S4E12 - Letting Go of Perfection: Coastal Rowing

A small but growing group of flat water rowers are making a transition to coastal rowing. In 2021, USRowing boated its first-ever Beach Sprints National team and in 2022 Next Level Rowing appeared on the scene, training high performance rowers who have gone on to win medals at domestic and international coastal regattas.

The U.S. is just taking on this discipline, which has been raced for generations in Europe. We reached out to coastal rowing rising stars Christopher Bak and Christine Cavallo, and their coach Ben Booth, co-founder of Next Level Rowing. All three wax poetic about giving in to Mother Nature, working through adversity, and why coastal – like indoor rowing – is a perfect cross-training option.

 

QUICK LOOK

00:00 - Podcast lead-in
02:15 - Rachel and Tara banter
03:12 - welcome
05:25 - Team Huddle: Get to know Chris, Christine, and Ben
09:25 - The Hot Seat Q&A
14:09 - What’s the hook? Why they keep coming back to rowing season after season.
20:30 - Ben’s coaching philosophy: teach a way of being - being present and true to yourself
30:52 - Coastal, like indoor rowing, translates to flat water. Great cross training and it’s fun! Working the same sport specific muscle pattern while having a completely different neurological experience
35:08 - Ben’s involvement in USRowing’s early move into coastal
38:05 - Intro to coastal rowing disciplines: beach sprint and endurance
40:52 - Approach coastal with an open mind
43:40 - Ben couldn’t find the coastal boat he wanted so he got into backyard design and build, which evolved into Next Boatworks, the only coastal manufacturer in the U.S.
51:27 - On the coastal rowing horizon for 2023
54:48 - Bringing rowing to non-traditional spaces, marketing, and growing the sport
58:45 - opportunities to try coastal rowing in ME and MA, and check out the boats at some USRowing events

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To see photos of Ben, Christine, and Chris, and to get links to the people, clubs, and events mentioned in this episode, check out the show notes on our website.

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This episode was made possible in part by Breakwater Realty Group, Concept2, Live2Row, Barb, EB5 Investors, and our Patrons.