Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-08-28
TO poPULARIze BOAT RACING.
The Iowa scheme IF Having Start and
Finish Before the Spectators

The Iowa scheme sI having
Finish Before the Spectators
Amateur boat racing in America is nota
bic for the high character Of the men IL at
tracts, but Il is a lameutable fact that in
many sections Z Is not a popular sport in
the sense OF drawing large crowds 10
aquatic events. Many rowing associations
have discovered this by decreasing attend
ance at their contests. and enthusiastic
friends OF rowing have been seeking anx-
iously for "A remedy. The Iowa association
this year made radical departure which
seems to solve the problem.
Instead OF the II mile race prevailing in
the west it made its junior and senior
races only half "a mile. pulling over quar-.
ter mile course and turn and compelling
the contestants TO row heats, rs In a horse
race, until one had won two cut of three.
This innovation accomplished several most
desirable results It brought the entire
race within the view Of the spectator;
seated opposite the starting point. They
could count every stroke aud easily dis
tinguish the crews over the entire course.
The shortness of the race made the contest
exciting and the finish close. Heat after
heat was won by a length or less and one
of the prettiest things in the regatta was
the turning Repeatedly five crews reach
ed the flags so nearly together that the
whole five were almost broadside TO the
spectators within the same moment.
The rowing in heats gave the spectators
two or three contests instead of one, and
crews who lost a first heat through an I'm
avoidable accident had an opportunity 10
redeem themselves Any oarsman who
has lost a race through the breaking of a
bolt, the catching Of rowlock or any one
Of the score OF accidents towhich the sport
is subject knows the bitterness of unde-
served defeat and can appreciate the adj
vantage of the Iowa plan III that par
ticular.
The free-for-all races at the Iowa regatta
were pulled over the old mile and half
course for the benefit of outsiders, which
brought the two systems into striking con
trast. A veteran oarsman summed up the
long race in this terse style, ITS a start, d
wait and a procession" After the con
testants had gone quarter of mile they
could not be distinguished, the angle OF
vision made it impossible tie tell who was
in the lead, the spectator lost all interest
in the next two-thirds of the race, and two
or three lengths of clear water between the
smells on the nome SlreIcn Ihdue very
tame finish. And boating men know this
is a very common experience in all asso-
Citations.
Here and there is a course with paral-
lei railroad, enabling spectators TO travel
along with the contestants in a race, but
many associations which depend on spec
tators for money for medals count on get
ting them into grand stand opposite the
starting and finishing point. To specta'
tor so fixed the long race is a disappoint-
ment unless he is an enthusiast On the
other hand, the short race not only has
every element of the long contest inten
sfied for the boating crank" but il seems
likely TO popularize the sport by giving
the public contests full of dash and excite
ment and with every part as fully in view
as in a horse race.
FRED BENZINGER.