Rowers will take on Sound

Sketched Aug. 18, 7:25 a.m.

Lake Union was a big incentive to move to Seattle in 1995, explained California native and rower Evan Jacobs as I sketched the striking view from the back seat of his scull. Now he trains here for 90 minutes every morning before going to his job at Amazon.com.

Jacobs, 36, is competing this morning in the Great Cross Sound Race between Alki Beach and Bainbridge Island, which he has won the last three years. "It's a really wonderful event, with a mass start of more than 50 human-powered boats," he said.

Coach Frank Cunningham (see sketch in my blog) says Jacobs is one of the two best rowers at Lake Washington Rowing Club — the other is Tyler Peterson, who rowed with Jacobs in the 2003 Pan American Games.

Seattle's unique setting also lured coach Cunningham from Lowell, Mass., in the '50s. "The water, the mountains, the air... it beckoned me."

I share their feelings. Now I just need to learn to row.

(Race starts at 9 a.m. More information at www.soundrowers.org)

Seattle Times artist Gabriel Campanario sketches and blogs about life

in the Puget Sound area. Comment on this and other drawings at seattletimes.com/seattlesketcher. E-mail him at gcampanario@seattletimes.com