rowers at Westlake Boys' boat-launch area.
Early mornings have been a part of his life since he was a high-school rower himself and then as a pilot in the RNZAF and Air New Zealand.
These days, the early starts are part of what he calls his "new job".
He opens up the compound where the coach boats are stored, gets them primed up and lined up for launching off the pier that juts out into the Upper Waitemata.
"I get up at about quarter past four, so I'm down there at about quarter to five and I can save the crews about 20 minutes getting on the water," says David, who lives just up the road on what was once RNZAF Hobsonville, and where he was once based.
Talk about going full circle.
David started rowing shortly after arriving at Whanganui Collegiate.
The school was in the middle of what remains the longest winning streak in Maadi Cup history, masterminded by their revered coach, the late Dr Peter Irvine.
By the end of the fourth form, he'd made the senior eight with his older brother Robert and at the Maadi Regatta at Lake Waihola in 1966, the two Earle boys were part of Collegiate's winning crew.
David Earle in four seat of the 1966 Wanganui Collegiate eight. It was to become the first of his three straight Maadi Cup wins. David’s older brother Rob is in seven seat. The coxswain is Simon Dickie.
David made the boat again the following year and was rowing captain in '68. He's one of a handful of young men to have won three or more consecutive Maadi Cups and possibly one of the few people who remembers the wee incident with Peter's wife and the trophy just before the Maadi regatta in '67.
"They were getting ready to go to Karapiro, the cup was at Peter's house being cleaned to hand in and he must have put it down on the side of the driveway and Janet backed into it in the car. Peter rang my father because he knew Frank Drew, who was a jeweller, and I think it was whisked away, panel-beaten and repaired in a day."
It was from Doc Irvine that David learned the meaning of service to your sport.
"He was tough as hell," says David. "But we rowed for him, for ourselves as well, but we saw the amount of effort he put in turning up at 5.30 every morning."
The winning Collegiate crew of 1966 taken after the formal photo. David’s in the middle row above cox Simon Dickie. David's brother Rob is bottom right.
For David, the 5.30am starts would also prove to be a limiting factor after he left Collegiate with one clear goal in mind; to follow his uncle Michael - who flew Wellington bombers over Germany during the Second World War - into the Air Force.
" I knew that rowing was totally amateur. I knew that to get an accelerated promotion in the Air Force I had to get a degree. I knew I had to totally concentrate, not be down at rowing at 5.30 in the morning, then trying to do a degree, it would have affected my whole career."
David knocked off his science degree at the University of Canterbury in three years and found himself at flying training on Harvards and Devons in the RNZAF at Wigram. On gaining his wings, he was posted to Whenuapai in Auckland to fly Bristol freighters.
He retired from the Air Force after 10 years and went flying with Air New Zealand for 38 – co-piloting Fokker Friendships, then as captain on the Boeing 737s, 767s and 777s.
Rowing and the disciplines required for flying suited his personality.
" I know a lot about mechanical things and boats. I love checklists and planning, but that comes from being a pilot. I think Julie [David's wife] would say I'm a bit OCD."
The fridge magnets at the home of David Earle, all in order and perfect as a row of soldiers. His wife Julie reckons he's a bit OCD/OTT.
"I just love being around the rowers and the boats. I'm happy to put in as much time as it takes so that they can have a perfect boat, get there on time, have nothing go wrong…"
The mention of this triggers an OCD/OTT flash.
"…right, now I've got to remember that the 'Ansell' five rigger, the bolt came out of the top and if the boys had turned the boat over, the whole lot would have gone on the pontoon. So, I've got to go back and do that."
David's son rowed at Auckland Grammar so they got the benefit of his help; "I went to every regatta and helped fix boats and get them ready."
Now he's looking after the boats at all the regattas in a red Westlake shirt; his grandson Hadley's an Under-16 at the school.
Now and then: David Earle with the trophy that’s been a big part of his life.
David with his grandson, Hadley - an Under 16 rower at Westlake Boys.
He's also the brains behind ensuring the ramp down to the floating dock, which can get steep on a low tide and slippery in bad weather, is safe.
The danger of a runaway coach boat and trailer while 60 rowers are launching got David's mind working overtime on a modified belay system.
By coincidence, his neighbour had just offered him some climbing rope, which must have got his subconscious going.
" I just woke up in the middle of the night with what we needed. I worked out I needed a rope about 75 metres long, and then I could make a loop system that's tied off. I needed a cross strap, U-bolts to run the whole line through and a whole pile of carabiners."
It was an instant fix.
" I'm proud of having done that," says David. "That's how I feel I can put back. Volunteering is my job now, it gives me a reason why at 75 I can still stand up and still do things."
Before there was "slay", "drip" or "lit" there was "bonza" and yes, "boomer".
Just different words for great.
That's our David Earle.
Andy Hay
Andy Hay is a freelance producer, writer and Maadi Cup-winning coach. He was cox of the world champion New Zealand eight of 1982 and '83. He is NZ Olympian #446.
