Mention Texas and you might picture the Wild West — flat, dusty highways, and tumbleweeds rolling by. But head to Austin, tucked into the Hill Country, and you’ll find something different.

Right in the heart of the city flows Lady Bird Lake, a stretch of the Colorado River that has become a daily gathering place for runners, paddlers, and rowers alike. On its banks sits a true Austin institution: Texas Rowing Center.

For owner Matt Knifton, this place isn’t just a business, it’s where his story unfolded. His ties to the lake reach back to the 1980s, and over the decades he’s become not just an owner, but a steward — someone who has quietly shaped the culture of rowing in Austin, protected access to the water, and ensured that this shoreline remains a starting line for generations to come.

In this conversation, we also explore how Matt is thinking about the future — and what thoughtful, sustainable growth looks like for a place so deeply rooted in community.

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QUICK LOOK

00:00 - Intro 02:12 - Welcome and Matt’s rowing week on a scale of 1-10: 6 (great weather!) 03:25 - The Huddle 04:35 - The Hot Seat 6:00 - Matt's rowing origin story started at the University of Texas 10:47 - How the University of Texas women’s program got its start in Austin in the 1980s 11:30 - Matt’s daughter Kate Knifton, an Olympic rower, only agreed to learn to row after seeing tall boys at Texas Rowing Center 14:38 - How Matt came to be the sole owner of Texas Rowing Center 17:01 - TRC member and rowing evangelist Napoleon Griffin 19:08 - The growth of rowing in Texas: Austin, Texas Hill Country, Lady Bird Lake, and the University of Texas 23:48 -  The synergy between competitive rowers and weekend SUPers at TRC 25:11 - Aha moments running TRC 27:25 - Daniel Velazquez: TRC’s famous greater 30:22 - The “boathouse welcome mat” concept and TRC’s commitment to inclusion and accessibility 36:20 - Rowing! Come try it! 39:06 - The vision: Make Austin a center of rowing in the United States. Mission accomplished. 40:47 - For Matt, rowing on Lady Bird Lake is rewarding 43:14 - Steady State Network news and notes

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To see photos of Matt, Katie, and Daniel,  and get links to the people, clubs, and events mentioned in this episode, check out the show notes on our website.

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This episode was made possible in part by RowSource and our Supporters.

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Steady State Podcast is a production of Steady State Network. It is hosted and edited by Rachel Freedman and Tara Morgan. Tara provides additional audio engineering, books show guests, and is our sponsor and donor coordinator. Rachel writes our scripts and e-newsletter, and manages the website and social media. Our theme music is Open Mind by Soundroll.

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