The 8 Things to Be Aware of as a Rower
From learning how to effectively "pull your own weight" to knowing the different levels of competitive rowing, there's a LOT to know about the rowing community. Read this to discover the top 8 things you must know to get by in the rowing world.
A Tidbit of History...
1) “Pull your own weight”
Meaning that no one gets a free ride here. Except for the coxswain, duh. But “pulling your own weight” is a phrase that originated from rowing, meaning that each crew member must make him or herself worth putting into the lineup. It’s funny because it seems that more people know of this phrase than of the Head of the Charles or the British Henley--not that they know where it comes from. This is the most famous rowing has (secretly) ever been people!!
For the Novice…
2) “Catching a Crab”When I started coxing, I was quite seriously shook because I’m a vegetarian and I’m an animal person. BUT, we ain’t crabbing here. “Catching a crab” confuses so many non-rowers because, well, crabs are the most RANDOM animals and completely irrelevant to rowing. Why can’t we “go fishing” instead when the blade gets caught at the catch? That’s what it means, by the way. Getting the blade stuck and receiving a friendly whack in the face by your oar. How it involves crabs, and the history of that phrase….I do not know.
For the Coxswain…
3) The 9th Seat
So Mary Whipple is this super awesome / hilarious / approachable woman who happens to be a three time Olympic medalist as a coxswain. If you’re involved with rowing, you should know who she is. She started the 9th seat as a way to educate coxswains, because they don’t receive much coaching. Most coached don’t really know how to handle coxswains in my opinion. She has summer camps that develop coxswains, as well as providing resources. Below is the website. At the least, check out “Whips Tips” for some seriously sick Head of the Charles tips on steering the perfect course.
4) Ready all, Row
Another wonderful resource that I don’t think has been updated in a while, but really should be. Kayleigh provides some thoughts on riding in the 9th seat, and touches on issues ranging from managing novice coxswains to understanding the tricky coxswain complex. Read some of Kayleigh's blogs on the Medium.
5) Coxswain Recordings Online Mostly Suck
Dear Past Self: Do. Not. Listen. To. Them.
They’re a good way to hear how other coxswains command their crew when one first starts coxing, but every coxswain has their own style, and each crew needs something different. The best advice I could give to coxswains is to not say much/really anything the first few months and develop steering and boat feel. Be a mime!! Send smoke signals for power 10s!! Once a cox has those skills down, he or she can work on making calls based off of those things and off of important information.
In General…
6) Paralympic Team
If you’re a coxswain or an impaired athlete hoping to make the national team, this may be a good outlet for you! The paralympic team competes globally and at the Olympics. You even get cool medals that make sounds! The paralympics is critical to making rowing a more universal and inclusive sport.
7) The IRA
I made it through years as a D1 athlete without understanding what the hell the IRA REALLY is beside a way of saying I’m-the-Michael-Phelps-of-Rowing-and-can-wear-my-pjs-while -racing-and-still win. For the most part, the IRA is a really competitive group of athletes, mostly at ivy league schools. Turns out that the IRA stands for “Intercollegiate Rowing Association”. The IRA is the oldest collegiate rowing championship in the US, and you have to be invited to it. It’s like sitting with Regina George in Mean Girls: the elite select you and ya do what you can.
8) People are Approachable!!
This is the most important part of this article. If you are thinking of taking the sport as far as you can, or are just looking to get involved, REACH OUT. I have no idea how I’ve gotten where I am today, but it has a lot to do with people’s patience and belief in me, along with a dash of luck. The rowing community is wicked small, so people understand where you are coming from, and will be excited to help out.
More Rowing Articles From Our Boathouse Ambassadors
THE SEVEN THINGS THAT ONLY A ROWER CAN UNDERSTAND
Boathouse Ambassador Tymir Green-Ellis shares his perspective on life as a rower – From the dreaded "canoeing comparison" to the agony of watching a novice on the erg, a rower’s life is something that not everybody can understand. Here's Tymir's top 7 things most people outside of rowing culture will never get. Read Tymir's Story
BOATHOUSE BRAND AMBASSADOR PROFILE – A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A COXSWAIN
Meet Jesse – He's one of the main coxswains for Boulder Community Rowing in Colorado, as well as their novice coach. He first heard of Boathouse while rowing for Colorado Junior Crew when he was ordered his first Gore-Tex Stevenson. Since then he's accumulated total of three different Stevenson Jackets, one of which was purchased in 2016 at the Head of the Charles Regatta to have autographed by the United States' Women’s 8 gold medalists. We asked Jesse to share a typical day training for fall race season in Colorado, and explain his thoughts on what makes a great rower, the challenges of training on the water in Colorado, and why getting “out of your head and into the boat” is a game changing mentality for rowers. Read Jesse's Story
TURNING GRIEF INTO THE ACTION THAT WOULD FULFILL MY DREAM OF BECOMING A ROWER
Tragedy and loss can galvanise us into action, making our priorities crystal clear, and give us a strength we did not know we had. Boathouse Ambassador and Navy Veteran Russell Gernaat knows this all to well. When his wife of 22 years passed away from cancer, Russell focused his grief into the energy needed to fulfill his lifelong dream of learning to row and train for in the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics. Having come out the other side of grief, Russell knows that when tragedy strikes you only have two choices “You can spin circles and go nowhere, or you can get up and move forward.” Read Russell’s Story.
