Rowing Basics: Equipment, World Rowing Events, Terminology

Last updated: 10.01.2021

Rowing is the ultimate outdoor adventure for daredevils and fitness enthusiasts. While it may look like a strictly upper body workout, there is more than meets the eye. Rowing is also referred to as “Crew” in several countries, including the United States of America. Rowing can be traced back to ancient Egyptian times when different teams used to compete against one another in the River Nile.

The most basic elements of this sport are a rowing boat and oars. It is a challenging athletic activity in which the participants have to push against the water with the help of oars and generate enough force to move the boat in the opposite direction. Nowadays, rowing has become a part of international sports competitions, and hundreds of teams compete against one another with agility and enthusiasm.

About Rowing: A Brief Overview

You should know that rowing requires an intense workout and upper body strength to move the boat against the water. In general, rowing teams consist of eight people or more to help them keep moving forward against the water. The modern rowing sport can be traced back to the 17th century when professional watermen competed against one another on the River Thames in the United Kingdom.

Some people also like to tackle this challenging task by themselves, and the rowing boat used for a person is called a “single scull.” On the other hand, when eight people or more participate in this activity, the rowing boat used is called a “coxswain.” The “International Rowing Federation” regulates the sport and more than 150 countries participate in global rowing events.

Rowing Equipment: What Do You Need?

Professional and amateur rowing activities require the right set of tools and equipment to help you move against the water and keep yourself safe. These rowing equipment include:

• Racing Boats
• Blades
• Seats
• Shoes
• Bow and Bow Ball

These items are necessary to take your rowing experience to the next level and help you enjoy the game like it is meant to be enjoyed. Therefore, understanding the equipment in detail will help you obtain a better understanding of the sport itself.

Racing Boats and Shells

Racing boats are also known as shells and these are long and narrow shaped boats that are created specifically for rowing. These rowboats come with a semi-circular cross-section area designed to reduce any drag force on the boat. This way, the athletes can achieve full speed and stability by giving up the hull shape.

It is also known as a sculling boat, and it comes with a design created to help with an easy motion through the water. It is designed to glide between different strokes so that the forward motion never ceases and athletes can keep moving forward. This boat also comes with ergonomically designed seats that help the athletes put maximum power into each stroke of their long scull or oar.

Some of the biggest rowing boats come with a size of 60 to 62 feet long, and these can easily accommodate up to eight athletes. Moreover, these boats can also weigh up to 200 pounds and are made of strong materials, such as carbon fiber or reinforced plastic, to assist with an easy gliding mechanism throughout the sport. Inside the boat, there is a specific seat for the coxswain, whose job is to continuously motivate his fellow athletes to move forward with rhythmic chanting.

Rowing Oars and Blades

Blades are also known as oars, and these help the athletes push the boat forward with forceful strokes. Different boats require different kinds of blades, such as kayak paddles, rowing oars, etc. Each blade is designed specifically to push the boat forward with maximum force and resilience. You can find these blades in different materials, such as plastic, carbon fiber, aluminum, etc.

Athletes use the rowing oars or blades to propel the boat in the forward direction. Rowing oars and blades differ from other pedals as these utilize a fixed fulcrum on this side of the boat. This way, athletes can easily transfer maximum force and push to the blade without any issues. Therefore, this attached and fixed design minimizes energy loss, and athletes can propel the boat quickly and
smoothly compared to other pedals.

Sliding Seats

You must be thinking that every boat comes with seats, so what is so different about the seats in a rowing boat? The seats in a rowing boat are ergonomically designed to help athletes move to and fro without any obstacles or issues. This way, athletes can keep on swinging to and fro in the seats and distribute the maximum force from their handles to the blades. This helps propel the boat in the forward direction without losing energy or momentum.

The seats are also known as “sliding seats” and these seats move up and down the slide to help athletes swing in unison. Therefore, these sliding seats can maximize the force being transferred from handles to the blades and allow the athletes to combine their force with the help of the sliding mechanism.

Rowing Shoes

If you think that athletes can use any shoes for their rowing activities, you are wrong. Rowing shoes are designed specifically to help athletes stabilize and lock their feet into a specific position to help maximize their push and force with every stroke. There is no other known sport that puts as much stress on an athlete’s foot as rowing.

Many people often think that rowing is a game of upper body strength, but this is where they are wrong. Rowing puts an immense amount of stress on your feet as well, and this is why athletes require special rowing shoes. These shoes are designed to offer better performance and power transfer with every stroke. These keep the feet locked in a predetermined position, allowing the athlete to move in a to-and-fro position without losing momentum or force.

These come with an anatomically fit design and offer maximum biomechanical efficiency to athletes. If the athletes use the wrong size for their rowing shoes, they can waste their energy. This is why professional rowers and champions recommend that you should get your perfect size to minimize energy loss.

Bow Balls

A bow ball is also an extremely important part of rowing equipment, and it helps keep everyone secure in the event of an accident or collision. These bow balls are placed in front of the rowing boat, and these come in rubber material, therefore reducing the risk of puncturing any object in the event of a crisis or an accident. These balls are less than four cm in diameter, and they are firmly attached to the bow of your rowing boat.

The bow of your boat can become a hazardous part of your boat without the help of a bow ball. Therefore, you must find a bow ball that fits your bow properly and doesn’t get loose during the towing activities. You must also understand that before choosing the best bow ball for your rowboat, it should be made from a soft and durable material, such as rubber or reinforced plastic. This way, it will last you a long time and reduce the risk of puncturing other items that come into contact with your boat.

How Does A Row Boat Differ From Other Watercraft?

There are various different types of boats in the market. It depends upon your personal preference to choose the best boating activity for yourself. Some of the most famous watercrafts available are:

• Kayaks
• Canoes
• Rowboats

Kayaks are among the most famous types of boats as they are perfect for families wanting to spend some quality time together. The best tandem kayak boats can easily handle any weight and help you move forward with stability. You can also find inflatable kayaks for your family. These inflatable boats are portable, lightweight, and you can take these anywhere with you.

Lastly, if you consider yourself as a solo daredevil and adventure, you can take advantage of the best sit-on-top kayaks and explore the open waters by yourself. These are safe and designed to carry maximum weight without flipping over. Therefore, you can head over to open waters and explore to your heart’s content.

You must be wondering about the differences between a rowboat and other types of boat. The first thing you should know that other types of boats utilize paddles, whereas rowing boats utilize blades or rowing oars. These oars are designed to propel the boat forward without sacrificing energy or force. This means that every stroke delivers maximum force from the handle to the blade.

In addition to this, rowing boats are designed for maximum stability and speed. Therefore, you will rarely see a gorgeous hull shape on these boats. These boats come with specifically designed hull shapes that minimize drag force on athletes and allow them to move forward without sacrificing the integrity of their momentum.

On the other hand, other watercrafts come with beautifully designed hull shape for maximum stability and aesthetic values. Other watercrafts do not have to worry about speed or energy loss. Therefore the hull shape design differs from that of a rowing boat.

What Are the Different Rowing Events Across the Globe?

The International Rowing Federation regulates the sport and hosts tons of amazing competitions on an international level. Moreover, rowing is also a part of official Olympics games, and there are hundreds of professional and amateur rowing competitions that keep the fans and athletes busy throughout the year. Here are some of the most famous rowing boat events:

• Olympics
• World Rowing Cup
• World Rowing Championships
• World Rowing Junior Championships
• World Rowing Under 23 Championships
• World Rowing Coastal Championships
• World Rowing Indoor Championships
• World Rowing Masters Regatta
• World Rowing Sprints

Olympics

FISA has been the primary sponsor for different rowing competitions at the Olympics game since 1896. Olympics started in 1896 in Athens, and rowing has been a prominent part of Olympics since its beginning. You should know that the first rowing competition was canceled due to bad weather, but it was announced as an official game for the Olympics.

In the beginning, rowing was only introduced for male athletes. However, in 1976, the Olympics also introduced rowing competition for female athletes, considering the massive growth in female athletes for rowing. Furthermore, lightweight rowing activities and competitions were added to the official Olympics’ games list in 1996.

World Rowing Cup

The World Rowing Cup is a global rowing competition that is held on an annual basis by the International Rowing Federation. The first World Rowing Cup was held in 1997. Every year, this rowing cup event offers three regattas, and points are given to the top seven teams that win in every regatta. However, the final winner is decided at the end of this event in the final regatta competition.

One of the customary traditions for this World Rowing Cup is that every team leader wears a yellow bib. This competition is primarily held in European countries. However, it was only held outside Europe in countries on three different occasions.

World Rowing Championships

This is yet another amazing rowing competition held by the International Rowing Federation. The World Rowing Championships is a week-long event in the Northern hemisphere. One of the important things about this championship event is that it is only held in the non-Olympic years to highlight the importance of rowing activities and their impact on our culture.

The World Rowing Championships were started in 1962 in Switzerland. In 1974, the International Rowing Federation added female and male lightweight rowing competitions to the World Rowing Championships. The participants have to complete a 2000-meters long course to win this event. The teams slowly move forward throughout the week, and the winner is decided in the last competition.

World Rowing Junior Championships

The World Rowing Junior Championships is another annual regatta competition held under the supervision of FISA. This competition is primarily for athletes under the age of 18 until 31st December of that year. The International Rowing Federation started this competition to encourage more and more youngsters to participate in this amazing competition. The first-ever World Rowing Junior Championships were held in 1967.

One of the amazing things about this championship event is that Germany has won more than 60% of the competitions since its inception. Germany currently has 146 gold medals and 216 medals in total for junior championship events.

World Rowing Under 23 Championships

The World Rowing U23 Championships event is for athletes under the age of 23, and it is yet another annual rowing competition held by FISA. This is a week-long rowing event in which athletes under 23 years of age participate in teams of 1, 2, and 8.

The first-ever World Rowing U23 Championship event was held in 2005. Before that, this event was known as World Rowing U23 Regatta. Since its inception in 2005, there have been 16 annual competitions, and the Netherlands has won most of these events. More than 63 different nations participate in this rowing event.

World Rowing Coastal Championships

The World Rowing Coastal Championships were first held in 2006. One of the fascinating elements of this competition is that it utilizes specifically designed coastal boats for athletes. Therefore, athletes cannot use traditional rowing boats to participate in this competition.

The specifically designed boats come in a triangular shape with buoys for easy navigation. This competition is often held alongside a popular beach and is held over three days. FISA currently regulates this event. Moreover, it is widely regarded as a sprint event rather than a race competition.

World Rowing Indoor Championships

FISA hosts this even on an annual basis along with Concept2 and the Fédération Française d’Aviron. World Rowing Indoor Championships is different than a traditional rowing boat competition, and athletes have to participate in rowing activities indoors. This means that athletes have to showcase their rowing talents and abilities in indoor gyms and pools.

Therefore, the rowing boats do not move from their position, and athletes merely imitate their rowing actions while executing the same amount of force as they would on an actual rowing boat in open waters. The first-ever World Rowing Indoor Championships were held in 2018 in Alexandria. There are 500m events and 2000m events where athletes have to imitate their rowing actions in indoor gyms and pools.

World Rowing Masters Regatta

The World Rowing Masters Regatta is for athletes above 27 years of age. This event has been held since 1973, and athletes are categorized into different groups depending upon their age. Different alphabets are assigned to different age groups, and the oldest age group is for athletes above the age of 85.

One of the largest events for this competition was held in 2013 when more than 3500 athletes participated in 440 rowing competitions over four days. This is also among the handful of
competitions in the world where the members can be of different genders. Therefore, you can see a single team consisting of male and female athletes for different rowing competitions.

World Rowing Sprints

The first World Rowing Sprints event was sponsored by Mercedes-Benz in 2002 when different teams participated in 500 meter races. One of the brilliant aspects of this rowing competition is that it relies on sprint racing techniques rather than traditional rowing techniques.

Athletes have to exert immense force within a limited amount of time to get to the finish line before others. Various popular rowing champions participated in the first-ever event held for this championship in 2002. Each team is made up of 13 athletes. Moreover, these athletes consist of five female athletes, seven male athletes, and a coxswain.

What Are the Important Terminologies and Event Nomenclature for Rowing?

Here are some of the most important and commonly used terminologies and nomenclature for rowing:

• LWT: This identifies lightweight rowing activities in an event. In case LWT is not present, it would indicate that the event is an open water competition.
• J: It means that the participants are under 19 years of age.
• B: This term means that the participants are under 23 years of age.
• Roman Numerals: These numbers indicate the crew size, such as 1, 2, or 8.
• +: The “+” sign indicates that the coxswain is present with the team.
• -: The “-” sign means that the team will be rowing without a coxswain.
• X: The “x” means that the rowing boat is a sculling boat.

What Are Some Interesting Facts About Rowing?

Here are some interesting facts about rowing:

• It is one of the original sports of modern Olympic games, and it was a part of the first Olympic games ever help in 1896.
• The founder of the modern Olympic Games, Baron Pierre de Coubertin, was a professional rower.
• A rowing competition is known as a race or a regatta.
• The rowing oars are not called paddles. Paddles are used for kayaking and canoeing primarily.
• Coxswains yell rhythmic and motivational chants to keep the team motivated and moving forward.
• Rowers are considered to be the best athletes in superb physical condition. This is because they have to go against the immense pressure of water and make their way by applying the opposite force. This helps tone every muscle of the body.
• The blades or rowing oars are fixed in a singular place to maximize momentum and energy distribution from the handle to the blade. You will rarely see an athlete using a rowing blade without a rigger.

Rowing is one of the best watercraft activities right now, and it tests endurance, stamina, and strength simultaneously. It pushes athletes’ physical and mental limits and allows them to become better versions of themselves by raging against the water. It is widely regarded as the best workout for toning muscles, and rowing impacts every muscle in the human body. Therefore, it is well-known as a full-body workout and requires immense strength, determination, and stamina.