Regarded as the first major regatta of the year, the San Diego Crew Classic brings together thousands of athletes from more than 100 universities, clubs and high school programs across the United States. Spanning ages 14 – 84, the Crew Classic is a competition for future Olympians as well as for those new to the sport. This event is often a highlight of their competitive rowing careers. The Crew Classic is not only an athletic event with competitors at the peak of physical fitness, but a social gathering for enthusiasts to enjoy great local food, a beer garden with San Diego’s famous local craft breweries, and shopping. The event is held at Mission Bay, just a mile from the Pacific Beach.

On Thursday, February 20, 2025, US Navy veterans and long-time Midway docents, Brian Butler, MA, and Steve Walker, Top Gun graduate, will present a dynamic visual journey of how the longest-serving aircraft carrier became the most visited ship museum in the world. Learn more about the Midway’s history, transition to museu,m and how today, a visit to Midway not only lets guests enjoy more than 80 years of naval aviation history but provides a first-hand experience to discover what it’s like to be a naval aviator.

Hear about the legacy of this amazing aircraft carrier museum, the extensive collection of restored military aircraft, and how the museum’s flight simulators and virtual reality experience put visitors in the pilot seat. 

Albert Lin is a professional explorer, blurring boundaries between human and machine, while uncovering the lost wisdom of our past. Despite losing his leg below the knee in 2016, Albert maintains a relentless quest into the farthest reaches of our planet—from Mongolia to the Mayan jungle—employing a technologist’s approach to unearth lost cultural stories and rituals.