Photos: Ridgewood Crew Team Rows at Van Neste

It wasn't a normal fitness routine in the park on Saturday, in case you were curious.

You might have been wondering what a bunch of teens on strange-looking gym equipment were doing – it was the Ridgewood Crew team with 20 erg rowing machines, what the team uses to stay in rowing shape when it can't be in the water.

A club at RHS and a prolific one at that–top-three placements in national and state championships–the self-funded non-profit emphasises team work (there are no MVPs) and something parents might find even a bit more important: rowers on the team have had interest from big name programs like Harvard, Georgetown, Duke and others. It recently celebrated its first female athlete receiving a full, four-year rowing scholarship.

Baked goods were sold on Saturday and the 64 athletes and head coach Helen Worznack invited the public to try out the ergs. Patch photographer Chris Costa was there to capture the crew at work.