Rowing Numbers Tradition

You’ll notice on our site and in our newsletters that all rowers and coxswains post ~1985 are signified with “rowing numbers” next to their name, well into the thousands by 2026. Coaches Jan Palchikoff and Doug Perez started this tradition when they became coaches for the team, and every member of the team since this tradition started has been given a number awarded on a grey sweatshirt, highlighting the connectedness we share as members of this program.

While this is a wonderful tradition, it fails to highlight or recognize the numerous rowers preceding its inception, all of whom are just as connected to our program as anyone, and many of whom are responsible for creating the program.

We hope through our work we can ensure that all alumni, friends, and family of UCSB rowing are valued members of our community, whether they have a number or not.