Essay 1-02b: I love rowing!!

Introduction

I have belonged to the rowing club since I entered to high school. I love rowing because I learned many things by rowing and rowing is not easy sports. If I want to be a good rower, I have to do my best. Everytime I see the race, I get a lot of things about slills, trainings, how to row and so on. This is one of my reasons that I love rowing. Rowing douesn't have a goal of myself!! It's worth doing my best so I love rowing.


Basics

Boats have 7 types: single scull(1 person), double scull(2 people), quadruplet(4 people ＋ cox), pair(2 people and sometimes ＋ cox), four(4people ＋ cox and someitimes no cox), eight(8 people ＋ cox) and octopulet(8 people ＋ cox)
The differences between double scull and pair is the count of oars. Double scull needs 2 sets of oal(4 oars) but pair needs only 2 oars. Pleasse look at picture 1. This is double scull and as you can see, they are using 4 oars to row. However, what about picture 2? They are using only 2 oars. This is the difference between bouble scull and pair.


[terms] rowing boats

http://www.solarnavigator.net/rowing_boats.htm


Rules of Racing

The rules of racing had changed last year, June. For example, we had to bring floaters on the boat for the safety but after the rules had changed, we don't need to bring them anymore. Calls also changed. Calls means announcement for the rowers. Judges must tell them the time. This is an example. (↓)

Race time 8:00

[7:55]
Umpire: 5 minutes

[7:56]
Umpire: 4 minutes

[7:57]
Umpire: 3 minutes

[7:58]
Umpire: 2 minutes

(When umpire said "2 minutes", we must ready to go.)

[8:00]
Umpire: Attention go


This call used to be announced in Japanese like "2分前" but it changed to say in English.

[terms] rowing rules (ボート　競漕規則)

http://www.jara.or.jp/info/2009/rule20090717.html

http://www.britishrowing.org/rules


Paralympics

Please look at the picture 3. This is the special boat for disabled person. This sport is called Adaptive Rowing. His name is Tom Aggar and in this picture, he's training for the Beijing paralympics which is held in 2008.

[terms] paralympics rowing


http://www.zimbio.com/pictures/oqpJv1lZrii/UK+Paralympic+Rowing+Feature/1GMZ2IC8e3J/Tom+Aggar


Daisaku Takeda

Do you know this person who is in the picture 4? His name is Daisaku Takeda and he is the most famous rowing player in Japan and also in the world. He was born in 1973 and he is 36 years old now but he is still rowing to win at the Olympics. He is from Ehime and He won an all Japan championship 9 times and he set up the records.

In 2002, he got a gold medal at Asia championship that was held in Pusan, Korea. He has chosen as an Olympics player and he took part in Olympics for 4 times. He is still training hard everyday to get a gold medal at Olympics. He wants to prove that Japanese can get a gold medal at Olympics. This is his dream for a long time.

[terms] Takeda Daisaku

http://www.jump.co.jp/bs-i/chojin/archive/069.html


Conclusion

I love rowing after all! However, I can't row now because of backache so I'm helping the players. To be honest, I came this university to enter the rowing club. Now my teammates are training hard to win even in the rain. I want them to win at the competition which will be held in Summer so I will do my best to help them and cheer!!

References

Website:
Electrick Publications, . (). Sport. ROWING and BOATS. Retrieved 18 May, 2010, from http://www.solarnavigator.net/rowing_boats.htm.

Website:
Explore Rowing, . (). Explore Rowing. Rules of racing. Retrieved 18 May, 2010, from http://www.britishrowing.org/rules.

Website:
BS-i INCORPORATED, . (). 超・人(Japanese site). 武田大作　反骨のオール(Japanese site). Retrieved 19 May, 2010, from http://www.jump.co.jp/bs-i/chojin/archive/069.html.

Website:
Zimbio, Inc., . (). Zimbio. UK Paralympic Rowing Feature. Retrieved 19 May, 2010, from http://www.zimbio.com/pictures/oqpJv1lZrii/UK+Paralympic+Rowing+Feature/1GMZ2IC8e3J/Tom+Aggar.

Website:
Japan Rowing Association, . (). Japan Rowing Association (FISA). 競漕規則改訂について (Japanese site). Retrieved 19 May, 2010, from http://www.jara.or.jp/info/2009/rule20090717.html.

Revisions

I got many comments that "I've never tried rowing so I want to try it!!". If you really want to try rowing, you can do it. If you really want to try, you can come to Ezuko at this time:Tuesday-Friday 5:00pm~ or Saturday, Sunday 9:00am~. It's not easy to row for the first time so we don't make you row single. We will row with you. It's quite difficult but I'm sure you will enjoy it.

The other question was about me, how long have you played rowing. Actually, I've played rowing for only 3 years because now I belong to the rowing club but I can't row because of my backacke. If I didn't have a very bad backacke, I'm sure that I continue rowing still now. I hope I can row again like a real rower.

Thank you for your comments.

(750 words)