Imagine all of a coach’s concerns on race day: Where do we park? What will we eat? Are the athletes warmed up? Did the coxswain weigh in already? Is that a tailwind? What lane are we in? Is the boat rigged? Concept2 CTS tries to remove at least one concern for coaches by ensuring race day oars are competition ready.
The ice is only just starting to melt from the lakes and rivers of Vermont, but we have been busy getting ready for regatta season none-the-less. Continue Reading ›
As snow falls in the northeast and lakes freeze, many collegiate teams take advantage of their schools’ winter breaks and head south to bury their blades in the water before launching into months of indoor training. The Concept2 crew of Pat and Meredith are meeting up with coaches in Florida this week, answering their equipment and training questions before the competitive spring season of racing begins. Continue Reading ›
We first started sending out our Ergo Update newsletter back in December of 1982. The first issue was largely dedicated to covering the first-ever CRASH-B Sprints. It was a single 8.5 x 14” double-sided sheet.
As our customer base grew to include many people who weren’t on-water or competitive rowers, we expanded the Update to include a broader range of stories and information. By Spring 1991, the Update was an 8-page booklet; by Fall 1992 it had jumped to 12 pages. We first hit 16 pages in Fall 1994. Continue Reading ›
On April 17 every year, the citizens of American Samoa in the South Pacific celebrate the anniversary of the island becoming a US territory in 1900. In addition to singing, dancing and parades, one of the most unique parts of the festival is the Fautasi, or longboat, races held in Pago Pago harbor. Schools and communities from across the islands form teams to train and row a 2.8 mile race in custom-built 49 person boats! Continue Reading ›
A lot of us have seen it before: a brand new set of oars in the boathouse, just begging to be rowed, but they can’t be used until the blades get the school-color treatment. Or maybe it was race day when you realized that the paint job you had agonized over a few days before is already peeling! Fortunately, we’re now expanding Concept2’s blade color options to 53 colors in order to make it easy to get great-looking oars. Continue Reading ›
Why is unpacking so hard? After a long vacation, it is often difficult to unpack everything, wash clothes that still smell like the beach, and place thoughts of leisure into memories. Here at Concept2, unpacking from the Head of the Charles often feels like that. We’re quickly nostalgic for the fall head racing season as winter envelops Vermont. Continue Reading ›
The Head of the Charles is a month away! As crews are busy training for head races, we’re in our own endurance event here at Concept2 CTS preparing for the largest two-day regatta in the world. Continue Reading ›
We’ve recently added a new sweep shaft to our oar offerings: the Skinny. The Skinny was originally developed in collaboration with elite women crews looking for a softer feel, especially when using the Fat2 blade. As the name suggests, the Skinny has a narrower diameter than traditional sweep shafts, which also has other benefits such as reduced wind resistance, especially in headwind conditions. Continue Reading ›
