Third Annual River Bowl Classic
Hosted by the Oklahoma City Black Alumni Coalition
Saturday, August 3, 2024 | 6:00p to 9:00p
Devon Boathouse
The Third Annual River Bowl Classic was the biggest to date with the community coming together for an evening of spirited racing, great food, music and cheering! Participants and spectators alike displayed their school pride and connected with old friends.
In rowing, Star Spencer took first, John Marshall second and Millwod was third. Northwest Classen, Douglass, Northeast Academy and Southeast also competed in the fierce battle on the water. Boeing volunteers helped get 25 youth kayakers on the water for racing as the next generation joined the action.
The River Bowl was founded by Shawntay Alexander to capture the spirit of the Soul Bowl – the classic football rivalry between Millwood and Douglass. We celebrate Oklahoma City’s Black culture, as they vie for bragging rights on the water!
Events
- Alumni Rowing Races
- Alumni Dragon Boat Races
- Youth Kayaking
- Food Trucks & Music
Rowing
Teams practice for four months prior to the summer race. For more information or to join a team, please contact OBAC. Crews have included alumni from OKC metro schools including.
- Douglass
- Dunjee
- John Marshall
- Millwood
- Northeast Academy (NEA – now Classen School of Advanced Studies at Northeast Academy)
- NW Classen
- Southeast
- Star Spencer
Dragon Boating
The River Bowl is recruiting alumni to participate in dragon boat races – no experience necessary! Dragon boating is an accessible and easy-to-learn paddlesport. Watch for 2025 registration info!
Youth Kayaking
We welcome children and grandchildren of alumni and all current students to participate in kayaking.
Mission
The River Bowl is a fun, Reunion-style community event that lifts up Black alumni and current students from several Oklahoma City schools. Rowing, dragon boating and kayaking offer effective, low-impact workouts. The River Bowl Rowing League is providing access to watersports and creating a more diverse and inclusive rowing community.
According to USRowing the national governing body, only 13% of rowers nationally are people of color and only 2% identify as being Black. The Oklahoma City Black Alumni Coalition and the RIVERSPORT Foundation are addressing this inequity and establishing Oklahoma City as the leader in removing barriers and creating opportunities for participation. We are working together to remove the financial and historical obstacles surrounding watersports and create the largest Black rowing race in the country. Our hope is that the River Bowl will be an inspiration to other communities and be a model for innovative solutions to activating urban blue spaces.
“When I was recruiting for rowers, most said, ‘I don’t know how to swim.’ … So, it was really something that I’ve grown to appreciate from the very beginning, just understanding that people are taking chances. They’re believing in this idea that we can do something together, and we won’t leave each other behind.”
Shawntay Alexander, The Oklahoman