Rowing Terminology
- BLADE: The flat end of the oar.
- BOW:
- The forward section of the boat.
- The first part of the boat to cross the finish line.
- The person in the seat closest to the bow.
- BUTTON: A wide collar on the oar that keeps it from sliding through the oarlock.
- CATCH: The first part of the stroke when the blade enteres the water.
- Check it down command: The crew squares their blades and slowly drags them in the water. Used to slow or stop the boat.
- Count down command: The crew counts aloud starting with bow, signifying their readiness for action.
- Coxswain, Cox'n, Cox: The person who steers the shell and is the on-the-water coach for the crew.
- Crab: When the blade gets trapped under the water and makes rowing difficult or impossible.
- Drive: The part of the stroke when the rower is pulling on the handle of the oar. (See Recovery)
- Ergometer, "Erg":
- Rower's term for an indoor rowing machine common in many gyms and all rowing facilities.
- The term "erg", in physics, is the unit of work or energy in the metric system: the amount of work being done by one dyne acting through a distance of one centimeter
- "ergometer" is a device which measures and displays the number or ergs of energy that is expended. Most indoor rowing machines include an ergometer.
- Visit Concept 2 for more information.
- Erg Race: An indoor rowing competition using rowing machines (Ergs), usually linked to a computer. See photo spread of an erg race from 1999.
- Feather: When the blade of the oar is parallel to the water to minimize wind resistance and interference with the water. A position achieved by slowly turning the oar handle with the inside hand (when sweep rowing).
- Finish:
- The end of the stroke, when the oar handle is closest to the body and the blade is removed from the water.
- The end of a race. The finish line
- Foot stretchers: See Stretcher
- Gate:
- The bar across the oarlock that keeps the oar in place.
- Locked barrier on pen where large male rowers are kept prior to a race.
- Gunwale ("Gunnel"): Top edge of the shell's sidewall, where the riggers are attached.
- Hands-on command for rowers to grab the boat on the gunwales next to their seat and be ready to move. Normally used when launching or retreiving the boat.
- Heads up": self explainatory command to look out and pay attention.
- Hold Water: command to stop rowing, square the blades and stop the boat.
- Hull: The boat.
- Inside Hand: (sweep rowing term) The hand closest to the gunwale on the oar side. The hand used for feathering the oar. (See Outside hand).
- Launch:
- Small motorboats typically used by coaches that accompany shells.
- The act of putting a boat into the water
- Layback: The backward lean of your body from hips at the finish of the stroke.
- Let it Run: Command to stop rowing and let the boat glide, oard off the water and feathered.
- Oar: a long pole with a broad, thin blade at one end used in rowing. (Rowers do NOT use "paddles")
- Oarlock: The U-shaped hardware that holds the oar. (See Gate)
- Outside Hand: (sweep rowing term) The hand that is on the end of the oar. Used to pull the oar. Not used for feathering. (See Inside Hand)
- Paddle: verb: A light pressure, easy row.
- Port:
- Common nautical usage: the LEFT side of a boat when facing forward.
- Rowing usage: The rower's RIGHT side because rowers sit facing the BACK of the boat.
- Power 10: A call for rowers to do 10 of their best, most powerful strokes. Used as a racing strategy to pull ahead of a competitor.
- Rack: Supports on which the boats rest upside down in the boathouse.
See photo page.
- Recovery: Part of the rowing stroke that follows the drive. The oar is not in the water and the rower moves and leans forward preparing for the next drive. (See Drive.)
- Release: Point at which the blade comes out of the water after the "drive" during the rowing stroke.
- Rigger: The triangular shaped metal device that is bolted to the side of the boat and holds an oar.
- Roll-ups: When the oar is going from feathered to squared position.
- Run: The distance the shell moves during one stroke. You can figure the run by looking for the distance between puddles in the water made by the same oar as the boat moves forward.
- Scull: One of the two diciplines of rowing. One rower uses two oars on opposite sides of the boat. (See Sweep).
- Shell: Alternate name for the boat.
- Slide:
- The set of runners for the wheels on each seat in the boat.
- The act of moving the body forward on the rolling seat during the rowing stroke.
- "Half Slide" is a shorter, less powerful stroke where the rower does not use the entire length or full leg strength.
- "Full Slide" is a full stroke using maximum leg strength.
- "Arms and back only" means rowing without sliding at all.
- Starboard:
- Common nautical usage: the RIGHT side of a boat when facing forward.
- Rowing usage: The rower's LEFT side because rowers sit facing the BACK of the boat.
- Stern: The read of the boat. The direction rowers are facing.
- Stretcher: (footstretchers) An inclinded foot rest, bolted to the boat, which holds the rowers shoes. In most cases, quick-release, one-size fits-all, shoes are permanently bolted to the stretchers. Rowers leave their own shoes on the dock and strap into the shoes in the boat.
- Stroke:
- The rowing cycle of actions: Catch, Drive, Release, Recovery
- The rower who sits closest to the stearn of the boat and sets the rhythm for the boat. The rest of the crew synchronize on the Stroke rower. Rowers sitting behind the stroke position are numbered 2, 3, 4, etc.
- Sweep
- One of the two diciplines of rowing. Team rowing with two, four or eight rowers, each using one oar on alternating sides of the boat.
- "doubles" or two person shells are sometimes sculled with each rower having two oars.
- Fours and eights are always rigged as sweep boats.
- Doubles and Fours may or may not include a coxswain. Eights always include a coxswain.
- Swing: The hard-to-define feeling when a near-perfect synchronization of motion occurs in the shell, enhancing the performance and speed of the boat.
- Way Enough: Command to stop rowing immediately.
