|
|
Rowing is one of the oldest and most
physically challenging sports in existence today. It requires tremendous
muscular strength and endurance. Like swimming,
rowing utilizes every major muscle group in the body: legs, abdomen,
chest, back, and arms.
Rowing originated not as a sport, but as a means
of transportation and warfare. All of the major ancient civilizations
used rowing to advance their cultures, both in peace and war. The victors of many of sea battles
were those that could outmaneuver their opponents on the water. The Athenians
frequently won because they used a form of a moving slide in order to
incorporate the oarsman legs. The Vikings
were successful in sea battles, in
part, because of the speed of attack they could achieve with their rowing ships.
 Viking ships
were equipped with a single square sail, but could only use it when a tailwind prevailed.
The key to their movement was the number of oarsmen each ship used. The best-known of their warships were the drakkar, the
dragon-ships of song and story. These were developed in the 11th century by kings such as Olaf
Tryggvasson. The largest of the dragon-ships, the
Ormen Lange, required 60 rowers.
Competitive rowing is one of the oldest and most
traditional sports. Races between oared galleys were held in ancient
Egypt and Rome. The first mention of rowing as sport (rather than
as transportation) is found in the book The Aeneid, written by the Roman
poet Virgil between 30 and 19 B.C. -- over 2,000 years ago! Although
rowing was always popular with fishermen and sailors, it was not
until the 1700's that the sport became popular with ordinary citizens when watermen would race in long barges on the
Thames River in
England. The Thames is the setting for three of
the most celebrated rowing events in the world: Doggett's Coat and Badge
Race, the oldest rowing contest in the world, held annually since 1715;
the annual boat race between the universities of Oxford and Cambridge;
and the Henley Royal Regatta.
The sport of rowing as we know
it today began in 1829 with the first Oxford-Cambridge race. The Henley Royal Regatta was started in
1839. The Yale-Harvard race on the Charles River marked the beginning of
competitive rowing in the United States in 1852. Rowing became the first
organized collegiate sport in the U.S., complete with its own governing
body. Today, men's collegiate rowing in the U.S. remains independent of the
NCAA, while women's rowing became a NCAA sport in 1997. International
championships were first arranged in 1893, and remain under the
direction of the Federation International des Societes d' Aviron (FISA).
As a sport, rowing has two distinctive forms. In the more common form
(also called crew or sweep-oar racing), two or more crew members sit
facing the stern of the boat, each rower pulling one oar. In the 19th
century crews of 8, 10, or 12 members were popular; in the 20th century
crews of 2, 4, or 8 are most common. With 8 rowers (also called
strokes), the vessel is steered by a non-rowing coxswain, or cox. The coxswain steers the boat, decide on tactics, and establishes and maintains the
speed and rhythm of the strokes of the rowers. The other form of rowing is called sculling, or scull racing. It is
performed singly, by a pair, or by 4 rowers; each rower faces the stern
and pulls a pair or oars.
Competitive rowing
became an event at the first modern Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, in
1896. International rowing is contested in two weight categories for men and
women, lightweight and Lightweight oarsmen are restricted to a
body weight of 72.5 kg (men) and 59kg (women). The average weight of theclass (heavyweight) in international competition is about 92 kg
(200 lbs) and 79 kg (173 lbs) respectively. International rowing (and collegiate rowing) competitions are
standardized at 2000 meters. Masters championships (both national and
international) are contested over a distance of 1000 meters. At the elite level, 2000 meter race times average between 5:20 and
7:30 depending on boat type. Masters races last between 2:50 and 5:00,
again depending on boat type as well as age of the contestants.
|
