S3E11 - Susan Kinne: A Meditation on Boats

When Susan Kinne cracked the bottom of a wooden hull, she never could have guessed that nearly 25 years later she’d be a master craftsman handling boat repairs of all sizes at Lake Washington Rowing Club. Just north of 70 years old, Susan sets pitch, patches damaged hulls, and builds Frankenstein boats. She is a powerhouse with tools and in a scull, and is a well of information about Pocock Racing Shells.

TIME STAMPS
00:00 - Intro and welcome
02:15 - On a scale of 0-10, Susan’s rowing week was a … 5
04:00 - Rapid Fire Q&A
7:00 - Learning to row in her 40s with Martha’s Moms after a life of mountaineering and skiing; Learning to scull with Coach Frank Cunningham
13:09 - Cold hands, blacking out, and winning Gold on the Charles
21:20 - Salvaging boats at LWRC began with Frank Cunningham
26:05 - “Frankenstein” boats Susan would like to build: 3x and 6+
31:00 - Susan got involved with boat maintenance after a foot stretcher accident in a wooden boat
34:00 - Most common repair, and irritating repairs that could be avoided
36:35 - Rowers should become acquainted with mechanics of the boat 
38:18 - Rowing as a bond with the tribe, competition, and a meditative experience

To see photos of Susan, along with links to the people, clubs, and events mentioned in the episode, check out the show notes on our website.

This episode was made possible in part by our Patrons and the support of Concept2.