It's not just the rowing crews in training for Sunday's Head of the Lake regatta on Lake Wendouree.
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The schools' spit crews have also been putting in hours of training, fine-tuning the chants they hope will lift their teams to victory in the prestigious event.
Each school has a spit crew, or cheer squad, on the edge of the lake near the finishing line to spur them on with chants and war cries.
At Damascus College, the spit crew have been training every lunchtime for almost two weeks, and with their senior boys crew claiming victory in the Head of the Schools Boys Regatta last week, it's the first year the school has been considered a real chance to take out the prestigious head of the lake title
Spit crew co-captain Laura said the chants added to the atmosphere, with schools battling it out both on the water and on land.
"It's so good when everyone gets involved … it really makes for a great atmosphere on the day." she said.
Laura and fellow spit crew captains Jack and Grace have held meetings with the crew, coming up with some new chants for 2019.
The spit crew comprises year 12 students, siblings of rowers and others keen to lend their voice to the fever-pitch chants.
"The rowers have put their all in to work hard and be the best rowers, so this is how we can support them and put in our best," Jack said.
Damascus College sport coordinator Nikki Hexter said the spit crews were an integral part of the Head of the Lake.
"For so much of a rowing race the crews are on their own alongside other competitors. The rowers mention that as they get closer to the finish line they can hear the chants of the crowd come to life.
"The rowers have said they dig in that little bit deeper once they start hearing crowd because they know they're almost there."
The spit crews try to outdo each other and be the loudest as the rowers approach the finish line, contributing to the high-energy atmosphere of the regatta.
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"The spit crews do certainly train, not as much as the rowers themselves," she said.
The Head of the Lake, rowing's biggest day of the year in Ballarat, has been held since 1912, except for war years and years when the lake didn't have enough water. Over the decades a fierce rivalry has developed between participants Ballarat High, Ballarat Clarendon College, Damascus College, Ballarat Grammar, Phoenix College, St Patrick's College and Loreto College.
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