Tallahassee International Rowing Association (TIRA) was created in 2013 as the non-profit organization holding the real-estate investments and all future projects for the Florida State Rowing Alumni Association (FSRAA). The FSRAA was the cooperation of rowing alumni spanning from the 90’s to the late 2000’s who aimed to ensure the Florida State Rowing Club would forever more have a stable and safe location to row out of.

The original Board of Directors, Ethan Johnson, Matthew Kacheris, Connor Poske, Madison Grant, and Graham Aplin, came together in the late 2000’s with the idea to end the unstable nature of the FSU Rowing Club. For these founding members, their rowing days at FSU consisted of carrying the boats into random backyards to get onto Lake Jackson, rowing in the Rez while avoiding debris, attempting to row at McClay Gardens, and wondering if rowers even needed to be in the water until regattas.

The history of struggle the team had built for decades was something these alumni wanted to end. With the help of Tallahassee native Dean Minardi, the Rowing Alumni Association bought 1045 Williams Landing Dr in 2016, the site the team had settled into for the past few years. Finally, the Team had a stable location to row out of for the first time in decades.

Once TIRA bought the land, the next step was to make it safe, a goal we continue to strive for beyond the simple basics we already accomplished. Our goals moving forward include developing our property across the street, fencing and increasing safety features on the main lake front, and building permanent structures to reduce the gradual erosion of the property.

Looking forward into the future is TIRA’s purpose, so the teams who use our facilities only worry about having fun. With your support, we will always be successful. And, as always…

ROW NOLES!