Sculling in the news

[tbartman]

It's not every day that sculling hits the front page of the New York Times business section, especially as part of a controversy:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/07/busin ... ei=5087%0A

For some reason I never saw the ads on TV, although I don't watch much TV (except ESPN when I'm toiling away on the erg).

[Byron Drachman]

More on the Jarvik artificial heart from Wikepedia:

The first patented artificial heart was invented by Paul Winchell in 1963 [1]. Winchell subsequently assigned the patent to the University of Utah, where Robert Jarvik ultimately used it as the model for his Jarvik-7. Jarvik's designs improved the device, but his patients succumbed after brief trials. His first Jarvik-7 patient, 61-year-old retired dentist Barney Clark, survived for 112 days after it was implanted at the University of Utah on December 2, 1982. One of the innovations of the Jarvik-7 was the inner coating of rough material, developed by David Gernes. This coating helped the blood to clot and coat the inside of the device, enabling a more natural blood flow.

After about 90 people received the Jarvik device, the implantation of artificial hearts was banned for permanent use in patients with heart failure, because most of the recipients could not live more than half a year. However, it is used temporarily for some heart transplantation candidates who cannot find a natural heart immediately but urgently need an efficiently working heart.

If I remember correctly, first ads gave the impression that Jarvik was the inventor of the artificial heart, but the current ads do state clearly that he is the inventor of the Jarvik artificial heart and not the inventor of the artificial heart.

When the ad appeared showing the body double for Dr. Jarvik "sculling" there were some complaints at another forum about the body double dragging the blade on the water during the recovery--a definite no-no. Fairbairn refers to that as slobbering on the feather.

[tbartman]

I agree the technique isn't fantastic, but what from what I can find on the web the sculler is 63 or 64 years old, so I was going to cut him some slack (after all I'm 40, and although I've only sculled for one week last summer at Craftsbury, I'm not any better than this gentleman).

Tom

[Byron Drachman]

I agree the technique isn't fantastic, but what from what I can find on the web the sculler is 63 or 64 years old, so I was going to cut him some slack (after all I'm 40, and although I've only sculled for one week last summer at Craftsbury, I'm not any better than this gentleman).

Tom

Hi Tom,

From my point of view the 64 year old sculler is a youngster, and in spite of the slight slobbering on the feather I would like to look that good sculling.

Byron

[Nosmo]

I agree the technique isn't fantastic, but what from what I can find on the web the sculler is 63 or 64 years old, so I was going to cut him some slack (after all I'm 40, and although I've only sculled for one week last summer at Craftsbury, I'm not any better than this gentleman).

Tom

The head coach at Craftsbury, Norm Graft, who is 82 or 83 now, has rowed since the 40's, has coached many Olympians and trained five generations of coaches, said he drags his oars for several weeks every spring when he gets back on the water.
The sculler otherwise looks pretty good.

[PaulS]

Too Funny! I thought something sounded familiar about this. "Sculling", "Drug Company", etc... The boat being used is one of two I helped prepare to be loaned from my club, we had to remove all distinguishing markings and logos. They were also looking for a few "stunt doubles" but I don't know who eventually turned up for that. I'll ask around and see if I can find out.

The opperative phrase in the article, "He doesn't row." appears to be pretty accurate from the looks of what he was doing in the cameo close-up that doesn't show anything but the handles.

[PaulS]

I agree the technique isn't fantastic, but what from what I can find on the web the sculler is 63 or 64 years old, so I was going to cut him some slack (after all I'm 40, and although I've only sculled for one week last summer at Craftsbury, I'm not any better than this gentleman).

Tom

The head coach at Craftsbury, Norm Graft, who is 82 or 83 now, has rowed since the 40's, has coached many Olympians and trained five generations of coaches, said he drags his oars for several weeks every spring when he gets back on the water.
The sculler otherwise looks pretty good.

Frank Cunningham (80+) skims a bit from what I've seen, but I wouldn't want to get in a money race against him.

[Byron Drachman]

Here's a link to the ad:

http://video.on.nytimes.com/index.jsp?f ... 2cdef08122

In spite of two things I try to avoid: slobbering on the feather and lots of splash at the entry, the sculler in the ad does look smooth and relaxed.

Here is a link to an article about Frank Cunningham

http://lakewashingtonrowing.com/newslet ... er2006.pdf

Here is a link to the video of Frank Cunningham giving a lesson:

http://www.king5.com/sharedcontent/Vide ... &catId=231

I try to practice many of Frank Cunningham's instructions including quiet rowing, first finger around the end of the handle, feathering with the ring and little finger, etc.

Byron

[Bob S.]

I try to practice many of Frank Cunningham's instructions including quiet rowing, first finger around the end of the handle, feathering with the ring and little finger, etc.

Byron

My first rolling seat experience was sweep rowing in the early 40s and we all feathered by dropping the wrist of the hand nearest the blade. It wasn't until 45 years later that I ever tried sculling and was surprised that the instructor told us to feather the oars by rolling the handle with the fingers. This was very awkward to me, but I figured that it was a sculling thing so I worked on it (reluctantly). The instructor said that the wrist drop technique was damaging. Later I asked a former crew mate about it. He had been a sculler in the 30s in high school and was later the coach of a major university program. He said that as a sculler, he had always feathered by dropping the wrists and expressed surprise that anyone did it any other way. I later saw that in a number of videos there were national team members from various countries that still used the wrist drop, although most modern scullers seem to use a finger roll.

That was some time ago, but when I checked out this thread, I was looking at the video of Xeno, and, by golly, he uses the wrist drop. I have no idea what he teaches in his OTW classes, but if he sculls with a wrist drop, I would think that he would have trouble to try to switch over to demonstrate a finger roll.

Bob S.

[Byron Drachman]

I try to practice many of Frank Cunningham's instructions including quiet rowing, first finger around the end of the handle, feathering with the ring and little finger, etc.

Byron

My first rolling seat experience was sweep rowing in the early 40s and we all feathered by dropping the wrist of the hand nearest the blade. It wasn't until 45 years later that I ever tried sculling and was surprised that the instructor told us to feather the oars by rolling the handle with the fingers. This was very awkward to me, but I figured that it was a sculling thing so I worked on it (reluctantly). The instructor said that the wrist drop technique was damaging. Later I asked a former crew mate about it. He had been a sculler in the 30s in high school and was later the coach of a major university program. He said that as a sculler, he had always feathered by dropping the wrists and expressed surprise that anyone did it any other way. I later saw that in a number of videos there were national team members from various countries that still used the wrist drop, although most modern scullers seem to use a finger roll.

That was some time ago, but when I checked out this thread, I was looking at the video of Xeno, and, by golly, he uses the wrist drop. I have no idea what he teaches in his OTW classes, but if he sculls with a wrist drop, I would think that he would have trouble to try to switch over to demonstrate a finger roll.

Bob S.

Hi Bob,
I try to do the finger roll but sometimes I do a combination of a wrist drop plus finger roll. On a cold day my fingers don't work so well and I have to do the wrist drop until my hands warm up. I've also noticed it is easier to do the finger roll when I use my spoons instead of hatchets. I also noticed that Xeno does the wrist drop. I love watching Xeno row: such balance and clean bladework are inspiring.
Byron

[PaulS]

Carl will be unlikely to visit here, but a post he has made several times might be applicable to the thread.

On matters of technique, the finish is key to what happens during the
recovery:
1. Unless blades extract simultaneously, the boat is thrown off balance
for the entire recovery & will not run straight either.
2. If handles draw to dissimilar heights at finish, you'll start the
recovery with the boat on its ear, or with 1 washy finish, both of which
set you off unbalanced for your recovery So look down from time to time
to check what the hands are doing.
3. Unless the blades are equally loaded, right up to the finish, the
blade you have greatest difficulty keeping off the water is very likely
to finish either soft, or early, or both - precisely because you
subconsciously expect trouble there. The best way to resolve that is to
very deliberately harden both finishes.
4. Related to #3: quick extractions do not create clean finishes. They
kid you that if you don't hang around it won't happen, but ensure that
finishes remain an unresolved problem. Further, they encourage you to
take the work off early to get those fast finishes (which will thus be
less coordinated), they mean less work in the stroke & so impair
performance, & they give you weaker, less secure & less-relaxed finishes
from which to the start the recovery.
5. The finish is the end of that stroke, not the beginning of the
recovery. So make it good and hard. It is the stroke, not the recovery
which moves the boat &, like any job, you need to finish it cleanly &
well. If you can't presently finish the stroke level, blades coming
clear together, you should get warm & relaxed by a few miles of
sculling. Then concentrate on hardening & drawing the finishes up. In
sculling you don't have to drop your hands to extract but you cannot
extract an unloaded blade cleanly.
6. If the finishes still give trouble, stop & do this single stroke
exercise:
a) Sit firmly at backstops, blades scuffing the water.
b) At a predetermined moment, from that solid position swing
hands-first straight into hooking a solid catch - no slowing or checking
before entry. Do this firmly enough & your blades won't touch the
water. The point (see 5 above) is that the start of the recovery should
be the start of the stroke &, in particular, your irrevocable commitment
to the catch - you can't take a good catch in a moving boat from a
static forward position.
c) Well before you strike the catch, be already imagining the solid
middle of the stroke. That'll make the catch hard but unselfconscious.
d) At the mid-stroke, already be planning the hard, level finish.
That'll make the middle hard, ditto.
e) At that hard finish, think only of keeping it hard. The blades
will know when to extract themselves.
f) At which point, make not the slightest move into the recovery -
_no_ bounce-forward of the hands - but sit there solid, hands drawn
fully back, blades 1/2 feathered & scuffing the water.
7. The point of all that is that you've now made a really solid stroke,
finished level, yet never had to bother over that supposedly difficult,
messy extraction-hands-away bit that needlessly troubles so many rowers
& scullers alike. And you began it all with a level, stable recovery.

There is also a physical aspect which may repay attention:
When you sit in your boat, holding it level, do it feel as if all your
weight is on one cheek? If so, does the boat tend to run down on that
same side? Or do you shift on your seat to put the load on the other
cheek, in which case does it then run down on that side?

There are 2 possible causes of such symptoms: you have an asymmetrical
bum (nothing personal!) or your bones don't match the seat's hole
spacing. Either way you'll not find it easy to make a routinely level
recovery as your weight will be bearing more on 1 side than the other.

You can check for rear end asymmetry by sitting bolt upright on a hard
level floor. Do you have to slip several sheets of typing paper under 1
cheek to even up the discomfort? If so, what thickness did it take? In
which case, consider shimming under the track on that side by almost
tweice that amount, until the boat runs level for you.

And, since this is a family program, if you shift from side to side &
never get comfortable, please write to me separately to discuss a remedy
for that one.

Cheers -
Carl
--
Carl Douglas Racing Shells -
Fine Small-Boats/AeRoWing Low-drag Riggers/Advanced Accessories
Write: Harris Boatyard, Laleham Reach, Chertsey KT16 8RP, UK
Email: c...@carldouglas.co.uk Tel: +44(0)1932-570946 Fax: -563682
URLs: www.carldouglas.co.uk (boats) & www.aerowing.co.uk (riggers)

As for the feathering specifically, a bit of wrist drop is not a bad thing, but the order in which things happen, and they happen quite quickly, is quite important. If you are consciously cranking the wrist downward, it is likely that you are not rowing to a good finish. The height of the handle must change, and dropping the wrist prior to that happening is a very bad thing for extraction of the blade, in fact it makes you think you are changing handle height without that actually occurring, resulting in feathering underwater. Seeing Franks video again, I heard him say something that I also like to say, "Just listen, if you don't hear anything, you probably took a good stroke."

[Byron Drachman]

Hi Paul,

That's a great message from Carl Douglas. Thanks for posting it.

For trying to keep good balance, I found it helpful to attach a small bubble level near the footstretcher. I don't look at it too often but when I do, it gives me good feedback and seems more accurate to me than checking the horizon or trying to figure out how level I am staying. When things are really going well and I glance at it, the bubble is in the middle and stays there during the entire stroke. If things aren't going well, when I look at it the bubble is off to one side or else moving. The most common fault for me is I have a tendency to lower the right hand going into the finish, and the bubble reminds me to keep the hands level all the way to the finish. As I said, I don't look at it too often because I don't want to rely on it. Also, compared to the high tech gadgets like the Garmin and cadence watch, the price is right (less than one dollar at the hardware store.)

By the way, you mentioned once that you have some of your rowers use macons at the beginning of the season because you develop good habits. I've been using my wooden spoons and I'm such a believer. I see what you mean. There are less forgiving of a bad stroke than the bigger bladed oars.

Byron

[Bob S.]

By the way, you mentioned once that you have some of your rowers use macons at the beginning of the season because you develop good habits. I've been using my wooden spoons and I'm such a believer. I see what you mean. There are less forgiving of a bad stroke than the bigger bladed oars.
Byron

My experience has been the opposite. I used spoons for many years and when I finally got hatchets, I never did really get used to them. In a single I had to be particularly careful with hatchets. I was far more prone to flip with those than with the spoons. I didn't care for the sweep hatchets very much either, but I didn't have any choice when I was rowing in a crew.

Bob S.

[Byron Drachman]

By the way, you mentioned once that you have some of your rowers use macons at the beginning of the season because you develop good habits. I've been using my wooden spoons and I'm such a believer. I see what you mean. There are less forgiving of a bad stroke than the bigger bladed oars.
Byron

My experience has been the opposite. I used spoons for many years and when I finally got hatchets, I never did really get used to them. In a single I had to be particularly careful with hatchets. I was far more prone to flip with those than with the spoons. I didn't care for the sweep hatchets very much either, but I didn't have any choice when I was rowing in a crew.

Bob S.

Hi Bob,

That's really interesting. Maybe it depends on what you are used to using. I've done all my sculling with hatchets until this year, when I started using Staempfli wooden spoons that came with my Staempfli. My impression of the hatchets is that as long as you keep the fingers curled around the handle and don't grip, if you get a hatchet anywhere near the water it finds the correct height and pitch all by itself. But if I follow what you're saying, there is a possibility that if I had only used macons and then started using hatchets this year, I would be saying how much easier macons are to use.

Byron

[Nosmo]

Pfizer pulls the ad:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/26/busin ... ref=slogin

Lipitor, with sales of $12.7 billion last year, is protected by patent until 2010. Some patients have, nevertheless, begun switching to a generic version of a competing cholesterol drug, Zocor.

The House Energy and Commerce Committee has been looking into television ads featuring Dr. Jarvik. The committee disclosed that Pfizer had agreed to pay Dr. Jarvik at least $1.35 million under a two-year contract that expires next month.

The article doesn't say that Zocor works just as well if not better and is a fraction of the cost.