ALFA is the biggest indoor rowing competition in the Baltics"Biggest indoor rowing for Baltics" World Rowing (25 January 2008). Retrieved 15 June 2008 raced over 1,000 m on Concept2 indoor rowers. The first competition in Estonia on Concept2 rowing ergometers took place at the end of 1993 in the hall of the Lootos sports association. There were 54 participants in the competition, initiated by the Tallinn Rowing Club. In 1995, the second rowing ergometer competition took place in the sports facilities of Flora with the third event occurring at the same venue in 1996.
The competition was international for the first time in 1997 and the venue was then the Kalev gym at Tõnismägi. In 1998, the competition got the symbolic name ALFA and it took place in Pirita in the TOP tennis hall, and was repeated there in 1999. The 2000 Alfa competition was dedicated to the 125th anniversary of Estonian rowing. The venue, for the years 2000 as well s for 2001, was the Tallinn Sports Hall. In years 2002 and 2003, the competition took place in the Tallinn Kalev Sports Hall and since 2004, the International competitions on Concept2 rowing ergometers have been held again in Tallinn Sports Hall.
Between the years 1993–1997, the organizer of the competitions was the Tallinn Rowing Club and since 1998 the Tallinn Rowing Club in collaboration with the Estonian Rowing Association.
Over the years the number of participants in the Alfa competition has grown from fifty to five hundred and thus is one of the biggest indoor sporting events in Estonia. Nowadays, the Alfa has become a fixed calendar event for the rowers. In addition to rowers, representatives of other sports, amateurs, politicians, firms, school children, the representatives of the defence forces and rescue services etc. participate actively in the competition.
Winners Men YearAthleteTime1993 Jüri Jaanson2:51,81995 Jüri Jaanson2:48,91996 Priit Tasane2:57,41997 Klaus Geiger2:45,01998 Klaus Geiger2:44,31999 Jüri Jaanson2:46,62000 Jüri Jaanson2:46,32001 Tõnu Endrekson2:45,12002 Tõnu Endrekson2:44,62003 Pavel Shurmei2:39,82004 Pavel Shurmei2:41,92005 Pavel Shurmei2:40,32006 Pavel Shurmei2:40,22007 Tõnu Endrekson2:45,52008 Kristaps Bokums2:41,22009 Pavel Shurmei2:41,92010 Tõnu Endrekson2:45,12011 Tõnu Endrekson2:43,62012 Tõnu Endrekson2:42,52013 Tõnu Endrekson2:45,32014 Tõnu Endrekson2:43,82015 Tõnu Endrekson2:43,22016 Joel Naukkarinen2:42,92017 Pavel Shurmei2:42,52018 Pavel Shurmei2:43,32019 Tõnu Endrekson2:45,92020 Tõnu Endrekson2:45,12021 Tõnu Endrekson Leo Muiste2:46,22022 Tõnu Endrekson2:46,42023 Martin Milling2:48,8 Women YearAthleteTime1993 Piret Jamnes3:21,01995 Piret Jamnes3:17,31996 Piret Jamnes3:16,31997 Birutė Šakickienė3:17,91998 Birutė Šakickienė3:18,31999 Kalli Meriste3:21,42000 Kalli Meriste3:18,82001 Kalli Meriste3:20,42002 Kristiana Rode-Gulova3:16,72003 Kristiana Rode-Gulova3:15,62004 Kristiana Rode-Gulova3:17,32005 Kristiana Rode-Gulova3:14,32006 Kaisa Pajusalu3:16,62007 Jevgenia Rõndina3:26,82008 Kaisa Pajusalu3:15,02009 Kaisa Pajusalu3:13,72010 Kaisa Pajusalu3:11,62011 Kaisa Pajusalu3:13,32012 Elza Gulbe3:16,52013 Kaisa Pajusalu3:15,12014 Elza Gulbe3:14,72015 Kaisa Pajusalu3:16,42016 Lana Bračka3:17,82017 Liisu Mitt3:21,52018 Olena Buryak3:04,92019 Liisu Mitt3:19,62020 Grete Alttoa3:18,22021 Sonja Peltola3:18,02022 Liisu Mitt3:20,32023 Anni Keisanen3:24,1 Bold marks competition record
Wins by athlete Men RankAthleteWinsWinning Years1. Tõnu Endrekson132001, 2002, 2007, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2019, 2020, 2021, 20222. Pavel Shurmei72003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2017, 20183. Jüri Jaanson41993, 1995, 1999, 20004. Klaus Geiger21997, 19985. Priit Tasane11996 Kristaps Bokums12008 Joel Naukkarinen12016 Leo Muiste12021 Martin Milling12023 Women RankAthleteWinsWinning Years1. Kaisa Pajusalu72006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 20152. Kristiana Rode-Gulova42002, 2003, 2004, 20053. Piret Jamnes31993, 1995, 1996 Kalli Meriste31999, 2000, 2001 Liisu Mitt32017, 2019, 20226. Birutė Šakickienė21997, 1998 Elza Gulbe22012, 20148. Jevgenia Rõndina12007 Lana Bračka12016 Olena Buryak12018 Grete Alttoa12020 Sonja Peltola12021 Anni Keisanen12023
References
External links ALFA Official Webpage Concept2 Official Webpage