I showed up to my first ever rowing practice in what we as rowers should essentially consider a towel; cotton capri sweats and a cotton/polyester blend tee.
I remember it was the dead of summer and I was at a band retreat. I woke up in the annex of my high school on a really warm summer day in August; well before the sun.
My mom picked me up and drove me down the hill to the boathouse on the Allegheny River in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. North Catholic High School practiced out of TRRA (aka Three Rivers Rowing Association) situated on one of its three rivers.
So… lots of water.
I think by the end of my first practice, most of this water was in our boat. I made it out of that first practice alive, but my cotton capris did not. Not only were they saturated in river water, but they now had grease marks from getting caught in the slide. I continued to come to practice poorly dressed and ill-prepared. It took me the better part of a year of novice rowing to realize that I was doing it all wrong.
I cannot recall the source, but I eventually learned, “if you are thinking about it while rowing, you aren’t in the proper gear.” I took a moment to ask all of our reps which garments they feel are absolutely essential for on-water training. Their answers were very much subject to each respective territory’s climate. The proper gear will afford the opportunity to focus complete attention on learning to row. So from our reps to you, here is what we believe you need to know:
Laura Sweitzer – West Coast JL Rep
Brian DeLong – Mid-Atlantic, Ohio, and New York JL Rep
Jennifer Lewis – Southeast and Midwest JL Rep
Kara Carson – New England JL Rep
You’ll notice, regardless of the region, our sales reps believe our trou is the most essential rowing garment. This is what makes us who we are and this is the garment that separates us from the rest.
Really with this sport, you either love it or you don’t. It is much too challenging and demanding for indifference. But if you feel that spark…the spark we’ve all felt while falling in love with this sport; don’t give up. Like other things in this life, this sport can provide so much if you push through the difficult moments.
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