Sequim Gazette staff

While the world awaits the coming of the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, stories of the 1936 Olympic Games still resound.

The Olympic Peninsula Rowing Association hosts a free pre-screening of the PBS documentary, “The Boys of ’36,” set for 7 p.m. Friday, July 29, at the Port Angeles Community/Senior Center.

Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and a full house is anticipated for the screening that’s open to the public.

The PBS movie, part of the “American Experience” series, documents the story of nine working class young men from the University of Washington who took the rowing world and the nation by a storm when they captured the gold medal at the Olympic Games in Berlin, often described as “Hitler’s Olympics.”

Inspired by the best-selling book “The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics” by Daniel James Brown, the movie features interviews with author and historian Brown as well as surviving children of the 1936 Washington team. Their unexpected victory, against not only the Ivy League teams of the East Coast but also Adolf Hitler’s elite German rowers, gave hope to a nation struggling to emerge from the depths of the Great Depression.

One of the “Boys in the Boat” was Joe Rantz who has ties to the peninsula: He lived in the Sequim area as a youth, met his wife Joyce (Simdars) and was a student at Sequim High School.

Joe’s daughter, Judy Rantz Willman, is one of the adult children featured in the interviews in the movie. She serves on the Olympic Peninsula Rowing Association’s Board of Directors and she is planning to be on hand to help introduce this pre-screening.

“We are excited to present this program to our community,” John Halberg, founder and President Emeritus of the Olympic Peninsula Rowing Association, said. “Joe Rantz was my hero when I was rowing at the University of Washington and I know those who attend this premiere showing won’t be disappointed.”

“The Boys of ’36” premieres on “American Experience” in August on PBS in conjunction with the Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro and the 80th anniversary of the miracle crew’s triumph.

Those who cannot attend the screening at the senior center (328 E. Seventh St., Port Angeles) will be able to view the movie on Aug. 2 on the local PBS station, KCTS 9.

About OPRA

The Olympic Peninsula Rowing Association is a local 501(c)3 nonprofit organization working to establish a rowing club on the peninsula that members hope to “grow in numbers of participants and in quality of performance.” They are offer “Learn to Row” summer camp programs for both youth (middle school to high school age) and adults.

For more information, email oprayouthadultrowing@gmail.com.