INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — The C-54 canal in Fellsmere became a training ground for new rowers as Indian River Rowing Club (IRRC) and Sebastian River Crew hosted National Learn to Row Day over the weekend. As the morning sun kept rain clouds at bay, attendees learned all facets of rowing from how to hold oars to working as a team on the water.
With several family members involved with rowing, Budd Thompson decided it was time to see what it was all about.
“I’m just out here to learn to row,” Thompson said. “We grew up with row boats when I was a kid in Rhode Island.”
After a lifetime on the water as a commercial fisherman, a chance to get back to recreational boating sounded inviting, he said.
The sleek, specially designed crew “shells,” or racing boats, are worlds apart from the bathtub-like row boats Thompson is used to, he said.
“I really just want to see the mechanics of it,” Thompson said. “I can’t wait to see how efficiently they move through the water.”
When he finally took to the water, Thompson was part of a crew mixed with novices and seasoned veterans, including his grandson.
“It was a great experience,” Thompson said after his first row on the canal.
Indian River Rowing Club Coach Becky Gay said her passion for crew drives her to reach out to those who have never heard of the sport.
“We’re really here today to promote the sport of rowing,” Gay said. “We hope to get people excited about the sport.”
Gay, who has been rowing for six years, fell in love with the sport while in high school.
“It was about the extreme amount of chaos in such a peaceful place that drew me in,” Gay said. “You have to go into a state of mind that is just peaceful even when things are chaotic in a race.”
Another great aspect of rowing is how good of a total-body workout it can be, she said.
“You get a lot of cardio exercise,” Gay said. “You really build up stamina out there.”
Founding IRRC member Trina Smith said turnout for the event was as good as she had hoped for.
“We just tried to get the word out as much as we could and hoped people could make it,” Smith said. “Past events were held in Vero, so, we were hoping people would still come out here to Fellsmere.”
Both rowing clubs attract members from a wide geographic range, she said.
“We’ve got members in Palm Bay and Melbourne,” Smith said. “We really get folks from all over.”
Also, age is not a factor in rowing, she said.
“Our members are young and old and every age in-between,” Smith said.
For more information about Indian River Rowing Club, visit www.IndianRiverRowingClub.com.
