Rowing Pioneer Gaudaur Inducted in Heritage Category
Orillia’s Jake Gaudaur, one of the pre-eminent rowers of the early days of the sport in Canada was honoured on Wednesday with an induction into the Heritage Category in the Row Ontario Hall of Fame.
Gaudaur was a teenager when he was encouraged to take up professional rowing by another Ontario rowing legend, Ned Hanlan. In 1875, Hanlan invited Gaudaur to substitute for him in a $500 challenge race in a skiff, a type of boat which Hanlan no longer rowed, on Lake Couchiching in Gaudaur’s hometown of Orillia. After he won the challenge easily, Hanlan took Gaudaur under his wing and promoted Gaudaur and his brother Francis in professional double sculls races for several years. Until the early-1880s, however, Gaudaur only competed occasionally. It wasn’t until Toronto Hotelier Richard Dissette agreed to pay his living expenses, that he devoted himself to rowing full-time and was soon racing all over North America. He competed in regattas and one-on-one match events in singles, doubles, and the occasional fours, often in the same regatta, partnering with whomever was available. Most races were three miles or longer, and Gaudaur would go on to race more than 200 times in his career.
Gaudaur was gaining a reputation as one of the top rowers in Canada and in 1886 won the American Sculling Championship in Chicago. He sought out to challenge competition from around the world and later that year faced off against Australian William Beach on the Thames River in London. Gaudaur lost the four-mile race in one of the closest contests of its kind ever held. However, after that defeat, Gaudaur rarely lost a match for the rest of his career, winning American and Canadian Championships and defeating most of the major oarsmen of the era, including Hanlan.
Gaudaur would emerge from Hanlan’s shadow to become one of the premier scullers of his generation and in 1896, at the age of 38, he won the world singles championship in London that Hanlan had lost 12 years earlier. He returned to Canada in great triumph. Toronto gave him a civic reception, and in his hometown of Orillia he was honoured with a steamboat parade, a gold watch, and a tribute from the mayor. Gaudaur held the title for five years before losing it, on Sept. 7, 1901, to Australian George Towns. The race would be the last of Gaudaur’s esteemed rowing career.
In retirement, Gaudaur ran a successful hotel in Sudbury before returning home to Orillia where he became a boat-rental operator and fishing guide, until his passing in 1937 at the age of 79. Gaudaur was inducted into the Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame in 1956.
Row Ontario will be announcing the inductions of the 2026 Hall of Fame class throughout the week as part of ‘Hall of Fame Week’. Already announced this week are Peterborough rowing builder Chris Leach, and long-time Leander Boat Club coach Jim Roche. Stay tuned this week for more announcements on the 2026 induction class of the Row Ontario Hall of Fame.
The 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026 induction classes will be honoured in-person at the Row Ontario Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on Saturday, Nov. 28 in the Niagara area. The HOF induction ceremony is part of the Ontario Rowing Summit weekend. To purchase tickets to the HOF induction ceremony, visit the link below:
