Archive · 5 Sep 2026
Bryan Fogel’s The Row Chronicles Tez Steinberg’s Ocean Quest
Tez Steinberg is an athlete who tried to row across huge parts of the Pacific Ocean alone.
One journey went from California toward Hawaii, and another went from Hawaii toward Australia.
He faced heat, rain, strong winds, broken equipment, and great loneliness.
Steinberg filmed much of what happened to him at sea.
Bryan Fogel turned those recordings and family interviews into a documentary called The Row.
The movie is about more than sports because it also examines grief and difficult family experiences.
Fogel said he and his team sometimes could not contact Steinberg and feared for his safety.
The film premiered at the Telluride Film Festival.
The Row follows extreme athlete Tez Steinberg’s attempted solo ocean crossings.
Steinberg attempted to row about 1,700 miles from Monterey, California, to Hawaii.
He later tried an even longer crossing from Hawaii to Australia.
Bryan Fogel’s documentary explores Steinberg’s grief, family history, resilience, and psychological strain.
The film premieres at the Telluride Film Festival using footage from Steinberg and two Pacific crossings.
- Who
- Extreme athlete Tez Steinberg and filmmaker Bryan Fogel.
- What
- The Row, a documentary about Steinberg’s attempted solo Pacific crossings and personal struggles.
- When
- The film’s world premiere was scheduled for the article’s publication day.
- Where
- The world premiere took place at the Telluride Film Festival in Colorado; the crossings occurred in the Pacific Ocean.
- Why
- Fogel made the film to explore the emotional story behind Steinberg’s endurance challenges, including grief, resilience, and family history.
- Film
- The Row
- Director
- Bryan Fogel
- Main subject
- Extreme athlete Tez Steinberg
- First route
- Monterey, California, to Hawaii, approximately 1,700 miles
- Second route
- Hawaii to Australia
- Premiere
- Telluride Film Festival
- Footage
- Steinberg said he recorded 600 hours; Fogel described more than 700 hours across two crossings.