About one-third of the people signing up have rowed before, Quinn says. Others, like Melissa Iverson, bring lots of experience. She quit rowing altogether and moved to Boulder a year ago to attend the Boulder College of Massage Therapy. I'm just having fun being in a boat again and getting blisters. I don't need the serious stuff.
Beginners enjoy it too.
I like that it's a group thing in the morning, as opposed to running by myself, and the actual rowing is really neat. Community organizations like BCR are cropping up around the country, far away from the sport's Ivy League roots, says Karen Mittelstadt, spokeswoman for USRowing. That is appealing as baby boomers get older. Ages in BCR range from 16 to 78, with most members in their 30s and 40s. She turned to coaching after suffering a wrist injury while rowing for Indiana University.