Do You Love Your Rigging?

Simple question—do you love your rigging?

Does it make you smile?

Is it one of your most favorite things as a coach/rower?

If not—why not?

In many of the rigging clinics I’ve run I have surveyed the attendees to find out how they feel about rigging. I would like to say that many of them relayed that they enjoyed their rigging. I would like to say that, but I can’t—because most of the responders reported that not only did they not enjoy rigging, it stressed many of them. Some even reported that it greatly stressed them. (One even said it made him throw-up.)

They told me there were three main reasons that rigging rowing-equipment stressed them:

• they had no idea what they were supposed to do
• they didn’t have the knowledge to do it correctly
•  the pressure that a race could be lost by what they were doing

Understandable and valid reasons. But with practice and the correct knowledge you could learn to love your rigging.

Or at least, it could make you smile!