Timeline
1975: Brothers Peter and Dick Dreissigacker create a set of carbon fiber oars in their apartment kitchen while training for the Montreal Olympics. While the trials did not go as planned, the prototype oars attract attention.
October 1976: Peter and Dick head east in their bread truck searching for a location to pursue building carbon fiber oars.
November 1976: An abandoned dairy farm in Vermont is bought as a “tinkerer’s paradise” where Dick and Peter can pursue their inventions.
Summer 1977: The US Women’s Pair, Anne Warner and Anita DeFrantz, agree to row with Dreissigacker Oars and use them in the World Championships.
1978–1979: College crews using Dreissigacker oars experience increases in speed and orders substantially increase.
1980: Concept2 has eight employees working in the barn factory. Oars ship worldwide.
1980–1982: Concept2 tinkers with the idea of producing carbon fiber ski poles and windsurfing masts.
Winter 1981: Peter and Dick decide to create a winter training device for rowers. Peter nails his old bicycle to the floor of the barn and pulls on the free end of the chain—the indoor rower is born.
Fall 1981: Concept2 launches the Model A Indoor Rower or “erg” (ergometer).
1982: The CRASH-B rowing club in Boston calls and is interested in hosting an indoor rowing competition. The event is now the World Indoor Rowing Championship.
1984: With 12 employees, Concept2 grows too big for the barn and moves to Morrisville Industrial Park. The only neighbors are a craft supplier and a wood stove company.
1986: The Model B is launched with a revised design including an added flywheel cover for safety, improved comfort and a powerful Performance Monitor.
1980s: Rowing gains huge popularity as a fitness trend; many competitors enter the market but few of them remain today.
1990: The majority of crews are rowing with Dreissigacker oars.
1991: The “Big Blade” is introduced in oar design, an asymmetric hatchet-shaped blade that appeared to be 1–2% faster than existing designs.
1992: The “Big Blade” is prominently used in the Barcelona Olympics.
1993: Model C introduced
2000: Concept2 introduces the DYNO, a strength training device.
2003: Model D introduced
August 2006: Model E introduced.
June 2009: SkiErg is introduced, a ski ergomoter and training tool.
November 2010: Concept2 introduces the Dynamic Indoor Rower, offering a closer simulation of the dynamics of on water rowing.
June 2011: Concept2 introduces the Skinny Sweep, developed in collaboration with elite women athletes looking for a softer feel when testing the Fat2 blade. The result is a skinnier shaft with reduced wind resistance and opportunities for smaller outer grips.
Baking oar blades in our kitchen oven.
Dick providing the bicycle power to wrap an early shaft.
Dick performing an early oar shaft strength test.
The 1000th shaft
Peter and Dick after winning the Men's 50–55 year Pair at the FISA World Rowing Championships, Sept. 2001
