As soon as a new rowing event was announced for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, Canberra's biggest rowing enthusiasts, John and Jeanette Gasson, started planning for the ACT's first "coastal arena".
Currently under construction on Black Mountain Peninsula, the arena will include a permanent beach and an amphitheatre space with additional grandstands.
The future beach is designed to meet international standards for the new Olympic event, coastal rowing, which involves a 50-metre beach sprint to the rowing boats before the 250-metre race begins.
John and Jeanette Gasson are funding the construction entirely, expecting to spend about $1 million on the build, not including maintenance of the facility.
John Gasson started rowing at Telopea High School, and later met international rower Jeanette Gasson (nee Hall) at the former Eastern Suburbs Rowing Club (where Kingston Foreshore now lies), now the Black Mountain Rowing Club.
After Mr Gasson founded Construction Control, a major Canberra construction company, the pair spent a fortune on making rowing accessible to public school children.
In 2024, construction finished on the Red Shed, a $10 million rowing facility on Black Mountain Peninsula funded entirely by the Gassons.
Now, they've turned to building infrastructure for hosting world-class rowing events in Canberra.
"Lake Burley Griffin is perfect for the sport," Mrs Gasson said. "On a windy day, you get ideal waves for coastal rowing, and on a calm day it's great for flat water rowing."
The preferred wave height for Olympic coastal rowing is under 0.5 metres, a requirement well-matched to the gentle waves of Lake Burley Griffin.
The Australian Men's National Rowing Team is also based at Lake Burley Griffin, opposite Red Shed on the shores of Yarralumla.
"Coastal rowing is such an exciting format, it's a lot more fun to watch for spectators."
The first demonstration of coastal rowing at the arena will take place on October 30, the date of the Red Shed's Golden Oar regatta and festival.
The Golden Oar will include a series of events, with multiple international and Olympic athletes competing.
After negotiation with the ACT government, the Red Shed reached a licence agreement to operate the arena for 50 days a year.
On these days, the arena can be used for sports events including rowing, beach volleyball, and open water swimming; it can also be fenced off for private theatre or music concerts on the water.
The rest of the year, the arena and beach will be available for public use.
The beach will be made from Sydney sand, sourced from Kurnell. The grandstands will be turfed with grass, allowing members of the public to use the space for picnics.
"The government was really supportive in the approval process," Mr Gasson said. "They took the trees out for us and then we did the rest."
The coastal arena will be open access after the Golden Oar festival.
The festival, taking place on Black Mountain Peninsula from October 30 to November 1, will be free for all to watch, with food trucks and the Red Shed cafe open for spectators.
"We're expecting 160 crews, so at least 600 athletes," Mr Gasson said.
"There will be world champions and Olympians mixed in with school kids and Masters, which is older people's rowing."
The Red Shed's three-pronged mission statement is "rowing for all, inspiring wellness, and fostering community".
The Gassons feel the coastal arena extends this mission.
"One of our overarching goals is to get athletes who have gone through a Red Shed program to the 2032 Olympics in Brisbane," Mr Gasson said.
The Red Shed facilities have already significantly expanded the operation of the Black Mountain Rowing Club since it opened in 2024, with 83 young athletes in its recent elite junior program.
"Every morning there's 83 kids here training for nationals, and maybe one day they could get an opportunity for an Ivy League scholarship," Mr Gasson said.
Now, coastal rowing has been added to the repertoire, taking advantage of "one of the best bits of water in Australia," Mrs Gasson said.
"I can't wait to see what the coastal arena does for Canberran rowing, and Australian rowing, too."
