16 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY june 6-12, 2024 www.montereycountynow.com A team of four women gets ready to row from Monterey to Hawaii, hoping to set a world record. Story and photos by Daniel Dreifuss For millennia, spectator sports have been dominated by male athletes, but finally, that is starting to change. Women have been staking out their place on the sports scene, and they are here to stay. More viewers tuned in to the women’s NCAA basketball championship than the men’s finale this year. A women’s hockey league is attracting a growing fan base. It’s also shifting beyond the mainstream. This year’s World’s Toughest Row, set to begin on June 8 in Monterey, will see more female teams than male teams attempting the 2,800-mile journey from California to Hawaii. Among these teams are the Hericanes, aiming not only to complete the row, but also to set a world record as the first all-women team of four to successfully make this voyage. The goal originated in July 2022, when 29-year-old Jennifer Hofer of Bend, Oregon, came across an Instagram post about the Great Pacific Race, sparking her interest in ocean rowing. She shared the idea with her sister, Kristen Hofer, 31, also from Bend, and Sierra Myers, 30, from Klamath Falls. “There was an upcoming informational meeting in Bend, so I sent it to Kris and Sierra, wondering if I was Left: The Hericanes have been training since February, spending hours rowing in Monterey Bay in the 26-foot boat they hope will take them to Hawaii. Below: The team held a small ceremony to rename their boat, now called Brizo. From left to right: Kelsey Pfender, Kristen Hofer, Sierra Myers and Jennifer Hofer. No Oar-dinary row
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