NK Rowing Industry Partners and Friends

Photo credit: Junior Rowing News

How many rowers, on or off the water, have the Beatles' song "With a Little Help from my Friends" on their workout playlist? Perhaps when they are doing a workout on an ergometer? Make that a Concept2 ergometer. We all need help from partners and friends, and NK Sports is no exception. Consider all the rowers, coaches, and rowing organizations at all levels that NK works with. There are also all connections within the rowing industry.

When we launch our rowing shells or coach boats from the dock, we are not thinking about the web of rowing businesses that support our sport and benefit from its growth. We know the manufacturers of the boats and oars that we use and maybe of the dock that we stand on. Hopefully, an NK CoxBox audio system or SpeedCoach performance monitor or Blue Ocean Megaphone are also familiar. You might be surprised at the sheer number of companies which make up the rowing industry and the interconnections between them. Many rowing companies are friends and partners of NK Sports.

NK Sports Dealers

Many people buy directly, especially Americans. Outside of the United States, NK electronics are often purchased from a dealer. These are separate companies representing a broad range of products and services such as shells or oars or clothing. NK Sports has many dealers worldwide, all key partners in keeping rowers around the globe supplied with their favorite NK equipment.

You'll often see dealers show up at regattas to support customers and the event. Sometimes Charlie Biddle, NK Sports Sales Manager, crosses paths with these friends and partners at the same regatta. He was just at the 2022 World Rowing U23 and U19 in Varese, where he met up with OARSport, the UK dealer, and Croker, who represents NK Sports in Australia. Crocker keeps a trailer in Switzerland, equipped with a coffee machine and refrigerator, and Darren plays hosts to national team coaches and other vendors such as Charlie as well as Jack and Andrew from OarSport. They, too, are veterans of the sport and the industry, understanding the value of partnerships.

Media Partners

NK Sports advertises in various print and online media to share important information and anncouncements. When checking regatta results or the latest updates on the rowing world on row2k.com, who hasn't seen the ad appear for the CoxBox, "Runs longer. Charges faster."

Stories sometimes mention or feature the electronics, such as an article in Row360 announcing the launch of three new products at the 2018 Head of the Charles. American rowers may not be familiar with Junior Rowing News (JRN) based in the UK, which lists NK as one of their four commercial partners. They have a big stable of writers who share thoughtful posts on major regattas like Henley Royal Regatta, training and racing, rower and coach profiles and opinion pieces. JRN also provides thorough technical reviews, for example of the CoxBox GPS, which they titled "For the Voices of Tomorrow". Among the media partners, a special friend is Chip Davis of Rowing News. Along with Michael Naughton of NK Sports and others, Chip was instrumental in founding the Rowing Industry Trade Association.

Rowing podcasts have proliferated, and NK is pleased to have been featured on episodes with Rowing Chat, Ready Row! USA and Steady State Network in particular. For example, a recent podcast on Ready Row! USA featured Joe Racosky, Product Support Manager at NK Sports, speaking about NK Repairs.

Research and Data Partners

As an analytical and data-driven company, NK Sports appreciates rowing industry friends, websites and apps that focus on detailed analysis and interpretation of rowing data. Our recent blog post, Insights Not Just Data, celebrated the collaboration and partnership with Dr. Valery Kleshnev, Founder and Director of BioRow in the development of the EmPower Oarlock. Rowsandall.com is a web platform for rowing data created by Sander Roosendaal, along with a blog site Rowing Analytics.

NK LINK Logbook is one of a growing number of rowing data analysis and training apps. Row Hero is an app for team erg data. As founder David DeWinter says on his website, he knows "The role that better data can play in building up the confidence of every rower in the world." He enthusiastically started rowing later in life, at the Masters level, rapidly gaining competence to race and medal at regional, national and international events such as HOCR and World Rowing Masters Regatta. Different experience led to the development of the Ludum app. Founders Adrian Cassidy and David Townsend have a depth of experience at the elite rowing and coaching level. They are "Passionate about supporting our coaches with better tools to improve results. Don't train harder, train smarter…"

Other Rowing Industry Leaders

Exhibiting at a regatta requires product samples, promotional and marketing materials and infrastructure such as tents. All of this is hard to fly with or transport to international events. When Charlie was in Varese in July for the U19 and U23 regatta, he was helped out by Massimo Martinoli, whose company of the same name makes and sells rowing accessories. Massimo lent Charlie a tent, a gesture common within the network of rowing industry friends.

That network has a formal organization through the Rowing Industry Trade Association (RITA), incorporated in 2019.

In addition to Nielsen Kellerman and Rowing News, leaders in the creation of RITA were Concept2, Shimano and Hudson Boat Works. The current Chair is from Hydrow, which hosted the 2021 AGM during the Head of the Charles Regatta last October. Membership is growing, as is the number of initiatives led by RITA. The organization especially fosters partnership and friendships within the rowing industry and with the extensive rowing company internationally. Nothing like a little help from our friends.