| Rowing is a sport in which athletes race against each | | | | also have sliding seats to allow the use of the legs in |
| other over bodies of water. The boats are propelled | | | | addition to the body to move the oar and so drive the |
| by the athletes levering the boat through the water | | | | boat. |
| with oars. The sport can be either recreational or | | | | There are two forms of rowing. In Sweep or |
| competitive. In the United States and Canada, high | | | | Sweep-oar rowing, each rower has one oar, held in |
| school and collegiate rowing is sometimes called crew. | | | | both hands. This is done in pairs, fours and eights. Each |
| Whilst rowing, the athlete sits in the boat facing | | | | rower in a sweep boat is referred to either as "port" |
| backwards (towards the stern), and uses the oars | | | | (aka "strokeside") or "starboard" (aka "bowside"), |
| which are attached to the boat at the oarlocks to | | | | depending on which side of the boat the rower's oar |
| propel the boat forward (towards the bow). This may | | | | extends to. In Sculling each rower has two oars (one in |
| be done on a river, lake, sea, or other large body of | | | | each hand). "Sculling" is usually done in doubles, |
| water. It is a demanding sport requiring balance as well | | | | quadruples, or singles without a coxswain. The oar in |
| as physical strength and cardiovascular endurance. | | | | his or her right hand extends to the port side, and the |
| Whilst the action of rowing and equipment used | | | | oar in his or her left hand extends to starboard. |
| remains fairly consistent throughout the world, there | | | | Anatomy of a stroke |
| are many different types of competition. These include | | | | The two fundamental reference points in the rowing |
| endurance races, time trials, stake racing, bumps racing, | | | | stroke are the catch where the oar blade is placed in |
| and the side-by-side format used in the Olympic | | | | the water, and the extraction (also known as the 'finish' |
| games. The many different formats are a result of the | | | | or the 'release') where the oar blade is removed from |
| long history of the sport, and its development in | | | | the water. The rower leans forward, and bends the |
| different regions of the world. | | | | legs,sliding forward in their seat. After the blade is |
| Basics | | | | placed in the water at the catch, they apply pressure |
| The distinction between rowing and other forms of | | | | to the oar, levering the boat forward and |
| water transport, such as canoeing or kayaking, is that | | | | simultaneously sliding in their seat into the unbent legs |
| in rowing the oars are held in place at a pivot point. | | | | position. The part where pressure is applied is called |
| This allows the oars to act as a lever of force, rather | | | | the drive phase of the stroke, which occurs after the |
| than a paddle. In flatwater rowing, the boat (also called | | | | blade is vertically placed in the water. Once the rower |
| a 'shell' or 'fine boat') is narrow to avoid drag, and the | | | | extracts the oar from the water, the recovery phase |
| oars are attached to rowlocks at the end of outriggers | | | | begins, setting up the rower's body for the next stroke |
| extending from the sides of the boat. These boats | | | | |