Sculling News

Boathouse news: Demos

20.Jun.2007

It's always exciting to be able to offer gear from around the rowing world. This summer, we're lucky to have Sykes participating in our demo program again. If you haven't met Tom Gallagher before, track him down at the next regatta. Tom's working to make this Aussie brand a household name in the US rowing community, and is one of the most pleasant, accommodating people in what is already a small, friendly industry. They have a convenient shell rental program for clubs and some great boats too.

This summer, we have two shells from Tom, a MW and a LW single, both Mould 26 models. Both feature Sykes' HKCC construction, a Kevlar laminate with carbon reinforcing over honeycomb core, with carbon fittings.

As we mentioned in February, our friends down the road in Morrisville have been hard at work producing the new Smoothie2. We're lucky enough to have replaced a good percentage of our fleet blades with the new design, as well as having received several pairs of the lighter Low-i construction for the demo fleet. While the new blades may not be as revolutionary as the Hatchet, they are worth checking out. Being Concept2, they continue to support all their previous designs if the new models don't suit your needs, but we're excited to have these blades that continue to push the envelope of design. You can read more about the Smoothie 2 on their website.

NK has provided us with more electronics this summer, upgrading us to the two SpeedCoach XL4's. These are the wireless transmitter models with heart rate provided by any Polar HRM. It's very cool, and there's no slacking when your data is being beamed to the coaches' launch!

NK also shipped us several of the NK Cadence watches. This watch has all the features you'd expect from a sports watch plus the super handy ability to measure your rate. Strap it on to a sculling or sweep oar and get a wireless stroke rating. It's even possible to get a rate from a launch or shore by simulating featuring in time with your rowers. It's a dedicated rowing timepiece.

We're working hard with manufacturers to have still more to come, so keep your eyes on the Demo Program page on the Craftsbury website to see what you can expect when you arrive.