Want to learn how to row in those long, sleek shells you’ve seen on the Chester River? If you’re 15 or older—there’s no upper age limit—you can give the sport a try by signing up for the Chester River Rowing Club’s spring “Learn-to-Row” classes.
Sessions will start with an orientation on the morning of Saturday, May 12, and will continue on Saturday mornings as well as Monday and Wednesday afternoons, from 6 to 8 pm, until the graduation row and barbeque on June 13. Class members will learn the basic stroke in the indoor tank at the Washington College Boathouse on the waterfront in Chestertown, and as soon as the instructors feel the class is ready, novices will try rowing out on the river.
Newcomers will learn the coxswain’s lingo, from “Ready all, row!” to “Way ’nuf!” (the signals to start and stop rowing). They’ll learn to carry and launch shells of every size, and will row in eight-, four-, two- and single-seat boats, handling both sculling and sweep oars. (Scullers each have two oars, one in each hand, while sweep rowers have both hands on one longer, heavier oar.)
Most of those who typically sign up for CRRC’s spring “Learn-to-Row” classes range in age from 30-something to 60-something, but classes often include teens and seniors 70 and up. Anyone who wants to learn to be a coxswain—the large boat crewmember who calls out the stroke pace and steers—is welcome to join the class.
Kendall Ruffatto, the president of the rowing club, said the “Learn-to-Row” class is for people who want to row for recreation as well as for those who are interested in joining the race team. She explained that most people in CRRC’s annual novice classes have never rowed, though some are dusting off old skills.
“I started rowing at 56 because I wanted to do something to get in shape, and rowing had always intrigued me,” Ruffatto said. “It can be challenging to learn, but it’s also fun and it’s a great way to meet new people. I was never a very athletic person, but since I started rowing, I’ve been in the best shape I’ve ever been in, and I’m doing something I really love. You can’t beat that!”
Masters rowing, for anyone 21 and up, is the fastest growing segment of the sport, and it’s easier on knees and other joints than impact sports. Some people are surprised to learn that, because of the shells’ sliding seats, the sport builds leg strength as well as core and upper body strength.
“Anyone in good general health can learn to row,” said Deb Davis, a physician at Chester River Hospital Center who’s rowed since high school. “Novices who stay with it tend to lose weight, improve muscle tone in their arms, legs, shoulders, back and abs, and they improve their stamina, too. There’s no sport that gives you a better all-around workout.”
There’s another thing that Davis loves about rowing, she said. “For me, there’s nothing like being on the Chester River at sunrise or sunset, when the water’s perfectly flat, with Canada geese, great blue herons and an occasional bald eagle for company. There’s no gym in the world that can offer that.”
The Chester River Rowing Club’s “Learn to Row” brochures are in Chestertown at Scottie’s Shoe Store, Play It Again Sam’s, the Kent Athletic and Wellness Center. Brochures also are posted on the club’s website: https://www.chesterriverrowingclub.com/novice.php
The novice class is limited in size, and will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis.
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