Ski the San Diego Crew Classic!

The San Diego Crew Classic is known throughout the rowing community as the unofficial start of the spring racing season here in the US. Legions of pale, frost-bitten rowers escape the clutches of their snowbound boathouses and make their way to San Diego on the first weekend in April for a much-needed dose of Vitamin D and a sudden reintroduction to on-water rowing. At Concept2 we are not immune from such longings. We too yearn for the sunshine after five months of darkness in northern Vermont, especially after this most recent winter failed to deliver the white stuff in satisfactory amounts, instead supplying steady doses of rain, sleet, and gray.

The annual trip to the Crew Classic is exciting for the Regatta Service team at Concept2. As the first regatta on our schedule, it gives us a chance to dust off our tools and plan for the upcoming year of service. We analyze our tool and part inventories, making sure we’ll always have the necessary items to fix whatever comes our way.

With pallets full of tools, parts, and sunscreen, the team departed last week in search of warmer climes. Yet, in the midst of the San Diego sunshine, an unexpected piece of equipment that has very little to do with summer stole the attention. The Concept2 SkiErg is one of our latest innovations, but a Nordic skiing ergometer is not a common sight in southern California. We have been bringing them to regattas to show customers how well it complements training on a rowing ergometer, while still bringing the intensity that Concept2 ergs are renowned for. Little by little, word is getting out that the SkiErg is a serious training tool not just for skiers, but for any athlete looking for a low-impact, high-intensity alternative to traditional cardio equipment.

True to form, the SkiErg was the star of the show. Much of the beauty of the SkiErg is just how easy it is to use: just walk up to it, grab the handles, and start pulling. At the regatta, this quickly lead to groups of people standing around it, challenging one another to 100 meter sprints, yelling and egging each other on. It’s exciting when the equipment we bring to showcase generates so much interest and attention!

So, while there was no snow to be found for hundreds of miles, skiing was a big part of this year’s Crew Classic. We’ll be sure to bring one back next year, or perhaps two for some wireless racing. Look for the Concept2 Regatta Service team at other events in the US and abroad. We’ll be sure to bring SkiErgs, indoor rowers, and plenty of parts for oar repairs, no matter what the weather brings.

by Kevin Stevenson, Concept2 Engineer and Regatta Service Team member.