Success starts with moving backwards…

Tolsun Waddle

Lead Women’s Coach for Canadian Henley

Tolsun founded SKCF Rowing. In his brief coaching career, his crews have won Canadian Henley, USRowing national championships, San Diego Crew Classic, Head of the Charles, and the Dad Vail Regatta. Summer 2023 saw the inaugural iteration of the SKCF pairs project, when Tolsun coached four athletes to national championships in four separate events. Two of those athletes went on to win the U23 heavyweight pair at Canadian Henley.

Tolsun is a small boats specialist whose favorite boat classes are the single and the pair. He has won national titles in the single, double, straight pair, coxed four, straight four, and eight. 

Faby Velasquez

U19 Coach & Program Assistant

Faby started rowing and coxing at Mount Vernon High School Crew in 2013, earning local accolades as a junior and master’s coxswain, and continued that success at the collegiate and club level. After coxing 7 teams in the DMV to top finishes and making multiple appearances at Club Nationals and Head of the Charles, they began coaching juniors and masters. In 2022 they led Whitman Crew to 1st place in the girls Novice 8+ and 2nd in the Freshmen 8+ at WMIRAs. In 2023 they became the Director of Novice and Freshmen rowing for Yorktown HS Rowing and Varsity Girl’s Assistant under the leadership of Tolsun Waddle. 

RJ Rubino

Lead Men’s Coach for Canadian Henley

RowBuffalo’s U23/Sr Men’s program features RJ Rubino. A former US National Team oarsman, RJ won and medaled at both national and international regattas. RJ has led programs including RowBuffalo, BSRA, Canisius High School and the US National Team. RJ has led programs to win a U23 World Championship, eight Royal Canadian Henleys, seven USRowing Youth and Summer National Championships, seven Canadian Schoolboys and four US Schoolboys.

Ryan Ficorilli

U19 Coach & Program Assistant

The men’s program features Ryan Ficorilli, who led the Columbia University Rowing Team as captain for two years. He holds gold metal victories in eights at the Sprints. He has coached college and high school programs for over 10 years with gold medal results at NYS Championships, SRAA, and CSSRA events. He was a member of the US National Team and represented the US at the Pan Am Games. Ryan has won/medaled at every major regatta in North America. Alongside Coach Ficorilli, his assistant coaches are Peter Spira and Lars Finlayson. They have won 2 Club National titles and Henley gold. In addition, RowBuffalo has four Senior Coaches with national and international records of success