Project Editor: Joshua Vapenik, History 470: Digital History, Spring 2008

About Rowing

Crew is the sport of rowing and is the oldest collegiate sport in America. Eight, four, or two people all work together in unison to propel a boat known as a shell through the water. There are two styles of rowing, sweep and sculling. In sweep rowing, each oarsman has only one oar, while in sculling each rower utilizes two oars, one in each hand. Rowing shells are classified based on the number of rowers in each. Thus a eight man shell is known as an "eight" and a four man shell a "four," and a two man shell a "pair." In order to differentiate shells where the rowers use sculling instead of sweeping, the nomenclature is changed to "quad" for a four man shell and "double" for a two man shell. These shells often row without a coxswain. An eight man shell utilizing sculling would be known as an "oct," however, this arrangement is uncommon among US teams. A boat with only one rower is known as a "single" or sometimes as a "scull."

The left side of a shell is known as the port side, the right the starboard side. Depending on what side a rower's oar is used, he or she is known as a port or a star. Oarsmen in a shell face backwards and are numbered in ascending order starting from the bow or front of the boat and moving back to the stern. Thus the person in the bow is "one," and the person in front of him is "two," and so on down the line. The rower in the back of the boat is known as the "stroke," and has the responsibility of setting the pace and tempo for the rest of the rowers to follow. Because the rowers in a shell face backwards, each shell is piloted by an individual known as a coxswain, or cox for short. The cox sheers the shell and provides motivation to the rowers throughout the race. Coxswains are typically smaller individuals so their extra weight does not slow down the shell, and have outgoing personalities that help them to exercise control over the much larger rowers in their shell. A good cox is essential to success, as close steering of a course could mean the difference between winning and losing.

Crew has two seasons, a fall and a spring one. Fall races are typically longer and are known as head races. Head races are on average between 4000 and 6000 meters long, with each shell being individually started with a short time interval between each. Spring races are sprints, with boats racing side by side over short distances averaging around 2000 meters. Regardless of season, races are known as regattas.

Rowing is especially popular on the east coast, where it has existed since the 1800s after it migrated from England. Because of its age, these programs are steeped in rich tradition and have rivalries going back many decades. Ivy League schools such as Harvard, Yale, and Princeton spend thousands of dollars on scholarships for athletes, the newest equipment, and professional coaching every year. Alumni organizations from each school contribute thousands of dollars to the funding of their old teams every year. Schools build large boathouses next to rivers to hold a multitude of shells. Local TV and news stations cover regattas and the populace of the nearby cities know as much about the sport as basketball or football.

By comparison, rowing is virtually unheard of in the Midwest and very young and is often overshadowed by other sports. However, while it may be unknown in many places, rowing is one of the fastest growing sports in America today. New clubs are appearing all over the country and even high school and other junior programs are beginning to spring up as more and more people discover the sport of rowing.