Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1912-09-20
ALAMEDA WIN
WOULD MEAN
LOCAL CHANGE


rows senior barge event it may re-
suit in revolutionizing the rowing
form all along the Pacific coast The
really important feature of the race.
which makes it the biggest thing of its
kind ever held in Hawaiian waters or
even on the Pacific, is that 1t is. a
test of two radically opposed styles of
barge-rowing.
1t is generally believed by Hawaiian
oarsnlen that If the Alamedas lose to-
inorrow's race and are beaten by two
or more of the local boats, it will be
due to their rowing form, and will be
a practical demonstration of its weak,
ness and inefficiency in these waters.
On the other hand, should the Ala
medals win, some changes in the Ha-
waiian form may be expected, though
much difference OF opinion on this
point undoubtedly will deyelep
Hawaiian oafsmen are convinced
that the style used by the Coast men,
is far more wearing and severe. and
that it would take a much more pow
erfnl crew to win over the long
course: many will declare, should the
Alamedas win, that they did so by
merit of their wonderful display of
strength and endurance, and that they
won in spite of their form, and not
because of it.
Styles Differ.
Anyone who has noted the rowing
form of the. Alamedas, which is vir-
tually that of all club crews on the
Coast, will say that it is as different
from the style of the Hawaiian oars
men as day from night 1t is not un-
known in these waters and local men
have no faith in it, for the reason that
it was once. given a trial here and
proved failure. The Healanis used
the short, fast stroke some years ago,
with crews that they believed we're the
physical equal of the Myrtles, their
sole rivals at the time. The result
was disastrous to the Healanis.
The present Hawaiian rowing form
Is as nearly as possible that of CORNELL
University, the institution which for
years has produced the premier crews /
among the eastern universities, and |
that. in turn, was adapted from the
rowing form used at Cambridge and
Oxford universities of England, after
a race between the Americans and
the English had shown that the for
at that time, we're using the short,
quick stroke which Coast crews today
are following.
The difference between the two
styles tomorrow will be noted as far
as the crews can be seen. The Coast
mems stroke, in operation, appears to
be almost twice as fast as that of the
Hawaiian clubs; at their fastest the
Alamedas will make forty-two or more
strokes per minute, while the locals
will vary from only twenty-eight to
thirty-two or thirty-four, except on a
squirt, when they may force it up to
1
All I'm the Slide.
The difference is in the use of the
sliding seat, the long reach and long
finish of the stroke Speaking in row
ng vernacular, the Alamedas "rusn I
he slide" an objectionable offense in
he eyes of local oargmen. At the fin
sh of their stroke they shoot forward !
n the seat, driving it up to the end OF
he slide with "bang!" The theory
S that when six men make this mo-
ion at one time and the same time
he momentum just gained by the
complete stroke is killed and the boat /
comes to dead stop. One of the
principal efforts in rowing as 1t is
aught here, is to check this momen-
.um as little as possible, to keep the
barge sliding through the water at a
,apid pace while the oarsmen are get
ing into position for the next stroke.
70 accomplish the result the oarsmen
'traighten to a sitting posture as /
quickly as possible, then draw them
selves forward very slowly into posi-
ion for the catch To make the
.atch they draw the seat to the end of
he slide and reach as far out with
heir arms as possible. The arms are !
traight on the catch, and with the
eat still at rest the body is thrown
backward to the sitting position again
before the legs are strengthened. In
he well trained crews this will some