The Athletes
- Ambidextrous (or bisweptual)
- (UK) A rower who can row both on stroke side and bow side. (US) A rower who can row both on the starboard and port sides of the boat.
- Bow (or bow seat)
- The rower closest to the front or bow of a multi-person shell. In coxless boats, often the person who keeps an eye on the water behind him to avoid accidents.
- Bowside
- (UK) Any sweep rower who rows with the oar on the Bowside (usually, the right or starboard side) of the boat.
- Coxswain or "cox"
- The oar-less crew-member, usually included, who is responsible for steering and race strategy. The coxswain either sits in the stern or lies in the bow of the boat.
- Engine room
- The middle rowers in the boat. In an 8-person shell, these are generally seats 6, 5, 4 and 3. They are generally the biggest and strongest rowers, who provide most of the power to the boat.
- Hammer
- A rower known more for his or her powerful pulling rather than technical rowing proficiency.
- Heavyweight
- A rower who weighs more than the limit for lightweight rowing. Often referred to as Open weight.
- Lightweight
- A rower whose weight allows him or her to be eligible to compete in lightweight rowing events.
- Novices
- Rowers who are rowing for their first year, or (in the UK) a rower who has not won a qualifying regatta.
- Port
- (US) A sweep rower who rows with the oar on the port or left side of the boat.
- Sculler
- A rower who rows with two oars, one in each hand.
- Seat number
- A rower's position in the boat counting up from the bow. In an eight, the person closest to the bow of the boat is 1 or "bow," the next is 2, followed by 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and finally 8 or "stroke." In certain countries the seats are numbered the opposite way, from stroke up to bow.
- Starboard
- (US) A sweep rower who rows with the oar on the starboard (or right) side of the boat.
- Stroke (Seat)
- The rower closest to the stern of the boat, responsible for the stroke rate and rhythm.
- Strokeside
- (UK) Any sweep rower who rows with the oar on the Strokeside (usually, the left or port side) of the boat.
- Sweep
- A style of rowing in which each rower uses one oar.
- Wash
- The wake from a motorised boat, disliked by rowers as the wash affects the boat stability and can cause water to flood over the gunwales.
Read more about this topic: Glossary Of Rowing Terms
Famous quotes containing the word athletes:
“The quality of American life is an insult to the possibilities of human growth ... the pollution of American space, with gadgetry and cars and TV and box architecture, brutalizes the senses, making gray neurotics of most of us, and perverse spiritual athletes and strident self-transcenders of the best of us.”
—Susan Sontag (b. 1933)
“To read well, that is, to read true books in a true spirit, is a noble exercise, and one that will task the reader more than any exercise which the customs of the day esteem. It requires a training such as the athletes underwent, the steady intention almost of the whole life to this object.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)