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The Peaceful, Sustainable Wonders of Rowing


Between glasses of wine and bottles of American champagne during my vacation to New York’s Finger Lakes, I got my first lesson in rowing from the son of a boat builder.  The boat, designed and built by Geoff Heath of Torngat Construction, may be the most marvelous form of sustainable transportation…and anyone can do it.

Tony Rows
Rowing in Torngat’s Gloucester Light Dory – Finger Lakes, New York

I had never rowed before, but I took to it like a fish to water.  My friend, Davey, made it a bit harder on me by giving me the longer oars first, but I don’t know if my struggles keeping the blade of the oar in the proper position was due to the longer oar or because they were not locked into oar locks.  When I returned to the dock my friend smiled, offered the shorter oars that came with fixed oar locks, and said, “This will probably be a bit easier.”  Typical Davey – he can’t make anything easy if there’s something more efficient.  Once I got the fixed oar locks in place and the oars in the water, I got in a nice rhythm out on the water.  The shorter oar is easier to control, but you sacrifice speed.  Before I knew it I was cruising Waneta Lake and making it look as small as it truly is.

I came back to the dock so Davey could go for a spin.  Of course, Davey used the longer oars and really got the boat moving.  He boasts his dad can get it going 7 mph or so, which is pretty damn fast considering the sustainability of the boat.  If you think about it, not even a bicycle is completely sustainable given that the tires are rubber and the metal in the frame can’t be regrown.  A row-boat is made of wood, and you can always plant a tree.  Torngat row boats are beautiful, efficient, and sustainable.

Anthony Varriano

Anthony Varriano is a storyteller, pro wrestling ring announcer, and public address announcer for amateur hockey in the State of Hockey. He is editor of Go Gonzo Journal and producer, editor, and host of Minnesota Foul Play-by-Play, a podcast providing colorful commentary on Minnesota sports and foul play in sports. He spent six years as a newspaper journalist, sportswriter, and photographer.

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