Rebel Boat on the Black Warrior River

              We have been enjoying a fairly cool summer by Tuscaloosa standards. I have only had to run the central air for one or two nights in the past month. The evenings have been so delightfully cool I’ve actually been sleeping under the flannel sheet!

The Rowing Club has been hosting a “Learn to Row”. The past two years has been disappointing in we have not been able to recruit members who want to row on a serious or regular basis. They want to go out once a month or so to “ohh and ahh” at the scenery that you can only witness at the water level. I know I’m sounding and being “passive aggressive” but, you cannot expect serious rowers to constantly be held back. The past few months I’ve seriously considered saying, “The Hell with it” and going off on my own.

For this learn to row, the club threw off the formalities of teaching the stroke on the Concept 2 machines at the University Aquatic Center and instead went back to the “trial by fire” of getting people immediately into the boats.

Thursday night we took out the 8 and the 4. Nancy coxed the 4 and I was in stroke seat. The 3 seat was an experienced rower and two novices were in 1 & 2 seat. We were the Rebel boat. Nancy and I are of one mind.. we want to row… period. The two of us collaborated the different drills and before you knew it we were way gone from the 8! Everyone in our boat was smiling when we docked… way after the 8 came in. Nancy said she got a flaming E-mail later from Diane the cox of the 8! LOL!!

Friday evening we had enough rowers to take out 2 8’s. I was in stroke seat again and we pretty much went off on our own, Nancy and I coaching and coxing. After the row it was broached if after the row Saturday if we could take out the 4 to give Chris ( a new rower) some extra time in the boat. He is Rebecca’s boyfriend who is our experienced new rower.

After the “learn to row” Saturday morning, Mark, Rebecca, Chris, Me, and Nancy for the cox headed out on our own. Mark was in 4 seat as stroke, Chris was in 3, Rebecca in 2, and I was in bow seat. I learned to row in bow seat so was right at home. OMG….it was like the old days to be in a boat with experienced rowers. Chris is a fast learner and picked up on the technique. We had to row pairs only as Chris had not learned feathering yet. I was paired off with Rebecca for bow pair and then Mark for outside pair. To finally be able to put all my strength into my rowing stroke on the water was heaven.

As we were spinning the boat I gave the suggestion, “We have a good group, how about we think about coming out again on the water tomorrow at 6:00 a.m.”  Everyone agreed!

It is 9:00 a.m. Sunday as I type this out and I’m still flying. We got the 4 off the dock into a smooth as glass Black Warrior River. We did regular and reverse pic drills to warm up. (regular pic = arms only, arms and back, arms back legs for full stroke. Reverse pic= legs only, legs and back, legs back and arms.) Then we gave Chris his lesson on feathering. He was a very fast learner.

Once we did a few rotations through the boat, stern pair, middle pair, bow pair, and finally outside pair, we were ready to go all four. This is so easier said than done. I’m going to come right out and say it, the past year has been horrible for rowing all fours because we don’t have strong rowers. The once a month recreational rowers do not have the strength or stamina to set the boat.

This morning was so different. Having four strong rowers, we were able to actually set the boat up, with a novice rower in 3 seat. My core and arms were so sore when we docked. What a great feeling! It has been too long since I have had such a rush on the river.

We did this row on our own without “officially” opening it up to the club. Politics can grind enthusiasm to a halt. I hope there will not be negative repercussions.

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>Hopefully we will be able to duplicate more rows like this next week….