ISSUE #6 | COASTAL ROWING FUTURE
COASTAL ROWING
© Picture: Tim Fenemore
COASTAL ROWING FUTURE
How can we have the best of all worlds? We welcome a New Year, and with this New Year
we hope to start new beginnings. 2020 bought us the COVID-19 pandemic which had a significant impact across the world, and on the sport and recreation of coastal and offshore rowing and its communities. 2020 also saw the decision by the Olympic committee to not include coastal rowing in the 2024 Olympics. Could this be the opportunity to explore new ideas and innovations to help guide the future path coastal rowing and its place in the world, with the vision towards inclusion in the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles...? It's time to discuss what it is we really want. Tim Fenemore, a rowing enthusiast in the United Kingdom has written to The Wave Rowing and poses questions to you - the rowing community, as to what shape you would like to see in the future of coastal and offshore rowing... We are at the start of a new wave of rowing and it feels like a good time for the Coastal Rowing community to answer a few questions and decide what ‘shape’ we want our sport to be. How do we develop an elite international squad, build a strong and supportive coastal rowing community and embrace innovation? With a bit of thought and effort at this early stage, we should be able to have the best of all worlds.
What are the roots for Coastal Rowing? ‘Coastal Rowing’ means different things to each community that it serves. To many, it represents a tradition of fixed seat boat racing against rival local towns, to others their particular ‘brand’ of sliding seat boats a similar experience to river racing but in more extreme conditions found on the sea and estuaries. Latterly, a new segment has opened up - thanks to World Rowing leading an international campaign to give developing nations the chance to learn, train and compete using robust 'FISA Standard' racing boats capable of performing on coasts, lakes and rivers with the minimum of investment. It seems that all the categories having things in common - they are run and participated in by people who involve their communities and enjoy the social side of the sport and the location / environment as much as the racing. Even the 'Offshore Enduro' World Rowing events have a mix of elite athletes competing alongside club rowers which is fantastic. From talking to fine boat rowers, they say that their sport had a similar 'buzz' to it before the fixation on 'super-elite' competition took hold.
So, what do we want from our sport, who are the ‘target audience’ and how can our approach be tailored to reenergise not just coastal rowing, but other rowing events too?
18 | The Wave Rowing @kateparsons15
© Picture: C. Chaulk
The Olympic Committee’s decision to postpone any commitment to FISA Coastal events for another 4 years may be a disappointment to some, but will have little impact on those already involved in the sport. Indeed, the 2024 deadline felt a little rushed for many people.
The British Rowing Offshore Championships & Beach Sprints featured a DJ playing music to keep rowers and spectators entertained. Should this event become a spectacle by bringing together all the coastal/offshore varieties in one place that British Rowing represents rather than focusing on FISA sculling?
@TheWaveRowing
