WIN THE CRASH-BS, YOU GET A HAMMER?

hermannjp · Post by **hermannjp** » August 24th, 2006, 9:56 am

If you win a CRASH-Bs event, as seen in the picture, the winner is awarded a Hammer?!
I know little of the symbolism behind a hammer, but could anyone shed light on this topic? Why a hammer, and what is it meant to represent?(strength?)

Thank you.

Yankeerunner · Post by **Yankeerunner** » August 24th, 2006, 10:52 am

Well....Yes.

I've heard that it symbolizes brutal toughness, which is a handy thing to have on an erg. I've also heard that it is a tribute to one of the founders of CRASH-B's, Tiff Wood, whose rowing nickname is "The Hammer."

There might have also been a bit of the iconoclast in whoever determined that the first place award should be something out of the ordinary. Perhaps someone who was there at the time can fill us in.

All that aside, consider how useful it could be. If you won one you could hammer in the morning, and hammer in the evening. You could hammer out justice, hammer out a warning, and hammer out the love between your brothers and your sisters. All over this land.

Rick

sledgehammer · Post by **sledgehammer** » August 24th, 2006, 11:46 am

I have also heard the term "hammer" in rowing as a backhanded compliment as in,

"He's a hammer on the erg, but his stroke is a mess. When we put him in a boat, it hardly moves."

Given the self-deprecating & good humored nature of the founders of the Crash-Bs, I wouldn't be surprised the hammer was selected as the ultimate award to keep the winners' heads from getting too big.

"Yeah, yeah, you got a hammer. But don't let it go to your head. We will see how you do when the seat races come along."

All that said....I would love to win one someday. I think I will need to live (and row) to 90 to make it happen though.

Ernie

hermannjp · Post by **hermannjp** » August 24th, 2006, 11:58 am

Thank you for the replies!

I sense that I'm getting more acute to the tradition of the CRASH-Bs and simultaneously attracted to Indoor Rowing more so than ever before.

A hammer wouldn't be a bad prize at all, unless you are holding it in a dangerous position next to the second or third prize winner when you are being photographed.

But it might be better to leave it out when you are going away for a vacation, no one wants to be suspected of anything when you are going through the Security checkpoint

TomR · Post by **TomR** » August 24th, 2006, 12:30 pm

Yankeerunner wrote: If you won one you could hammer in the morning, and hammer in the evening. You could hammer out justice, hammer out a warning, and hammer out the love between your brothers and your sisters. All over this land.

Rick

Excellent. For an instant, I was young again.

Tom

Gus · Post by **Gus** » August 24th, 2006, 2:06 pm

Yankeerunner wrote:I've heard that it symbolizes brutal toughness, which is a handy thing to have on an erg. I've also heard that it is a tribute to one of the founders of CRASH-B's, Tiff Wood, whose rowing nickname is "The Hammer."

Tiff's nickname of "the Hammer" was used by other rowers. He did not like it and got rather upset when it was used because while it complimented his power it was a critique of his technique. Having rowed in the seat behind him at the AAU Nationals in '74 (I hope I'm remembering it correctly), it was an fairly accurate description of his OTW stroke. He was almost as strong as me (

), but you could feel the slam in the boat when he applied his power. Still our thrown together eight from those who were competing in smaller boats did rather well coming in second. We were in the lead most of the way, but our techniques did not match well and we were very inefficient as a boat. We just couldn't sustain the effort and were passed rather easily by the winning boat.

Bob S. · Post by **Bob S.** » August 25th, 2006, 12:52 am

sledgehammer wrote:I have also heard the term "hammer" in rowing as a backhanded compliment as in,
"He's a hammer on the erg, but his stroke is a mess. When we put him in a boat, it hardly moves."
Given the self-deprecating & good humored nature of the founders of the Crash-Bs, I wouldn't be surprised the hammer was selected as the ultimate award to keep the winners' heads from getting too big.
"Yeah, yeah, you got a hammer. But don't let it go to your head. We will see how you do when the seat races come along."
All that said....I would love to win one someday. I think I will need to live (and row) to 90 to make it happen though.
Ernie

After the custom of awarding hammers was adopted, many OTW rowers felt that it was quite appropriate, in that erging is like hitting yourself over the head with a hammer - it feels good when you stop.

Bob S., three hammer slammer (by virtue of living long enough).

Bob S. · Post by **Bob S.** » August 25th, 2006, 1:01 am

hermannjp wrote: But it might be better to leave it out when you are going away for a vacation, no one wants to be suspected of anything when you are going through the Security checkpoint ;)

In 2005, I went to Boston with just carryon luggage. After the C-Bs, it was necessary to buy another piece of luggage, so that I could bring the hammer home in checked baggage. I suppose that I could have made some arrangement to mail it, but I didn't have the time to find out how and where to do it.

Bob S.

ebolton · Post by **ebolton** » August 30th, 2006, 8:44 pm

Around here, on the bike, when you "hammer", you are going all-out. It seems to be common terminology to both sports.

The opposite is to "noodle".

Ed

Bob S. · Post by **Bob S.** » August 30th, 2006, 9:55 pm

ebolton wrote:Around here, on the bike, when you "hammer", you are going all-out. It seems to be common terminology to both sports.

The opposite is to "noodle".

Ed

In rowing the opposite is to paddle. This sounds like a slam of kayaking and canoeing, but I don't think that it is intended that way. I once belonged to a club that had all three and there was a good deal of mutual respect among the three groups.

Bob S.