“Sydney University Boat Club kindly offered the rowers this stunning backdrop for a shoot at their boathouse,” says Warwick Rowers calendar photographer Angus Malcolm. “Sydney has one of the world’s most beautiful natural harbors, but that did not stop the rowers from giving their all to improve the view. Here, Amir, Herne, Lucas, Robbie Manson (current world record holder as fastest single rower), Felix and Jorge offer a cheeky preview of Sydney Harbor 2.0.”
San Francisco adults love nothing more than to dress up in costumes— witness the popularity of Burning Man, the Edwardian Ball and Halloween— and to undress as well, at Folsom Street Fair, Dore Alley’s Up Your Alley fair, San Francisco Pride and, even, at the corner of Castro and Market streets. In that vein, the latest calendar from the Warwick Rowers ($19) should strike a chord. Although not from the Bay Area—Warwick, England, rather—the rowers are part of a gay-straight alliance that raises money for Sports Allies, a charity that promotes gender inclusion and fights against homophobia in sports, making it markedly different from ESPN The Magazine’s The Body issue, an annual foray into the celebration of the nude athletic form. Since its inception in 2009, the Warwick Rowers calendar has raised more than $150,000 for the charity. Yes, we’re four months into the year, but the pinup—featuring two-time Olympian Robbie Manson of New Zealand, the world’s fastest sculler—is something of a collector’s item, and, dare we say, with all those toned backsides, as saucy as ever.
Originally published in the April issue of San Francisco