Asay boat history
The boats that we row are truly one of a kind, and we all have Bob Asay to thank for that. Bob was a lifelong Asbury Park Lifeguard, and in the early 90’s, saw an opportunity to redefine the sport he loved so much. Bob’s impact on this sport is truly legendary. It’s hard to say if someone else could have come along and blended so perfectly the same attention to detail, pride in craftsmanship, and technical knowledge that Bob did to create such a beautiful boat. Until this point, the lifeguard rowing equipment was comprised of a few different boat builders-all with their own advantages and disadvantages over each other. Hankins, Robinson, and Van Duyne were the 3 prominent boats being used by guards across the Jersey Shore at the time. All 3 boat designs were the respective builder’s take on the famous Sea Bright Skiff. These boats were made of wood construction, fixed seats, and an open hull design; not deviating far from the original skiff design. For decades they were raced by lifeguards in USLA and local competitions up and down the East Coast, and many people never thought there was a need to change it.
Throughout the 1980’s and 1990’s Asbury Park Beach Patrol was quietly becoming the powerhouse of any and all sports the related to Lifeguarding. A favorite landing spot for the swimmers and wrestlers of Monmouth University during their summer’s off, Asbury Park Beach turned into a world-class training room. Under the leadership of Chief Joe Palatto, the guards of the Asbury Park Beach Patrol redefined the sport of rowing. Bob Asay, John McEntee, Mike Fidek, Chip Eichorn and Dave Healy were all instrumental in creating the boat we know today. Bob Asay, with the mind of an engineer, took it upon himself to start designing a prototype boat that was built for speed, maneuverability, and strength.
This boat, while sharing that same Sea Bright Skiff silhouette, took the best attributes of the previous generation’s boats and was redesigned from the ground up. Asay sought to build the fastest boat on the water while still maintaining its balance and ability to ride waves and punch through the surf. Asay opened up a shop located at 2nd and Ocean on the boardwalk in Asbury Park, where the boat design and construction would evolve. It was there that the boat design received input from the rowers, adjustments would be made, and the testing would take place either down the beach in the water, or down the road at Deal Lake. Some of the major changes made to the boat were: the introduction of sliding “Australian Style” seats, rotating oar locks, and most notably, a false bottom deck with holes above that deck to enable the boat to self bail water out of it. Fiberglass construction came not long after as weight became the biggest penalty to the initial model. Our season finale “Jungle Row” in Deal Lake has been running ever year for 35 years, and pays homage to the place that these boats were proven and tested. That shop became the home away from for many guards and friends throughout the years until it was later moved to Ft. Pierce Florida in 2002 where Asay continued building boats until he happily retired. In this sport, as in any sport, results are what people take notice of. The Asay Self bailing boat became the clear choice for rowers across the country when it’s unparalleled success was seen at the annual USLA National Competition. Since then, every national champion has crossed the finish line in an Asay self bailer. Whether it be the Open, Coed, Age groups, or American Ironman; the Asay self bailer is and has remained for decades as the fastest boat on water.
