Row Boats, Sculling Boats, and Sailing Rowboats from Whitehall

Newsletter March 09 By Harold Aune VP

       It’s an interesting time that we are proceeding through economically speaking. However the sun still comes up and sets on schedule and here in the northern hemisphere the days are getting noticeably longer. This is always a refreshing feeling, however over the past few months many of us have asked ourselves “What is really important to me?”

        The answer I’m hearing from many is “quality of life, authenticity and life enhancing experiences”. Copious consumption of mass luxury items is out; products and experiences that are more specialized, personalized and unique are in. Life enhancing, life enriching products are in and simply owning things no longer matters.

    For us here at Whitehall it sounds like the world is maturing and catching up to our regular customers and boat owners that we have enjoyed serving since the beginning. I’m not kidding or exaggerating one bit. It’s our amazing customer base that has given us the energy and drive to keep going, to keep improving and reflect back that which we believe in.

Our commitment remains to passionately provide the best service, products and value, allowing those that we serve to be able to experience the best in all ways.

There are several exciting new things under way and on the horizon. One of the most inspiring ones has been to meet and work with Olympic rower Adam Kreek, four time world champion, winner of six world cup gold medals and most recently a gold medalist in the 2008 Beijing Games in the men’s 8 rowing event. His favorite quote is ‘Success is a journey, not a destination.” No wonder he’s one of the worlds top rowers.

New How to Row Video

Adam has worked with us producing a new “How to Slide Seat Row” video which is nearing completion. Adam is featured rowing the Solo 14 and having coached rowing for over ten years, some of these at Stanford University, his advice and instruction is of a quality that we are feeling very fortunate to have received. We are just completing the editing of this now and will to publish it online as well as in DVD format. When a rower of Adams’ caliber both enjoys and endorses rowing the Solo 14 we are confident all will feel the same way. This video will be available three ways; simply watch online or download a highrez version for a small fee or order a DVD directly from us.

Doc Side 101

Rowing and Joint Nutrition by Dr. John Degnan

Dr. John Degnan, orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine authority, gets right into the nitty gritty (no pun intended) of why rowing is good for the joints and prevents pain and problems.

        Today we talk about your articular cartilage (AC); the slippery stuff that lives at the ends of most bones and allows frictionless motion of your joints. AC is avascular and much thicker in the large, weight bearing joints, such as your knees, and much less so in fingers and toes. All this means that AC depends on local synovial joint fluid for nutrition and long life.

The heart of this machine is motion, more specifically repetitive axial compression. With loading the AC is compressed, squeezing out waste and with unloading the expansion draws in the fresh synovial fluid. Thus AC loves this repetitive compression cycle and hates its counter part, SHEAR (side to side) which quickly leads to cellular demise and osteoarthritis (OA). The rowing motion is the panacea of AC and not only protective, but in my opinion therapeutic for early OA.

    (John mentioned in a conversation with Marie Hutchinson how he had rowed over 674 miles since receiving his Spirit 14 and that his trusty wrist mounted GPS kept track of an amazing amount of data)

My GPS

Marie asked me to mention my GPS. Simply put I hate doing anything without a tangible reward and the Garmin people have provided me with it in a little inexpensive package, the 305 Edge. Believe me I am no computer guru. This thing is simple and comes with soft wear. So when you’re done rowing you plug in to your computer and its automatic everything; like speed vs. heart rate, distance with maps, max and average heart rates. The best thing is it remembers everything and makes it fun to workout new challenges.

Strength and honor,
John Degnan DrJD@whitehallrow.com

Diablo Rowing Race features Solo 14 event

With a number of world-class rowers in Solo 14s entering the upcoming Sausalito based Open Water Rowing Center’s annual rowing regatta, we’re on the verge of starting a new open water class. Entrants include, Olympian Adam Kreek, Atlantic rowers Brad Vickers and Jordan Hanssen, South End Rowing Club representative Allan Calder, and possibly more. Doug Gilmour, who rowed his Solo 14 in last year’s race is “at least doing the start”, he said.

Marie and I will be there filming this amazing event. Start time is 8AM. That’s half an hour before the main fleet of shell rowers start. Here’s a link to the course: http://www.owrc.com/aLog2008/OWRRegatta/RegattaMap.gif

For any comments or contributions, contact Harold Harold@whitehallrow.com.