You can’t scull without oars, and Bainbridge Island Rowing was in need of some new ones. So the Bainbridge Parks Foundation (BIPF) came to the rescue and awarded BIR a timely $3,000 grant award toward the purchase. The news was announced Friday, November 10.
Thanks to the Bainbridge Parks Foundation, BIR will now be able to purchase eight pairs of sculling oars: four sets of Concept 2’s Fat2 blades and four sets of Concept 2’s Bantam Sculls. Concept2 is a leading manufacturer of rowing equipment.
About the Oars
Fat2 is Concept 2’s latest blade design, created to increase boat speed. It does this by slipping less oar in the first half of the drive and more in the later drive “to reduce back-watering losses.” The oar is designed with extra width and shorter length. Concept 2 reports that “The Fat2 is most effective when used with larger catch angles, i.e. athletes rowing further through the pin.”
The Bantam Sculls are comprised of an ulltralight shaft and the company’s new Compact Blade. The combination makes the oars more durable. The blades are 10 cm shorter than the Fat2s but have the same width, which, according to Concept 2, maintains stability and efficiency. The company explains why it developed the Bantam Scull: “The rise in popularity of youth and recreational rowing has led to the growth of many small community rowing centers both in the United States and abroad. Often these programs struggle to provide members with quality equipment that can withstand the rigors of a club environment. We saw the need for a lower-cost sculling oar that rows well and maintains Concept2’s reputation for durability and support.”
Concept 2 customers report that the Bantam Scull’s stability instills confidence. Concept 2 reports, “Easy catches and clean finishes have also been highlighted as significant attributes. It all adds up to an oar that is easy to row regardless of your rowing experience.”
The new oars will give the club a needed equipment boost to support its varied rowing programs.
Visit BIPF to learn more about its grant program.
Click here to support BIR and construction of its new rowing center.
