Rowing
David Edington
Throughout the years rowing has been a major sport in many lives including my own. My experience is short but ever-growing. So I decided to take a look into the past. To one place in particular Eton. Eton College is in the United Kingdom. Rowing is a sport of technique and skill. Rowing is all team and not necessarily how you do personally, but how you do with a group.
In the 1800’s they were trying to figure out what to make there boats out of. At first they would make there boats out of lapstrake wood. In the 1870’s boats were changed to a papier-mâché for both weight and durability advantages. They were called composite material boats.
In rowing there are many different things going on first you put your arms out, then you lean over and then you bring the seat up to your feat. At first this was not possible because the seat would not slide it was a fixed seat. It took sometime before they realized that they could take the seat and make it move therefore giving the rowers power speed and a good hard workout but still keeping the competition fair.
The equipment was huge but what they were still trying to figure out was the stile which with it would make it easiest to row. Eton has made major contributions and is one of the first colleges to try out composite material boats and the new rowing style. They have a long race course so they can try out new things easily. although it is cold at sometimes no rower is afraid to fall. It is part of their training.
During the time of the revolution rowing has changed from the way the coaches coach to the way the rigger is placed and how it rotates. How a athlete sits in his/her seat. The style has become different. The materials have changed. Everything has changed. You know nothing can stay the same, but is that a good thing?
Big thanks to Paul Monheimer with finding some websites I could use.
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