Sydney Olympics - Men's Eight

When you hear the commentator say "at a 38," that is their stroke rating. Also, note how quickly the blades move through the water.

Controlled Rowing

Rowers:

This training video is excellent. While you are watching the rowing, look at the following parts of their stroke: the control, their puddles, blade heights, timing, feathering, and reach.

More specifically, when all eight are rowing at full slide, notice how each rower reaches out towards his rigger and effectively divides the boat.



Courtesy of YouTube

Harvard-Yale-Oxford-Cambridge 500m Sprint

Rowers:

The commentators make a point of mentioning how important focus is during this short 500 meter sprint between the four, international university powerhouses: Harvard, Yale, Cambridge, and Oxford. In fact, notice how relevant their comments are to what the Niskayuna freshmen have been working on.



Courtesy of YouTube

Collegiate Lightweight Sprint

Rowers:

Take particular notice of three things in this collegiate men's lightweight varsity race from the 2008 San Diego Crew Classic: their timing, the speed of the blade in the water, and the expressions of the rowers at the finish. What do you think?



Courtesy of YouTube

2008 Oxford-Cambridge Boat Race

After an epic battle over the first half of the course, with Cambridge stealing a brief lead after Hammersmith, Oxford regained the initiative and moved steadily away to their third boat race victory in five years. They crossed the line to win the 154th Boat Race by six lengths in 20 mins 53 secs, the slowest time since 1947.

Start


Middle


Finish

2007 World Rowing Championships

This video contains some excellent technical rowing and very british commentators.



Courtesy of YouTube

Niskayuna Freshman Rowing Video

Rowers and Parents:



Courtesy of Flying Dutchman Productions and the Wiegman's

Race Start Cadance

Rowers (especially Coxswains):

Listen to the start cadance of this crew. The coxswain, in time with his rowers, makes his calls very clear as he progresses through a 1 minute 30 second start piece. Rowers, notice how, at full pressure, there is composure in the stroke man's face and control in everybody else's blades even as they row at 40+ strokes per minute.


Courtesy of YouTube

Coxswain's Perspective

Rowers:

The following video was filmed by the coxswain of the Los Gatos Rowing Club's Varsity Men's Eight.

Although the video is choppy, notice the calls the coxswain is making. Every stroke, emphasized on the catch, he is directing the crew. The coxswain delivers the strategy, keeps the timing, triggers the adrenaline rush, and serves as the eyes of his crew.


Courtesy of YouTube

The Boat Race

The Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race

The idea for a rowing race between the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge came from two friends - Charles Merivale, a student at Cambridge, and his Harrow schoolfriend Charles Wordsworth (nephew of the poet William Wordsworth), who was at Oxford.

On 12 March 1829, Cambridge sent a challenge to Oxford and thus the tradition was born which has continued to the present day, where the loser of the previous year’s race challenges the opposition to a re-match.

On Race Day up to 250,000 spectators crowd the banks of the Thames from Putney to Mortlake to witness the action. Cambridge currently lead the series since 1829 by 79-73.

Part I


Part II

Men's Dutch Eight

Rowers:

Please watch all 5 minutes of this video of the dutch men's eight practicing. This crew won the 1996 Olympics. Although there is no sound, this eight is a nice demonstration of proper rowing.



Courtesy of YouTube

2004 Olympics, Athens

Men's Eight Grand Final


Courtesy of NBC and YouTube