ROWING
"Internally, you experience rowing as a graphic microcosm of life - solitude, learning, work, rest, nourishment, sharing and ultimately challenge."
"Internally, you experience rowing as a graphic microcosm of life - solitude, learning, work, rest, nourishment, sharing and ultimately challenge."
Evidence suggests that the use of oars in the way that they are used today can be traced back to ancient Egypt. Rowing at the time was used from naval warfare to commercial transport as an efficient and sometimes essential way to maneuver ships. Ancient Greek Trireme's used up to 170 rowers working in unison.
A technique emerged that used leather cushions which allowed rowers to slide over their seats in order to gain leverage by engaging the large muscles of their legs. Eventually the technique we know today emerged as arguably the most efficient way to propel a boat by human means. Using a sliding-seat a rower, while facing backwards to their direction of travel, could engage the large muscles of the legs and back and work the body harmoniously to achieve tremendous results. Organized racing began at Oxford and Cambridge in the 1820s and has been a mainstay of the Summer Olympics since 1900. The term sculling emerged to describe a rower pulling 2 oars as a further distinction over the term rowing which technically involves the pulling of only one oar, though people rarely if ever make that distinction. |
Rowing is also a term used to describe a form of exercise that uses gym equipment to some extent mirror the mechanics, effort and benefits associated with rowing a boat. The Concept 2 rowing machine has emerged as the standard for indoor rowing but other capable systems abound.
Today rowing is an activity enjoyed around the world. It can be done solo or as part of a crew. It can be done to explore or to compete, to improve ones physical and mental health or to provide a peaceful retreat . It is considered by many to be as near perfect an activity that has ever existed. |
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"It's the quintessential Greek sport: harmonious, competitive, agonizing, nautical and above all intelligent. It combines Odysseus's brains and brawn and love of the sea with the tactical precision of Spartan Pikeman."
Anyone
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A Great form of
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Nourishes Mind,
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While it can be done indoors, there is nothing quite like rowing on glassy water and indulging in the smooth sensation of acceleration with every silent stroke.
Indoor Rowing
Rowing can be done indoors, at home or in a gym through the use of rowing machines. The Concept 2 rowing machine has emerged as the gold standard and the model of choice for indoor competition in part because of how effective it is in replicating the mechanics, effort and benefits of rowing a boat but also in part due to the rising popularity of competitive indoor rowing and the inherent need for standardization. While great machines, they come with some disadvantages such as noise, size and cost to name a few.
Water based rowing machines are popular in-home alternatives as they tend to be quieter, more attractive and better mirror the mechanics of rowing on water. While nothing surpasses rowing on water indoor machines do provide a convenient way to practice year round in any weather while reaping some of the more physical benefits of this amazing sport. But rowing exclusively indoors and on machines is a little like learning how all the pieces move in CHESS but never actually playing a game. ...eventually you have to play a game. ...eventually you have to row on water. |
Joining a ClubUntil now the easiest way to row on water was to join a club surrounding yourself with other like minded people to hone your skill and compete for glory. There are many benefits to this approach such as the sense of community, the coaching and the ability to compete for glory. However there are also down sides to joining a club.
Aside from the expense, being part of a club means rowing at the same place and with the same people, day in and day out. It means rowing on someone else's time and according to someone else's rules. The focus for most clubs is competition and racing but not all who row do so to compete. The type of shells used at these clubs are long, narrow and not very stable hence the only way to get on and off is from a dock. It is because they are so "tippy" that much of club rowing is relegated to the calm waters of rivers at dawn and dusk. For people who preferred the freedom to row wherever and whenever they wanted and with whoever and for whatever reason ... well there had to be a better way. |
Building Your OwnWhile anyone can buy a rowing shell they are as big as they are expensive making them difficult to store or transport without using a trailer and are still limited to use in only the calmest of waters.
To solve this problem, some intrepid rowers undertook the mission to build their own sliding seat row boat that would allow for rowing in much rougher waters. However sliding seat rowing can be a tricky thing to adapt to traditional dinghies and sailboats. Due to the technical challenges involved, many of these designs end up foregoing the use of a sliding seat but in turn lose the ability to engage the legs and reap much of the rewards of rowing. Outside of rowing in a gym, this amazing sport was not an easy activity to take up. ... until now. |
The Rowing Revolution Has Begun
Row on Air was first introduced as part of the XCAT Multi-Function Sailing Rowing Catamaran which won the 2017 SAIL Magazine Boat of the Year in the day sailor category.
It is perhaps the only catamaran sailboat that provides a fully functioning sliding seat rowing experience on a catamaran sailing platform making it incredibly stable so you can row with friends and family even i choppy water conditions, something no other boat can do quite so well. As if that were not enough, they also engineered a forward facing sliding seat rowing system that allows for blade feathering. As far as we know this patented system is the first and only one of its kind in the world. So while they offer an exceptional traditional, high performance rear facing sliding seat rowing system under the brand name of RowMotion, it is the forward facing system called RowVista that offers the distinct advantage of being able to see where you are going while still using efficient rowing technique! |
In 2017, Row & Sail, the company that makes the award winning XCAT, started a separate division called ROW ON AIR that created a version of their spectacular RowMotion and RowVista rowing systems so they could be used on almost any inflatable or rigid kayak, canoe or Stand Up Paddle Board (SUP). The result is a product that many feel is the best built, best engineered and most beautifully crafted non competitive rowing system in the world.
The first generation used black anodized aluminum outriggers that were as attractive as they were effective. In 2020 Row On Air began making the outriggers out of stunning Carbon Fiber resulting in a product that is lighter, stronger and somehow even more breathtaking. Designed and engineered and built in Austria, Row on Air is crafted to exacting standards using the best materials to deliver a rowing experience on par or better than traditional rowing sculls. Row On Air: 2019 and Before |
Row On Air is as stable and as portable as the boat you put it on ... so use it with an inflatable kayak and you have something incredibly stable and portable. Add the ergonomic and safety benefits of should you choose forward facing RowVista and you will see why nothing else even comes close to this incredible rowing experience.
Row On Air lets you enjoy rowing on water with almost no limitations or down side. It is strong and light making it both portable and durable. When compared to the expense of joining a club or the cost of other rowing equipment, Row On Air is perhaps the best rowing value in the world today. But when you see the quality of the materials and workmanship, and you feel the effectiveness of the design in the water for yourself, you realize that it is beyond value and borders on the ream of art. Row On Air: 2020 and Beyond |
Classic rear facing sliding seat rowing
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Innovative forward facing rowing with blade feathering
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"Americans generally associate boats with leisure. Egyptians associate them with nothing but labour. Rowing a boat is something a fisherman is forced to do to make a living; how could such an activity bring me ... pleasure?"
Row on Air branded inflatable Kayaks, SUPs and rowing boards come with Hooks at the right location to quickly secure the rowing sked.
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Use D-Rings and glue to add mounting points onto most kinds of inflatable SUP boards or kayaks with side walls where wrap around straps are not suitable.
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Purchase optional stainless steel straps to quickly and securely mount Row On Air onto any flat top inflatable or rigid Stand Up Paddle Board.
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"Rowing is more than a fast boat on race day. It's a complementary experience to a young man's intellectual development... Rowing, like success, is a journey, not a destination. I tell my oarsmen to have fun, learn and, most of all, grow as individuals. The wins the losses will take care of themselves."
Humber River: Secret spot minutes from downtown. Calm winding river snakes its way through a serene valley
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Credit River: Well known rowing spot, calm wide river, very scenic, see the occasional deer.
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Cherry Beach: Eclectic Toronto Landmark. Busy spot enjoyed by kiters, sailors, swimmers, boaters and more...
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Sir Casimir Gzowski Park: Row inside the breakwall and compete with dragon boaters in front of a volleyball lined beach.
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"It's such a sensual sport… you are utilizing every sense you have to power your shell through the water. I can close my eyes and feel the center of my body and whether it's off balance or not, whether I'm rushing the slide, I can hear the depth of my oars in the water and can gauge how relaxed I am."
HOW to ROW"I can teach 90% of the rowing stroke in ten minutes. The other 10% will require you a lifetime of effort to learn."
Coach Robert Valerian |
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"There is a place where cerebral and corporeal meet: they call it rowing."
"The single sculler, alone on the river at dawn, or spotlighted in his lane during a race, is the most romantic, the most quixotic figure in all rowing."