Two days after jumping in the pair out of the coxed four, Michael Cantor and Harry Burke of Saugatuck Rowing Club advanced from their heat at the Mercer Sprints/ISA Sculling Championships the old-school way – without a toe.
"It was a lot of fun, but the steering was challenging. We kept pulling each other around, so we need to work on that," Cantor said. "Or maybe use the foot steering next time (laughs)."
"We came off the start, and neither of us had really talked about what to do if we start going one way or the other," Burke said.
"It was pretty much, we turn this way, I called "Light!" Burke said. "We go to the other side, and then I'd lighten up, and we snaked our way down the course that way."
"The only time we were dangerous of going into the next lane was coming out of our high strokes," Cantor said. "We were basically riding the buoy line for a bit, then we got back and stayed in our lane." "As far as steering goes for today, I call that a success," Burke added.
The pair also had to adjust to the greater sensitivity of the pair, especially compared to the coxed four, which they usually row.
"Our style four is to beat the crap out of it almost, whereas we knew coming into this boat it takes a lot more finesse," Burke said. "In our combo, we clicked a little bit, so getting in the boat it didn’t feel like everything was really shaky. That was good, so at that point it was about focusing on being really technically sound when we row."
The crosswind required steady tapping at the start, which can be challenging in a pair, but the crew was never really uncomfortable in the small sweep boat.
"We went out in a pair once freshman year, and every time the boat would wobble I would yelling at him, and grab my rigger, because I thought we’re going under," Burke said. "But the pair, if you’re comfortable and confident, it’s a lot harder to flip than you think."
Both like the challenge of the pair; "It's really intimate, you have to work together; just two boys in the boat," Cantor laughed. "You try to stay really light and horizontal, no pulling up or anything, and send it."
"In an eight you can hide your flaws, and just bang it along with a lot of technical nuances, but in the pair, you can really get exposed on what you’re doing wrong," Burke said. "To make the boat go fast, you really have to row well. So when you do make it go fast, it’s really rewarding. It’s not like you just got in the boat and you’re strong, but you know you’ve actually done it right."
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