On or Off the Water – Who is a Rower?

Rowing embraces many disciplines, especially flat water, coastal and indoor rowing. Recognizing that all are rowers and building connections will enhance and grow the sport.

On March 11, 2022, Michael Naughton, Chief Product Officer for Nielsen Kellerman, convened a meeting at the NK offices that became known as the Philadelphia Summit. Fifteen people participated virtually and in person from eleven rowing businesses, all of which are members of the Rowing Industry Trade Association (RITA). The objectives of the meeting were to examine the status of the sport, discuss options for rowing to evolve and brainstorm concrete actions which RITA could undertake to facilitate and catalyze the growth of rowing. At the heart of the discussion was the question of who is a rower?

Who is a Rower?

For some people, what matters most in rowing is 2,000 metres down a straight course at the Olympics or World Rowing events. Funding for many national federations is linked to results at the elite rowing level. Competitive racing for all ages dominates the sport, whether sprints, 1,000 metres, 2,000 metres, prestige events like Henley Royal Regatta or head races. There are high school leagues, collegiate competitions, masters regattas, national championships for youth and juniors, club competitions and a plethora of regattas which attract local or regional competitors. It might make you think that rowing is only about flat water racing.

There is a lot more to rowing and rowers. There are the many scullers who consistently row their own singles, logging multiple miles on their SpeedCoach GPS. There are the fitness rowers who regularly meet their crew on the dock before work, enjoying the boost that the workouts give them. There are the recreational rowers who gather on a Saturday and Sunday for an outing followed by coffee and conversation at a nearby café.

Sometimes called the mountain biking of rowing, coastal rowing is gaining momentum as it appears more and more likely that it will be included in the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. For those who live by salt water, coastal is the only option for rowing, with specialized boats designed to handle waves, swells and more extreme conditions. In Ireland “coastal rowing” refers to traditional, fixed seat rowing with sliding seat rowing on open water called “offshore rowing”. Fixed seat rowing is vast and diverse, especially in Great Britain and Europe, ranging from Cornish pilot gigs and Thames skiffs in England to church boats in Finland. All of these people consider themselves rowers.

Indoor rowers or ergometers used to be primarily winter training and testing machines to help competitive rowers race faster. The first indoor rowing competition was held in 1982 in Cambridge, MA. The participants called themselves the Charles River Association of Sculling Has-Beens. The annual event is still known by the acronym CRASH-B. World Rowing held the first indoor rowing world championship in 2018. Over the last decade, the fitness industry has embraced indoor rowing, whether incorporating some time on the erg into a workout or making it the primary activity. Some gyms only have indoor rowing machines. The pandemic saw tremendous growth in the purchase of home rowing machines, with innovation in the design of the equipment and the delivery of workouts. People who exercise and maybe race on indoor rowing machines also call themselves rowers.

Embracing change in rowing – why does it matter?

The Philadelphia Summit began with a conversation to identify limitations in perspective and an acknowledgement of blind spots. Whether flat water, coastal or indoor, rowers tend to operate in silos. There are few connections across the different rowing disciplines. This represents missed opportunities to evolve and grow the sport. There are barriers to building interdisciplinary connections, including lack of awareness, misconceptions and limited access to equipment, clubs and programs. But does it matter?

Data on the health of rowing is hard to come by. Anecdotal stories from boathouses suggests that some clubs are challenged by declining membership, even prior to the pandemic. One federation which publishes membership data in their annual report is Rowing Canada Aviron (RCA). In 2014 there were 13,892 registered members. In 2019 that was down to 12,224 rowers and further dropped to 11,776 rowers in 2020. Like many other national federations, the most current strategic plan for RCA identifies aggressive growth targets. British Rowing has a four-year goal of reaching 100,000 members. In January 2022 they were at 26,000, down from the pre-Covid number of around 32,600.

In this century and last, rowing has been seen as an elite sport. It is the oldest Olympic sport, with the first medals awarded in 1900. Readers of Dan Brown’s The Boys in the Boat will know that the rowing establishment was not that welcoming of working-class rowers. They will also know that back in the day rowing was more popular, with crowds lining the bank of rivers for big events which were broadcast on the radio. The cost of the equipment and the need to be near a navigable body of water limit participation. Club fees may be high and participation at regattas or tours can be expensive.

Since 2020, diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives have flourished at federation, collegiate and club levels, building on the successes of long term programs in New York, Chicago, Stockton CA and London England to name a few. USRowing developed a DEI resource center, created a DEI Committee and dedicated staff and resources. By breaking down barriers and creating a more inclusive culture, flat water rowing will become stronger. Coastal rowing provides the opportunity for island nations in the Caribbean, South Pacific and elsewhere to embrace a sport, which otherwise would not be available to them.

Connecting all rowers

Seeing growth in each of the disciplines is worth celebrating. More hands on handles is not just good for the sport but also for the rowing economy. In spearheading and hosting the Philadelphia Summit, Michael Naughton, who volunteer coaches at Undine Barge Club, continues NK Sports tradition of giving back to the rowing community, for example through the Grants Program.

The participants of the Philadelphia Summit believe that more is possible. They want to see the interconnections amongst all rowers grow, not just bigger silos. This will lead to better engagement and retention within the sport. There is momentum towards seeing that, on or off the water, we are all rowers. The homepage for British Rowing calls rowing “everyone’s sport” and gives equal prominence to on and off water for those looking to get started in rowing.