Rowing

water sports · teamwork · athletics

Oars are attached. Rowing oars connect to the boat using special brackets called rowlocks, which is what makes rowing different from paddling sports where paddles are loose in your hands.

Two main styles. In sculling, one rower holds two oars (one in each hand), while in sweeping, one rower holds a single oar using both hands together.

Team sizes vary. Boats range from single sculls with just one person all the way up to eights with eight rowers plus a coxswain (a person who steers and calls out instructions).

Official races. Most competitive rowing happens on calm water courses that are exactly 2 kilometres long with marked lanes using buoys to keep boats in their paths.

Perfect coordination. Rowers must row at exactly the same rhythm so the boat moves smoothly through the water without wobbling side to side.