RowingRelated

'Racing the heat' (Illustration: B. Kitch) The following is Part One of Joe Abrams's account of his trip to the 2012 Masters Nationals at Lake Quinsigamond: Driving West on I-90 in an oversized rental car, three thousand miles away from home, we were enjoying the freedom of a 4-day road trip. Marcus was his usual jovial, chatty self—the perfect antidote to my anxiety. We were still tired, feeling the effects of our red-eye flight two nights earlier, and it didn’t help that Marcus had stayed up till 4am the previous night, finishing up a project for work. But, after several cups of coffee, this morning’s trip from Cambridge to Worcester was going by quickly—we were absorbed in discussing our racing strategy. In truth, we knew exactly what we needed to do. Hundreds of hours and countless loops on Lake Merced in San Francisco had prepared us for this trip to take on the fastest boats in the country. Finding a parking spot along the road leading to Lake Quinsigam...

If you haven't seen this yet, it's well worth a watch. The above video, which splices together footage of Drew Ginn and Duncan Free rowing the pair prior to the Beijing Games (as well as some of Hamish Bond and Eric Murray training together in the lead up to London) with a now famous discussion of rowing technique, which Ginn recorded while driving home from a training session.  The approach he suggests is well thought-out, and based on years of personal testing with various crews at various speeds, and the results reflect the level of thought and empirical data behind this discussion.  As Ginn mentions, too often in rowing we find ourselves doing things simply because that is the way we were taught to do it. This is something we've touched on here before , and it bears further thought—to achieve to the best of your abilities requires constant analysis and evaluation.  Are there some aspects of your program that might not stand up to the question, "Will it make t...

For most, it's holiday break time, and, here in the Northern Hemisphere, that means lots of training indoors as we build strength and fitness through the winter months for spring racing season on the water. So, we figured we'd give you a bit of inspiration—the above video shows the French U23 squad nailing it down via weight circuits, indoor cycling, and ergometer work. The key, as always is to have your eyes on the prize—as coaches everywhere are fond of reminding their athletes, this is the time of year when races are won. Wishing everyone Happy Holidays from the whole team at RowingRelated! Only a few more days to vote in our reader poll—what would you like to see more of on RR? Want to suggest the next 'Video Of The Week?' Shoot us an email at rowingrelated [at] gmail [dot] com, send us your suggestion via Twitter ( twitter.com/rowingrelated ), or get in touch via our Facebook or Google+ pages. -RR

It's a game of inches We know that the most talented teams or athletes don't always win. It's part of what makes watching and competing in competitive athletics so much fun. It's when the details are handled better that a team with a little less talent can prevail. We've all heard the phrase "don't sweat the small stuff" when it comes to managing our jobs, relationships, hobbies, etc. We tend to like this advice, because it allows us to focus on the big picture while letting the details fade off to the side. The idea is to prevent yourself from getting bogged down in the minutiae of a particular problem or pursuit, when the larger scale issues have yet to be resolved, or are the issues of real importance.  While this may be valuable advice in many areas of our lives, I believe it can prove very detrimental when it comes to competitive athletics. This is true both for athletes and coaches, but especially for coaches, as they are the individuals respon...

The above (very nicely produced) video covers the eighth  African Rowing Championships , which were held in Alexandria, Egypt from 28 November-2 December, 2012, and saw athletes from nine countries compete across 16 events. While Egypt dominated the racing, taking home no less than nine gold medals when all was said and done, Algerian athlete Amina Rouba had a golden regatta of her own, as noted on the official website of FISA: The standout athlete was Amina Rouba of Algeria. Rouba picked up three gold medals from racing in the lightweight women’s single sculls, lightweight women’s double sculls and women’s double sculls. Rouba, 26, was Algeria’s sole rower at the London Olympic Games where she competed in the women’s single sculls finishing 26th. [To read the full write-up on the FISA website , please follow the link.] The event reflects ongoing efforts by the governing body of World Rowing to grow the sport on the African continent, with a recent and notable example c...

Lightweight standout Jérémie Azou of France has added yet another feather to his already considerably feathered cap, setting a new French record for lightweight men on the ergometer. Azou, who already holds the LM1x world best time (6:46.93, which he set at the U23 world rowing championships in 2011), blasted through the 2,000m test in 6:02.9. This result comes on the heels of his fourth place finish at the Olympic Games in London with lightweight double partner Stany Delayre , less than 0.8 seconds from a bronze medal. (The duo of Delayre and Azou had won back-to-back World Rowing Cup medals in Lucerne and Munich immediately prior to the Games.) Even more amazing? Azou celebrated his 23rd birthday in 2012. The lightweight men's indoor world record for 2k is 5:57.4, set last year by none other than Danish lightweight Henrik Stephansen (for a video of the test, click here ). In 2012, Stephansen decided to take a crack at qualifying for the Olympic Games in the men's heavy...

Barnes Bridge, Tideway, London (Photo: © B. Kitch) Tomorrow morning, Oxford and Cambridge will send their Trial Eights down the Boat Race course (from Putney to Mortlake) on the Tideway in London, in what will be an important, intra-squad tune-up for the main event, set for 31 March, 2013 at 4:30pm GMT. Dark Blue and Light Blue athletes seeking selection for the top boats have been divided into four crews. Two crews from Oxford, this year called 'Hurricane' and 'Spitfire' for the two most important British fighter planes during the Second World War, will face off against one another. Hurricane includes Yale alum William Zeng at stroke (perhaps most famous for his eloquence following the disruption of the Boat Race last year ), and GB 2012 bronze medalist Constantine Louloudis in the six seat, while the latter includes Canadian Olympic gold (Beijing) & silver (London) medalist Malcolm Howard at stroke. Cambridge will line 'Bangers' up against ...

The above video puts together some silky smooth shots of rowing, a look at cross-training, and a little background on what it takes to push yourself to become better every day in pursuit of the Olympic dream. Patrick Loliger Salas of Remo Mexico has made some waves on the international stage, and is a two-time Olympian, having finished 15th in Beijing, and 14th in London, less than one second behind Danish lightweight phenom Henrik Stephansen at Eton Dorney last summer. Here, we get some insight into his thought process and emotions as he takes on the challenge of racing at the highest level, in his own voice (for those not proficient in Spanish, there is closed captioning available). Through the winter, it's important to keep in mind that every day is an opportunity to improve–rather than looking at the coming months of intense training as an obstacle, approach each day, and each session, as a chance to make yourself, however slightly, better than you were the day, or the ses...

December 2012 issue of Rowing Magazine With midsummer approaching Down Under, a wave of retirements in the international rowing community has already drastically changed the landscape for the 2013 season, with the most recent announcement coming from Rowing Australia: four-time Olympic medalist Drew Ginn has decided to trade in his oar for a megaphone , and will be taking on a new role as joint head coach of the Aussie national team, alongside long-time coach Chris O'Brien . Not long ago, Kiwi Olympic bronze medalist Juliette Haigh announced her retirement from international rowing, as did Kiwi Matthew Trott , and it appears that Mahé Drysdale may be on the verge of calling it quits as well, after winning his first Olympic gold medal in London. Here in the U.S., Luke McGee and Bryan Volpenhein will be the new duo in charge of the U.S. men's team, as we've already discussed , while the DRV (Deutscher Ruderverband) will have to move on without the architect of their...

This week's (slightly delayed) video comes to us from the Norwegian under-23 men's rowing team, highlighting a day on training camp in Belgium . Again, here's a solid example of how to put a great recruiting video together (hint: small, waterproof digital cameras of an unspecified brand seem to do the trick), giving insight into multiple aspects of training, as well as showing multiple angles of the rowing stroke to create an overall impression of just what it takes to row on what looks to have been a three-session day for these guys in the coxless four. Submissions for our rowing recruiting video contest have already started coming in, with the final deadline set for 31 December . Submit a video for a shot at some JLRacing swag, as well as a chance to be featured on RR as our Video Of The Week to kick off the New Year. Want to suggest the next 'Video Of The Week?' Shoot us an email at rowingrelated [at] gmail [dot] com, send us your suggestion via Twitter (...

The above film is an in-depth, inside look at Portland Women's Rowing –beautifully shot and expertly edited, this gets at the core of what rowing is all about, in a subtle, powerful way. Founded by Jeanne Niemer in 2006, Portland Women's Rowing now has a permanent place in the Portland Boathouse, alongside Station L Rowing and Rose City Rowing Club (home to Ruth Narode , who took silver at the 2012 C.R.A.S.H.-B. Sprints, and later backed that up with a silver medal performance at Junior Worlds in Plovdiv, Bulgaria). More on PWR can be found on the Oregon Public Broadcasting website, along with a slideshow from the 2012 Portland Fall Classic. Thanks very much to writer and filmmaker Ifanyi Bell for sending us the video! -RR

The above video, which is the third in a recent series by Olympic gold and silver medalist Xeno Müller , provides a 15-minute tech talk looking at some of the most technically sound, efficient athletes on the international rowing circuit. The final of the lightweight men's four in London was, as expected, one of the most dramatic races of the regatta, and featured a bonafide rowing legend, Eskild Ebbesen (a five-time Olympic medalist, with three golds and two bronze-medal finishes), in the stroke seat of the Danish crew. Joining the Danes in the final were the 2011 World Champions from Australia , an excellent GB crew, a surprising Swiss crew, South Africa (now legends in their own right), and The Netherlands . We all know how it played out–the comeback victory for South Africa finished off what was an epic battle, marking the first-ever Olympic rowing gold medal for RSA. In light of their accomplishment, FISA honored the crew as its Male Crew of the Year , and recently publ...

Just to get you all in the mood for winter training, here's a look at what the Princeton Tigers have been up to recently–a great preview of the land-based fun to be had this season as the water starts to freeze and the humming of the ergo becomes an ever-present drone. As usual, the editors had a good time putting this film together–particularly good are the freeze-frame moments through the final minute (showcasing the watchful eye of head coach Greg Hughes ). We kicked off a contest for all our RR readers last week, and the submissions have already started coming in for a shot at some JLRacing swag and a featured VOTW for the best rowing recruiting video. Given the prevalence of small, HD video cameras with waterproof cases these days, putting together something worth watching shouldn't be too tall a task–and once you do, ship it on over! The deadline is 31 December, 2012. Want to suggest the next 'Video Of The Week?' Shoot us an email at rowingrelated [at] gma...

The above video, produced by UCL following the Head of the River Race earlier this year, is a fine example of a recruiting video (whether or not it was intended as such), as it gives the viewer a window into the sport, visually as well as from the athletes' perspective. And, it accomplishes all this making use of very little footage, concise interviews, and a classical soundtrack–quite different from the norm. Much like the series of videos that Oxford produced last year during the lead-up to the 2012 Boat Race (you can view the whole series of seven videos here ), this short film gets at just what rowing is all about–it is, well, beautiful. RR readers:  Have a recruiting video you want us to see? Ship it our way! Don't have one? Create one! Let us know in the comments on this post, via email at rowingrelated [at] gmail [dot] com, via Twitter ( twitter.com/rowingrelated ), or get in touch via our Facebook or Google+ pages. Should we gather enough responses, we will pic...

This week's video comes to us thanks to Mike Modlin's YouTube Channel , and gives us an inside look at last weekend's West Coast Fall Speed Order, hosted by California Rowing Club on the Oakland Estuary. The East Coast , Midwest and West Coast Speed Orders are all in the books for 2012, and there were a number of notable new faces in the mix with a view toward Rio 2016, including a healthy number of under-23 veterans looking to make the next step in their international rowing careers. Interestingly, two of the three Speed Orders saw lightweight scullers win the men's heavyweight single, with John Grave s taking East Coast honors, and RR interviewee  Nick Trojan doing work on the West Coast. For complete results from the East Coast , Midwest and West Coast Speed Orders, visit the official website of USRowing. Want to suggest the next 'Video Of The Week?' Shoot us an email at rowingrelated [at] gmail [dot] com, send us your suggestion via Twitter ( twit...

As I'm sure you all know, there was some big news for those of us stateside last week. That's right, USRowing announced that it would be taking on none other than Washington frosh coach Luke McGee to take over the responsibilities of coaching the U.S. men's eight and U23 men's eight, while current lightweight coach Bryan Volpenhein will take on the additional duty of coaching the men's heavyweight four. Oh, and we elected a president. Getting right down to it, there are some reasons to like this move, and some major questions regarding the timing and the new roles that these two coaches will take on as we begin a new quadrennium. First, let's look on the bright side. Personally, I was excited to hear that Luke McGee would be taking on a role with the U.S. national team, particularly after we named him as one of our top candidates (along with our top pick, Tom Bohrer , and California's Dave O'Neill ) in our piece calling out USRowing for not bein...

This week's video comes to us from the Thames, where the 2012 Head of the River Fours took place over the weekend, showcasing some of the top international and club athletes in the UK battling to begin a new quadrennium with a bang. The video shows the first 52 crews coming through the starting queue, led off by Leander Club's elite men's quad, who repeated as champions by just over two seconds ahead of Tideway Scullers in a time of 17:51.0. Oxford and Cambridge also had crews on the water, facing off for the first time, albeit not in match-race style. This time, Oxford's Elite Coxed Four bested bested their rivals, with Oxford's Isis II (a crew that included GB Olympic men's eight stroke Constantine Louloudis, and Canadian Olympic silver medalist Malcolm Howard ) placing seventh overall to CUBC's 11th, though Cambridge I (featuring GB Olympic bronze medalist George Nash ) crossed the finish just five second back of the Dark Blues. For complete resu...

The above video comes to us from Down Under, and is easily among the top contenders for best boat race challenge ever issued. Aussie national teamer Fergus Pragnell lays down the gauntlet in style, and even draws some laughs from the MUBC crews along the way. This year's Aussie Boat Race continued the trends on both the men's and women's sides, with the men from Sydney winning their third straight title and the women from Melbourne doing the same. More news and info is available on the official website of the Australian Boat Race . Also, as I'm sure you all know, there was some big news for those of us stateside on Tuesday evening. That's right, USRowing announced that it would be hiring none other than Washington frosh coach Luke McGee to take over the responsibilities of coaching the U.S. men's eight and U23 men's eight, while current lightweight coach Bryan Volpenhein will take on the additional duty of coaching the men's heavyweight four....

This week's video comes to us from Princeton pre-Sandy, and covers the 2012 Princeton Chase on Lake Carnegie. With race footage from the men's varsity heavyweight and lightweight eights, as well as the women's varsity eight event, this video is a thorough look at the racing and the atmosphere around the course, with a healthy amount of humor thrown into the mix – let's just say we're impressed with Greg Hughes ' repertoire of movie voice impersonations. Hats off to Princeton for another entertaining & informative race video! Follow this link for complete 2012 Chase results .  Want to suggest the next 'Video Of The Week?' Shoot us an email at rowingrelated [at] gmail [dot] com, send us your suggestion via Twitter ( twitter.com/rowingrelated ), or get in touch via our Facebook or Google+ pages. -RR

Gevvie Stone in Bled, 2011 (Photo: B. Kitch) Not only has Gevvie Stone accumulated quite a resume on the water, she’s no slouch in the classroom either. The eight-time (yes, eight-time) winner of the Head Of The Charles  capped off an Olympic year that saw her take seventh overall in the women’s single with her third consecutive title in the women’s champ single on the Chuck. Now, she has her sights set on more than just Rio : Stone is a medical student, whose goals for the next Olympic cycle include graduating from her program at Tufts University in 2014. Here, Stone shares a little about her background in the sport, her time at Princeton , her experience in London, and just how she manages to keep climbing the podium on her home course – the bottom line? There's no substitute for experience. RR: If my research is correct, this year marked the eighth time you've won the Head Of The Charles, including winning the top women's sculling event for three years running. I...

Three new videos via Drew Ginn – The Australian men's four, shown training in the video above (yet another beautiful example of Australian rowing technique), took silver in London in one of the most highly anticipated and dramatic finals of the Olympic Regatta – a drama heightened by their performance on the World Cup circuit. If they were nervous, however, it sure didn't show. Given the interviews below, Aussie phenom Drew Ginn might just have a bright future as a sports journo, to back up one of the most impressive rowing resumes in the world. Here, we get a (humorous) inside look at just what it takes to race at the elite level, following the final at the second World Rowing Cup in Lucerne/Luzern, Switzerland. I'm not sure whether James Chapman is a medical man, but he certainly seems to be well aware of the 'Latin' terminology for post-race fatigue. His boat mate, Will Lockwood , also throws around some decent banter, and proves that, even at the elite ...

As we start to think about winter, it's time to enjoy the last few weeks of on-the-water training – while plenty of water is currently headed toward the Eastern Seaboard, as 'Frankenstorm' Sandy arrives (stay safe over there everyone!), the indoor season is nearly upon us. So, here's another great look solid sculling from Rowing New Zealand , once again matched with a bass-heavy, dubstep mix. Plain and simple, this is a bad ass training video. Watch the bodies and legs move together, the hands flow around the turn, and the run of the boat, undisturbed by the recovery as the athletes slide forward to the catch, particularly in the stern pair. And, let it be a reminder for all those about to head indoors – appreciate your time on the water, and be ready to take lessons learned outdoors to your indoor training this winter, further ingraining the right progression into your muscle memory so that you can make a smooth transition back to the water next spring. The Head of...

Keeping an eye on the Charles (Photo: © B. Kitch) The 2012 edition of the Head Of The Charles was up there with the most stacked (in terms of Olympians on the course) and most dramatic (in terms of collisions) regattas to date. As we indicated last week, the field in the women's championship eight event was perhaps deeper than ever, with no less than five boats full of Olympians – the USRowing entry, The Netherlands, Canada, the 'Great Eight' (racing as Cambridge Boat Club), and London Rowing Club (made up of GB athletes). The men's champ eight showcased a Washington crew that has Canadian standout (and 2012 Olympic silver medalist) Conlin McCabe holding down the engine room – the Huskies are, once again, looking like a dominant force in collegiate rowing for the 2012-2013 season. Let's take a look at how our picks turned out in Boston. Women's Champ Single As we predicted, defending champ Gevvie Stone was duking it out with a fellow Olympian for the top...

This week's video comes to us fresh from the Charles 'Rivah,' posted last Friday as Radcliffe's preview for the weekend of racing in Boston. When all was said and done, the Black and White had edged the Canadian women's eight from the 2012 Olympic Games by just over one second to take seventh place overall in the women's championship eight. The 2012 Head Of The Charles was fraught with controversy this year in both the men's and women's champ eight events, which saw both 'Great Eights' fall to domestic crews. In the heavily stacked women's event, USRowing's 2012 Olympic medalist combination edged the Cambridge Boat Club women's 'Great Eight' on a penalty, while the men's champ eight event saw a collision between race leaders Washington and another USRowing crew (with three onboard from the 2012 boat) nearly result in a second-straight victory for Harvard . However, after a thorough review, the penalty that had been ...

Home stretch! (Photo: B. Kitch) The 48th Head Of The Charles is set to begin Saturday in Boston, MA, and it is arguably the best-ever in terms of sheer numbers of Olympians and national team athletes racing and attending the regatta. In addition to a large contingent of U.S. Olympians, there will be athletes from the British, Dutch, Canadian, Slovenian, Norwegian, New Zealand and Australian national rowing federations on hand, among others. Given the huge number of events at the Charles, one must needs be selective in making picks – as usual, opinions to follow! Women's Champ Single We see this as a showdown between local favorite Gevvie Stone (last year's Charles champ), and Olympic champion Mirka Knapkova . While Kim Crow is arguably the best athlete in women's rowing right now, we're wondering if her competitors experience and familiarity with the Charles course will prove too much for Crow this go around. We're also looking for strong performances from...

As we'd hoped, CRC head coach Bernhard Stomporowski has released a video with images and interviews from the California Rowing Club men's eight's experience of the 2012 Red Bull XRow, from Zug to Lucerne, Switzerland. Listening to the interviews, it certainly sounds grueling, but in many ways a great race to kick off fall training, and a complete departure from the norm. Speaking of fall training and racing, the Head Of The Charles kicks off this weekend in Boston, and, as you might have imagined, we're ready to shoot our mouths off about who's going to win. Picks and predictions coming up tomorrow on RR! -RR

This week's video comes to us from Down Under, and features a tour of the new course for the third annual Australian Boat Race – a head-to-head race between Melbourne University and Sydney University Boat Clubs, which alternates between the Yarra and Sydney Harbour – set to take place on November 4, 2012. The rivalry enjoyed by these two universities, and cities, is clear in the video included below, with highlights, interviews, and footage from inside the boats from the first-ever Aussie Boat Race from 2010. This year, the Australian Boat Race will be broadcast for the first time to some 420 million viewers across Southeast Asia, and the crews will feature multiple Olympians and national team members. Thanks very much to Michael of the Organising Committee for getting in touch, and we look forward to seeing how this year's race turns out! (As a former disciple of Paul Reedy , I've got to back MUBC!) Want to suggest the next 'Video Of The Week?' Shoot u...

Two years ago today, RowingRelated began with a Statement of Purpose . Since that time, we've tried to adhere to those guiding principles and provide the most accurate coverage and informed opinion pieces we can, in an effort to create a resource for rowers and help move our sport forward – and quite a journey it has been. The above video includes clips from interviews, races, travel and other boathouse banter accumulated over that time, and we're looking forward to much, much more. Thanks to everyone who has helped us along the way – and a special thanks to the RR Editorial Staff and the RR International Research Department  for all your hard work. Special thanks also goes to everyone at Rowing Magazine for the fantastic opportunity to work together and continue push coverage of the sport to the next level. Whether you're submitting research, written work, or simply reading and enjoying what we're doing, you're helping us to grow, and it is greatly appreci...

This week's video comes to us from Die Schweiz, and features highlights of last weekend's Red Bull XRow – an event that includes 19 kilometers of rowing and 7km of running (all while carrying the boat and oars). As we mentioned previously, a crew from California Rowing Club headed over to compete in the event – though it was their first XRow, the crew performed very well, placing sixth overall in a field of 17. This year, the home team took top honors, successfully defending their title from 2011. The Swiss crew was led by 2012 Olympians Mario Gyr and André Vonarburg , who, along with their teammates, edged two German crews (one of which, the Frankfurter RG Germania All-Stars, included Marcel Hacker ) into second and third place. For more on the event, check out the official website of the Red Bull XRow . Note for RR mobile readers: please follow the link above to view the video. Want to suggest the next 'Video Of The Week?' Shoot us an email at rowingrelate...

The Zurich City Sprints, which featured 450m races across all boat classes, were a success despite the weather, and another example of FISA's continuing efforts to bring rowing to a wider community. Innovative rowing races in Europe (last year's Golden Blades in St. Petersburg , the Red Bull XRow, and others) and the U.S. (the OG&E NightSprints is a good example) are helping to make the sport more accessible, and the event in Zurich was certainly no exception. The 2012 Red Bull XRow  (watch last year's event here ) is coming up this weekend, and will feature a crew from California Rowing Club that includes multiple athletes with national team experience, stroked by Grand Challenge Cup winner Brandon Shald , with two-time Olympian Olivier Siegelaar in the seven seat. Also making the trip are recent Harvard alum and former team captain Michael DiSanto , and Alan Kush of Virginia's 2011 ACRA champion varsity eight. Good luck to CRC in what looks to be one of th...

USRowing and Rowing Canada Aviron are at a turning point, with both programs in search of coaching and leadership following the Olympic Games. While RCA's issues are more to do with the polarizing effect of Mike Spracklen , USRowing has only itself to blame. In USRowing's case, there appears to be a continuing shift in favor of bureaucracy and away from what makes boats go fast. This is especially troubling considering the comparatively limited budget of USRowing in the international rowing sphere. As most in the rowing community expected, USRowing parted ways with Tim McLaren immediately following the 2012 Olympics. Let's face it – bronze medal at the Games aside (the product of the head coach becoming the men's four coach), it was not a successful Olympic cycle. However, instead of making a new men's head coach priority Number One, USRowing hired Curtis Jordan as the new high performance director. The problem is, USRowing already had a high performance directo...

This week's video comes to us from The Oklahoman's website, NewsOK, and features clips and interviews from around the course during the four-day Oklahoma Regatta Festival, which began on Thursday with the OG&E NightSprints (500m races under the lights) and finished Sunday with the distance races. During the festival, there was a rare public appearance from USRowing CEO Glenn Merry , as well as Harvard alums and 2012 Olympic gold medalists Esther Lofgren , and Caryn Davies , who attended the regatta festival to sign autographs and celebrate the sport. The festival takes full advantage of the Devon Boathouse's event space, which provides a great view of the course as well as ample facilities for the athletes – it's a very cool building, as I found out first hand last season while attending the 2011 regatta (follow the link for a Devon boathouse tour with Henley Grand Challenge Cup champion Ryan Monaghan ). [Note for mobile users: Please follow this link to vie...