Welcome to the 2023 Frostbite Regatta
Photo by Alex Grümmer
58th Annual Frostbite Regatta
Saturday, November 4, 2023
Green Lake, Seattle
First held in 1964, the Frostbite Rowing Regatta is hosted by Green Lake Crew and the Rowing Advisory Council on the first Saturday of November. Back-to-back with the Head of the Lake Regatta on Sunday, many crews make a weekend of racing in Seattle.
A penguin is the fitting mascot for these 1000-meter all-weather rowing races for all skill levels and ages. We are looking forward to hosting a day of fantastic sprints. Welcome back to Green Lake, where we pull hard, go fast, and have fun!
Location and Venue
Green Lake is a freshwater glacial lake in the northern part of Seattle, so named for its color which is influenced by algae blooms. The Duwamish (indigenous people of the land presently called Seattle) name for the lake was dxWTLusH, a Lushootseed word of unknown meaning. Green Lake is one of the most protected bodies of water in the Seattle area, allowing for rowing at times when clubs on the big lakes are closed due to wind and bad weather. Its surface area is 259 acres (1.05 km2) and it lies within Green Lake Park, which has a 2.8 mile walking/running path around the lake.
The rowing course is a straight 1000m sprint buoyed course. Crews launch at the southwest corner of the lake at the Green Lake Small Craft Center and row counter-clockwise around the east edge of the lake to reach the start line.
The finish line is directly in front of the spectator area at the Small Craft Center. Best viewing spots are along the shore to the north of the Small Craft Center and in the Aqua Theater stands. Races can be viewed from start to finish. Launching and landing are from rowing docks.
Facilities include restrooms and port-a-potties. There is minimal parking available near the staging area and start line, with priority going to trailers and other official crew vehicles. More parking can be found within a short walking distance at the sports fields across the street and in the surrounding neighborhoods. DO NOT PARK ON W GREEN LAKE WAY N. You will be ticketed and possibly towed if you park along the road. It happens every year – don’t let it happen to you.
New in 2021 was a reconfiguration of the street to include a two-way bike path on the lake side of W Green Lake Way N. In the time since the last Frostbite Regatta in 2019, a two-way bike path was also constructed around the entire lake, so things in the neighborhood may look a little different than the last time you came to Green Lake. Please be mindful of bikes in the path when you enter and exit the parking lots. Green painted pavement indicates areas where car and bike traffic may intersect, and you should be watchful for bikes in those areas.
Although there is no food right at the regatta location, there are coffee shops and restaurants within comfortable walking distance in the nearby neighborhoods.
Race Course
Green Lake uses a buoyed 1000-meter race course, with a counter-clockwise approach path around the east side of the lake and a warm up area prior to the start line. You can download a PDF of the race course at the link below the map.
Volunteers
Shells are powered by rowers, and regattas are powered by volunteers. There are a multitude of ways you can help with running the regatta, and most of them require no experience at all.
Roles include timing staff, “trail patrol” (assisting the crews in safely transporting boats across the pedestrian path), food tent, dock masters, and launch drivers. Please see our Volunteers Page for more details about all the roles available. To sign up for this year’s Frostbite, click on the button to go to the Signup Genius form.
Frostbite Apparel
All of our merchandise sales will be onsite, provided by Northwest Designs Ink.
Directions and Parking
We are located at 5900 W Green Lake Way N
New! Just opened on October 2nd, there is a Link Light Rail station at on 12th Ave NE between NE 65th and NE 67th streets, a 36-minute walk from the Green Lake Small Craft Center
For bus access, we recommend using the King County Trip Planner, located here: https://tripplanner.kingcounty.gov/#/app/tripplanning
From I-5 (north or south)
Take exit #169, 45th/50th Street exits. You want 50th St.
Turn West on 50th St.
Stay on 50th to Stone Way/Green Lake Way.
Turn right on Green Lake Way and go 1/4 mile
Turn left onto W Green Lake Way N
The facility is 1/4 mile up on the right, next to the historic Aqua Theater.
From Highway 99 Northbound
Take the exit at Green Lake Way North.
Proceed through the intersection at Green Lake Way N and N 50th St. onto Green Lake Way N.
Turn left onto W Green Lake Way N just after the sports fields.
The facility is 1/4 mile up on the right, next to the historic Aqua Theater.
From Highway 99 Southbound
Exit with a slight right turn at N 66th St.
Take a sharp left onto Woodland Place N
Continue on to N 63rd St.
Turn right onto W Green Lake Way N
The facility is 1/4 mile up on the left, next to the historic Aqua Theater.
Trailer parking is in the two parking lots on the WEST side of W Green Lake Way N (across the street from the lake).
There is minimal additional parking available in the lot directly behind the boathouse/Aqua Theater. More parking can be found within a short walking distance at the sports fields across the street and in the surrounding neighborhoods. DO NOT PARK ON W GREEN LAKE WAY N. You will be ticketed and possibly towed at your expense if you park along the road. It happens every year – don’t let it happen to you.