Exported from Great Britain as a "gentleman's" sport, rowing came
to the United States in the early to mid 1800's. Professional racing
in pairs, fours and single sculls dominated the scene at the time,
with single scullers held in the highest regard among athletes and
spectators.
Regattas were often sponsored by local railroad lines seeking to attract weekend business. Spectators were transported to the regatta sites, and could purchase a seat on a spectator train running along the bank of the river or lake during the races.
At the same time, amateur boat racing in universities gained prominence with the first Harvard-Yale race in 1852 - the first intercollegiate athletic event in the United States, which is still held to this day every June in New London, Connecticut.
At the end of the 19th Century, betting on professional sculling contests succumbed to acts of sabotage and race fixing, and ultimately saw its demise as a professional sport by the early 20th Century. America's sport was soon replaced by other amateur and professional sports such as baseball, football, and track and field. The outcome of the Harvard-Yale boat race, once front-page news, was buried in the sports section, if covered at all. Despite its disappearance from the headlines, collegiate rowing programs prospered, with U.S. eights winning every gold medal at the Olympics between 1920 and 1956.
Women's rowing, added to the Olympic schedule in 1976, and lightweight rowing, added in 1996 have brought new dimensions to the Games, and a new emphasis on women's and lightweight development programs in the U.S. Title IX has positively impacted women's collegiate rowing, by expanding the sport to state Universities and Colleges, heightening competition levels, and providing scholarship opportunities.
Far from its "gentleman's" roots, today, rowing is a sport enjoyed by ever-expanding segments of the population ranging from juniors (middle and high-school age children), to women, to masters (age 27 and up), the latter of which is perhaps the fastest growing segment of the rowing population.
DID YOU KNOW?
The Detroit Boat Club is the oldest boat club in the United States and the oldest social club in the state of Michigan. It was organized by oarsman on February 18, 1839, and originally had five clubhouses at several locations in the Detroit area before it built the fireproof boathouse that opened on Belle Isle on August 4, 1902.
Many masters rowers are new to the sport; while others are rediscovering it after a hiatus from college. The explosion of masters rowing programs is a testament to the growth and diversification of the sport. Also of significant note is the geographical expansion of rowing from both the east and west coasts to virtually every corner of the country, including the states of North Dakota, Alaska, Idaho, Arizona and Kentucky.
New England
States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont. Avg. temp: Winter 0-30°F; Spring 35-50°F; Summer 60-75°F; Fall 45-75°F.
Sites of interest: Harvard-Yale Race, New London, CT (June); Head of the Charles, Boston, MA (October); Coastal open-water rowing in Maine and Cape Cod, Massachusetts.
Best time to visit: Summer and fall.
Mid-Atlantic
States: Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania. Avg. temp: Winter 15-30°F; Spring 40-60°F; Summer 65-80°F; Fall 50-75°F. Sites of interest: Boathouse Row, Philadelphia, PA; Independence Day Regatta, Philadelphia, PA (July); Row the Apple, New York, NY; Cherry Blossom Regatta, Washington, DC (Month). Best time to visit: Spring, summer or fall.
South
States: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia. Avg. temp: Winter 30-60°F; Spring 60-75°F; Summer 75-90°F; Fall 50-75°F. Sites of interest: Rural Tidewater area of southern Virginia, Mathews County, VA; South Miami Beach, FL; 1996 Olympic Regatta Course, Gainesville, GA. Best time to visit: Winter for the mild temperatures. Popular locations or spring break training camps include North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Tennessee and Georgia.
Midwest
States: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin. Avg. temp: Winter 10-30°F; Spring 40-55°F; Summer 60-90°F; Fall 40-60°F. Best time to visit: Spring, summer or fall.
West
States: Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming. Avg. temp: Winter 15-65°F; Spring 40-75°F; Summer 60-90°F; Fall 45-75°F. Sites of interest: San Diego Crew Classic, San Diego, CA (April); Opening Day Regatta, Seattle, WA (May). Best time to visit: Spring, summer or fall.
Alaska: Winter -15-15°F; Spring 20-55°F; Summer 45-60°F; Fall 35-50° F.
Hawaii: Winter 60-75°F; Spring 70-80°F; Summer 75-90°F; Fall 70-80°F.
Personalities John B. Kelly, Sr .: An icon in American rowing, John Kelly won two Olympic gold medals in the single and the double in 1920. Denied an entry to the Royal Henley Regatta because of his blue collar roots, his son, John B. Kelly, Jr. went on to vindicate his father by winning Henley's Diamond Sculls in 1947 and 1949.
Ernestine Bayer : The Pioneer of women's rowing in America. Ernestine married silver Olympic medallist Ernest Bayer in 1928, and she went on to open the doors for women's rowing in the U.S. She founded the Philadelphia Girls Rowing Club in 1938, and still rows and competes in her 90's.
Joseph Burk : Considered a great innovator of sculling technique and racing strategy in the early 20th Century. He won races by rowing high stroke ratings of 38-39 compared to his opponents' cadence of 31-34. Won the Diamond Sculls at Henley in 1938 and 1939.
George Y. Pocock : Grew up in Eton, migrated to Canada, then to Seattle, WA where he built the most innovative and replicated racing boats of the 20th Century. Supplied boats for all countries in the 1952 Olympics. Pocock shells were the mainstays of American rowing through the first three-quarters of the 20th Century.
Harry Parker : A student of Joe Burk, and best known as the Coach of Harvard's Varsity Heavyweight men's program. His "hands-off" style is legendary among the Crimson rowers. Under his watchful eye, Harvard dominated the collegiate and international scene in the 1960's, and continues to be a rowing powerhouse to this day.
NATIONAL FEDERATION United States Rowing Association
201 South Capitol Street
Indianapolis, IN 46225
United States
Tel: (800) 314-4769, (317) 237-5656
Fax: (317) 237-5646
Email: members@usrowing.org www.usrowing.org
