Category: Video of the Week

Masters Video of the Week

Video of the Week: NINE

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This crew was organized by a woman in my masters eight named Diane Cotting and let me tell you, she. is. amazing. Not only in the normal way that people are amazing but she truly just goes above and beyond the definition of the word in so many ways. People would be lucky to have someone half as enthusiastic as her in their boat every day. Watch the video and read this article to learn more about my awesome teammate.

This is also a good video to watch if you’re coxing masters women because you can kind of get a sense as to why they do this and what they get out of it. It’s so different from coaching high school or collegiate women but at the same time, it’s exactly the same.

Video of the Week

Video of the Week: Rowing to Kabul

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If I had to pick a country that seemed to be the least likely to have a national rowing program, Afghanistan would definitely be in my top five, and not just because of current world politics or anything like that. Matt Trevithick, a BU alumni, is working towards building up the Afghan rowing program in order to potentially, hopefully be able to compete in Rio. FISA and ANOC (Association of National Olympic Committees) have pledged their support, as have local government officials who are planning to help get a boathouse built for the team.

A boathouse … and a rowing program … requiring thousands, nay millions of dollars in funding … in Afghanistan. I find it hard to process not because I think something like this is impossible or that the people there are undeserving but because nearly every day since I was in 8th grade all I’ve seen of Afghanistan is video and pictures of what amounts to nothing more than a sand pit completely encased in poverty and war. It seems crazy because of how dangerous you’d think being in that area would be more than anything else.

This is where they’ll be training…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Rii9KS2gvCo

…and this is the route that was driven to bring boats from Germany to Afghanistan. Can you imagine driving nearly 3,500 in three days? That’s about 500 miles less than the distance between Boston and San Francisco and I can’t even begin to imagine driving that in just three days. I like road trips but that’s pushing it.

Oh, and don’t think they’ll be rowing those shitty boats that you typically see novices rowing … oh no. In addition to the quad and double that Matt was already able to get, he was able to talk Filippi into donating some shells to the program. Can you imagine if you were just starting up a rowing program and were able to get one of the best boat manufacturers in the world to donate some shells to your team?

Here’s a great article from the Bostonia about the whole project.

College Video of the Week

Video of the Week: Row Like Pigs

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In case you’re unfamiliar, “Row Like Pigs” is a student-made film about the 2003 Dartmouth men’s team and is considered to be one of the better rowing documentaries out there.

Here are some of my favorite parts:

Chicken vs. pigs, contribution vs. commitment. Took me a minute to get it but when I did … mind blown.

“In reality, it’s pretty simple. You just have to work phenomenally hard, get phenomenally fit, phenomenally tough, and when we race, lay it all out and you’ll do alright. In fact, you can even win it all. It’s that simple.”

“Refuse to be beaten.” (Imagine that as a call in the a bow ball to bow ball race coming into the last 250m…)

Winter training = football camp, works two things: fundamentals of the sport and fitness; great way to explain it.

“At first you’re just like, are you kidding me but then you’re like ‘I can do this! And not only can I do this, but I can do it well.'”

“Bring the assassin out of the closet.” That’d be a great call.

“When it’s time to go, the Dartmouth guys go. They’re not scared, they don’t hesitate, they walk into the valley of the shadow of death and they do not fear evil.” Replace Dartmouth with your team name and “evil” with your competition’s name. Break this out around 1000m in. Good call for toughness, both physical and mental, when they need it during that middle thousand.

“When you feel the splash, when you hear the splash, that’s when you jump.” Anticipate.

“Seat racing’s maybe one of the hardest things about this sport. You go all fall and winter and then you get this one shot after six months to make the boat, you know, and if you don’t, it’s hard to not look back and have regrets and doubt yourself. And also, one week you’re helping your friend through an erg test, you know, he’s your best bud in the world, and then the next week you got switched across the gunnels with him for a seat race. It’s hard to keep emotions out of it. It’s hard to not make it personal. In the end I guess you gotta just make whatever boat you’re on go fast and just train again for next year’s one shot to make it. Making the first boat isn’t everything. You’ll have more opportunities to do it but if you let that shit distract you for too long, you’ll miss the opportunity to just race boats and have fun.”

“I want that fucking bow ball, push them the fuck away. Put them under your footboards and stomp on them.”

48:42, I like the “40 seconds Dartmouth, now GO!” call.

58:27, honestly if you don’t laugh at this just leave.

It’s an hour long so whenever you’ve got free time or you’re getting an extra workout in, put this on.

College Video of the Week

Video of the Week: The Social Network

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In honor of the Royal Henley Regatta that takes place later this week, I give you this Armie Hammer appreciation post.

Also, somewhat related, check out these posts by Dan Boyne, coach of Harvard’s recreational rowing program, on the making of the rowing scenes from the movie, including the Henley scene. It didn’t actually hit me until I read this several months ago that the rowing scenes from the beginning are from that stretch between N. Beacon Street and the sandbar (if you’re familiar with the river by CRI). There are nine parts and some are a little lengthy but they’re well worth the read.

Part 1 || Part 2 || Part 3 || Part 4 || Part 5 || Part 6 || Part 7 || Part 8 || Part 9

Rowing Teammates & Coaches Video of the Week

Video of the Week: Symphony of Motion

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The quality of this video is everything you’d expect, considering it was made in the ’70s, but the quality of the content is top notch. The title is “Symphony of Motion”, which is borrowed from a quote spoken by George Pocock.

“It’s a great art, is rowing. It’s the finest art there is. It’s a symphony of motion and when you’re rowing well, why it’s nearing perfection. You’re touching the divine. It touches the you of you’s, which is your soul.”

While there’s much to appreciate in this video, coxswains, let’s take a second to stop and really appreciate the fact that we don’t have to wear that ridiculous megaphone contraption thing, seen at 8:07.

College Racing Video of the Week

Video of the Week: The 148th Harvard-Yale Regatta

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In case you don’t know about the Harvard-Yale Regatta, it is the oldest intercollegiate sporting event in the United States. They started racing each other in 1852 which, for those of you who know your US History, was before the Civil War began. With the exception of not racing during times of war when the US was fighting, the race – “The Race” – has been run every year since 1859. Initially it was rowed on Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire but it’s more permanent home is on the Thames River in New London, CT. (Unlike the river that runs through London, England, this one is not pronounced “Tems”. It is in fact pronounced just as it’s spelled.)

There are two campsites along the river that act as the training grounds for each team and where they bunker down for a week or more to prepare to race each other. Yale is at Gales Ferry and Harvard is at Red Top. There are four races all together – the varsity (4 miles), junior varsity (3 miles), freshman (2 miles), and combination (2 miles), which is a boat comprised of rowers from the 3V8+ and 2F8+. The winners of the combination race earn the right to paint their team’s colors on the rock at Bartlett’s Cove the next day, which also happens to be the most popular spot to watch the races as they come down the river.

Harvard is currently sitting atop the leader boards with an impressive 94-54 record, having won the varsity race for the last six consecutive years and 13 of the last 14.