Indiana University Athletics
IU Rowing: Life on the Road
2/8/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Rowing
Feb. 8, 2006
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Life as a part of the IU rowing team involves long hours on the road. The long trips to regattas make it difficult for a sport like rowing that consists of several mechanical elements that go into operating an efficient team.
The basic size of a collegiate rowing shell is more than 60-feet long. To move the massive equipment the Hoosiers rely on the power of a three-quarter ton diesel truck to pull the 50-foot long trailer needed to hold the shells. Along with the shells, IU packs in oars, spare parts and other tools necessary for the long journey. The job of getting the equipment to the regatta is the responsibility of the coaching staff.
"Typically, the coaches here at Indiana will take care of the transportation of the equipment, to our races and training trips," Indiana head coach Steve Peterson said. "Some schools will have a boatman with responsibilities including the maintenance and transportation of the equipment. On many occasions, a group of schools from a certain region will join in and put all of their equipment on one trailer to save expenses."
The thousands of miles traveled by Indiana take a toll not only on the team but also the equipment that is packed up to make the trip. The Hoosiers hit the road to places all over the country with the tools they need to compete. The longest trip came when the team headed to Tampa, Fla., for their winter training. The transportation of IU's equipment to all these destinations results in some of the wear and tear that maintenance requires.
"I would have to say the trips can take their toll on the equipment," Peterson said. "The more a shell travels on a trailer, the shorter its competitive lifespan. Most shells can be rowed for 10 to 20 years. Typically, shells are only raced for about five years at most at the Division I collegiate level because they slowly lose their stiffness and small parts can begin to break down."
For Peterson, the long hours on the road have provided some experiences that only a traveling rowing team could run into.
"There are a bunch of stories from the road," Peterson said. "One time, I was driving the trailer when a spring on the trailer broke and caused the wheel wells to rub against the tires. In a matter of minutes, there was smoke billowing out of the trailer. I pulled the trailer over because I thought it was on fire. It was quite a site to see while we sat there by the highway waiting for a tow truck. In the end, I got the trailer repaired with heavy duty springs this time."
Recently, the Hoosiers returned from Tampa, Fla., where they completed their winter training for the upcoming 2006 season. IU will travel to Clemson, S.C., on March 11-18 for spring training as it gets prepared for the Big Ten Championships on April 29 in Minneapolis, Minn.
