Rowing joins the sports movie environment
Sports movies have been a cornerstone of the cinema world for years. Football. Soccer. Baseball. Basketball. Golf. You name the sport, there’s probably at least one movie about it. Rowing is no exception—over the years, a number of rowing-centric movies (of varying accuracy) have been released. Since 2020, at least four movies based on rowing have been released—Boys in the Boat (2023), The Novice (2021), Heart of Champions (2021), A Most Beautiful Thing (2020).
The increase in rowing movies—both fictional and based on reality—reflects something bigger: that the explosion of rowing media is just beginning. So why is that?
Technology
Let’s get one thing out of the way first. Rowing, for all its strengths, is not inherently a very good spectator sport. Unlike events that take place in arenas or stadiums, the action isn’t always right in front of viewers, but that’s no reason for viewers to miss out.
There’s something to be said about witnessing events firsthand, but there’s also something about the level of detail available with modern technology. It’s not just about replays or tight editing that make sure you can see every angle of an underdog crew walking through their opponent. There are concrete advancements in technology have made rowing easier to capture than ever.
Now, there are more drones, mounts, attachments, and waterproof cameras on the market, which in turn makes it easier to take footage, and gives videographers more freedom—cameras can be attached to boats or to rowers themselves, or drones can follow boats to get more dynamic footage than is possible from shore or from a launch. Suddenly, rowing is not something that’s only enjoyed from a distance—or only by the people with oars in their hands.
Media platforms
Credit also needs to be given to the platforms who have legitimized rowing as something that deserves the quality of coverage that is afforded to other sports. Event broadcasts, detailed commentary, crisp packages and promotion, and behind-the-scenes insight on successful programs show that not only is it possible to showcase rowing well, but that people want to see it. And the more these outlets can give rowing the spotlight it deserves, the more people will want to keep coming back. Platforms like The Rowing Channel have made sure that viewers don’t have to miss a race just because they can’t be there, and the work of filmmakers like Eamon Glavin and his project The Rowing Network serve to elevate rowing and rowing media even further.
While not as involved in video production, it would still be remiss not to mention things like Row2k, AllMarkOne, and Junior Rowing News, which have all made strides to make sure that rowing is more accessible, whether through images or written work.
But whenever I think about the state of rowing-focused media, my mind is admittedly not often on the professional aspect. What makes rowing media special to me is that so much of it is created by rowers for other rowers. Where other sports have become inundated with highlights, podcasts, and professional commentary, rowing still remains in a kind of bubble: not altogether obscure, but almost an open secret for those in the know. The result of this is a media culture that’s both devoted and cheeky, a reflection of the rowing lifestyle at large—we’ll put the work in, but we’re also going to laugh at ourselves a bit too.
Rowers on rowing
Some rowers have become notable for their inside looks at training and competing—Team GB’s Cameron Buchan comes to mind as a titan of the field, having amassed over 50,000 YouTube followers and 1,000 videos over the last near-decade of his elite career. American Olympic gold medalist Justin Best has recently documented his attempts to “get back into shape” by combining insights on erg workouts and more lighthearted moments.
Both Buchan’s and Best’s work is straightforward for the most part—and undeniably useful. But what’s always had a place in my heart is the rowing content that doesn’t take itself seriously. I think it’s a universal enough experience that I can make a generalization. On nearly every team, especially (but not exclusively) at the junior and college levels, there’s at least one team member who’s downright dedicated to operating a vlog and/or an Instagram meme account. It’s a fact of rowing life. You know what I mean. The training camp mockumentaries. The goofy hype videos. The posts that poke fun at nearly every aspect of the sport, out of love of course.
Accounts like the Columbia men’s lightweight program, Riverside Boat Club, and Feather & Square (among too many others to name) have perfected the balance of program updates and jokes. While there’s more than a bit of tongue-in-cheek humor about the pains of seat racing, blisters, or getting up early for practice, it’s really a nod to the community, an acknowledgement of shared experience. We do these things because we love it. We love rowing, and we love talking about rowing.
Jump in
As long as people love talking about rowing, and talking to other people who love it too, we’re going to see rowing content continue growing. For as much good stuff is out there already, this is just the beginning.
If you have rowing content you’d like to highlight, you can start the conversation on CrewLAB’s Community page.
