His arduous training routine paid off. In 1984 he won a gold medal as part of a four crew with Leslie O'Connell, Shane O'Brien and Conrad Robertson at the Los Angeles Summer Olympics.
While that gold medal success was touched upon, it was his glory days with the Hawke's Bay club from 1974 to 1982 which were discussed in more detail and toasted during the naming ceremony.
These successes included second placings with Jock Mackintosh, who is now the Hawke's Bay Regional Sports Park CEO, in the premier coxed pair final at the 1980 nationals and the coxless premier pair at the 1981 nationals, and a podium finish in the senior eight at national level.
"It was pretty exciting and quite a thrill to have a boat named after me because I've been out of the club for so long. To have the first row in it alongside the likes of Jock and old crewmates Chris Morgan, Tony Blades and Mike Trautvetter as well as Simon Lack, who built the boat, was pretty special," Trask said.
A promising 1st XV rugby captain and lock at Karamu High School, Trask, had one more season of rugby with the Hastings High School Old Boys club before rowing became the priority.
He first gained national honours in 1979 as a member of the New Zealand Colts squad.
After missing out on national selection in 1981 and '82 Trask moved to Auckland in 1983 to row for the North Shore club and enhance his chances of national selection.
A world championship gold medal with the coxed four crew of Robertson, Gregory Johnston, O'Connell and Brett Hollister in Duisburg, Germany in 1983 was further endorsement of his move north.
"Hawke's Bay was a strong club but I needed to row with the best people at North Shore," he said, reflecting on how he didn't win any red coats (national premier titles) in Hawke's Bay colours but still caught the eye of national selectors.
The former Mayfair School and Hastings Intermediate pupil did slip on a red coat after he and Aucklander Eric Verdonk won a pairs title in 1986. The latter went on to claim bronze as a single sculler at the Seoul Olympics in 1988.
Trask was first selected for an Olympics in 1980 but didn't travel to Moscow because of the United States-led boycott. As a result of that selection he won the 1980 Hawke's Bay Sportsperson of the Year award.
The Los Angeles gold was special for Trask because his parents Charles, who died in 2015, and Murien, who lives in Havelock North, were among the spectators.
Although Trask coached and managed crews when the oldest of his and wife Serena's three children, son Josh, was involved with rowing around the turn of the century Trask is a spectator when it comes to rowing these days.
He is rapt with the current state of New Zealand rowing.
"It is as good as it has ever been. We're still winning world championship and Olympic Games medals and there are more rowers at elite level than we've ever had. New Zealand has a wonderful pathway to bring men and women into elite rowing."
He was equally as delighted with his role on Saturday night.
"To have almost 600 people amping for Hawke's Bay sport was awesome. You can't beat the push of the regional sports barrow."
