CFCC students bring oars to class

The first time I saw a rower on the Cape Fear River it was early morning and I was traveling over the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge on my way to Charlotte.

A low fog hugged the shoreline and reached across the water. The river was what some old timers would call slick calm, or dead calm. It looked like glass.

And within the few seconds I could keep my eyes on this solitary rower on a solitary river, the image struck me.

He was traveling fast but his wake barely raised a ripple and the two oar blades left little dimples on either side. It looked like a track in the sand some slow-moving lizard might leave as his tail drags behind.

Rowing is a popular sport among large colleges in New England states. Here, though, it’s still a mystery to a lot of people.

But it won’t be for long.

Cape Fear Community College will hold its first “Rowing on the River: An Introductory Course in Recreational Rowing” this spring. The class is a four-session introduction to rowing, held in partnership with the Cape Fear River Rowing Club.

You’ll learn the skills required to participate safely as a member of a rowing crew. There will be some classroom participation, but most of the course will be on the water.

The day I saw my first rower, I kept driving. But four hours to my next stop left me time to ask myself a lot of questions.

A few months later a friend invited me to join the Cape Fear River Rowing Club and all my questions were answered.

Morris Elsen was the club president then. He’s still with the club and has signed up to teach the new CFCC course. He’s a patient guy, filled with knowledge of and enthusiasm for the sport.

Before my first lesson, friends who knew nothing about rowing told me that the boats tip easily and not to be discouraged if I foundered the first few times.

Elsen explained that the boat will tip fairly easily, but not if you keep your oars out. They act as balancers. The whole year I rowed I never flipped.

Those long things that propel the boat, by the way, are oars. Paddles are used on canoes and kayaks; their grips are shaped differently.

The other misconception is that rowing hurts your back. My instructor put great emphasis on proper rowing technique – keep the back straight, use your legs for the most part, leave the weaker parts of your body such as your arms and shoulders for the finish.

If you do that you should have no back problems at all. It will probably strengthen your back.

I’ll never forget what Elsen told me after I had used my arms too much on one stroke: “Would you rather run a mile with your legs or with your arms?” That drove the point home.

The “Rowing on the River” class will start March 22 and run through April 7. Classes meet Mondays and Wednesdays from 5 to 7:30 p.m. at Wilmington Marine Center, 3410 River Road.

Students must be able to swim at least 50 yards and possess enough upper body strength to return to a rowing boat after entering the water. (A test is not required.)

Students should wear athletic clothing appropriate to weather conditions that allows freedom of leg and arm motion. Socks are required.

For more information, contact Morris Elsen at melsen@cfcc.edu or call 362-7301. Class size is limited to eight students. Cost is $68.

For details about the rowing club, go to CapeFear

RiverRowingClub.com.

Amy Hotz: 343-2099

On Twitter.com: @AmyHotz