By Aiden Rohde
Do you like water sports? Do you need a fun way to work out? If you join rowing you can have a lot of fun with your friends on the Willamette River. The weather is starting to turn around and summer is the best time to start rowing. Lake Oswego Community Rowing (LOCR) is a non-profit rowing club operating from the Charlie S. Brown Water Sports Center on the Willamette River.
Why Join?
You should join because of its great health benefits and how fun it is to row with friends. Rowing works out 86% of the body’s muscles making it a great aerobic and anaerobic activity. The best part is it’s easy to learn and everyone can join. All people in middle school and above may row through our rowing program. Many teams can be joined, they are based on age group and skill level. If you’re older and interested in rowing you can join the master’s team, they meet mostly in the morning. People in high school can join the varsity team if they are prepared to race in regattas. The varsity team competes in regattas around Oregon competing with other schools. Teens 12-18 can join the “gap” program. They meet on Wednesdays and Saturdays to row. There are a couple of things you will need to bring on your first day, this includes:
- Fitted athletic clothing
- No-slip shoes that can be taken on and off easily
- Water bottle
- Sunscreen
- A positive attitude
Coming up on June 1st, National Learn to Row Day will be celebrated. Sign up and come to our program to learn how to row.
Facts about Rowing
The boats are oriented as such
Wikipedia, 17 March 2023
This orientation is kind of complicated when you first look at it. Rowing is done while facing forward and moving backward, this way you can pull the oars toward you and get the most power out of your stroke. The types of boats we row are, 1’s, 2’s, 4’s, quads, and 8’s. The numbers represent the number of people in the boat, the difference between 4’s and quads is the type of oars used. There are two types of oars we use, sculling and sweep oars. Sculling is two smaller oars used mostly in smaller boat sizes. Sweep oars are much larger in size and length and when in a boat you get only one oar. When sweeping the seats are staggered so even pressure is applied when rowing. There are many important seats in the boats, the main ones are the bow which does most of the steering, stern which sets and controls the rhythm of the boat, the middle 4, or the “motor” of the boat as they give out the most power and the coxswain. The coxswain is the person who controls the rudder (steering) and gives out commands to the crew of the boat while watching where the boat is headed. These seats are very flexible and you can move around to find your favorite when first starting.
“The mission of LOCR has been to promote the sport of rowing in a positive environment to anyone in the community who wishes to row.”
Join us today at our website here, lakeoswegorowing.com
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