On a chilly Friday morning in mid-November, before the sun had even peeked over the horizon, a dozen or so people straggled into Row America Rye on Milton Harbor for their last open water row of the season.
The following week, winter would force them inside for workouts and fine tuning of skills until early spring. Despite the brisk temperatures, they were clearly pumped.
Member Jen Sandling of Rye was greeted with a spontaneous round of “Happy Birthday” before group members carried the boats to the water. There are doubles, pairs, quads, fours, and eights. Boats weigh anywhere from 26 (singles) to 200 pounds (eights).
The water was calm after a choppy sea the day before, and as they glided off into the harbor, the rowers soon fell into an easy rhythm.
Row America Rye has garnered a reputation for training middle and high schoolers to great success at crew. Many are recruited to top-tier universities. But under the leadership of director Marko Serafimovski, a thriving Master’s program caters to older rowers of any ability, athleticism, and experience level. Participants range in age from 20s to 70s, and are coached by Greg King, himself an elite rower who has been with RAR for three years.
“I meet them where they are,” said King, who follows the crew members in a motorized launch. “I respect where they are physically and emotionally and want them to know that this is a place where they are safe.” His instructions are technical, and he is like a rowing sensei who divines solutions to minute problems the untrained eye would never catch.
He pulled up alongside a boat and instructed one woman to slightly release pressure in her wrist. He deftly demonstrated how that one change caused the oar to move in an entirely different angle.
As he pulled up to another boat, he cautioned, “Easy, easy. Let’s make the oar less flat. That was better, right? It looked better. The boat is running much cleaner.”
The crew looked tired but elated.
King added, “Feel good about it? You should. Unleash that inner beast!”
“I call it the infinite game,” King explained. “One small correction changes everything.”
Some members are into competitive racing, others are still learning the basics, and others are just looking to get into shape. As if on cue, Eric Rosenbaum, of Larchmont, glided by and shouted joyfully, “I’ve lost 20 pounds since I started.”
Established in 2013, RAR is a small club in comparison to others in nearby towns, and yet the Master’s program has won the Nationals in their age groups multiple times. (The Juniors are a well-known national powerhouse, as well.)
“Rowing is very addictive,” said Rye resident Judith Passannante, who rows three days a week at RAR. “You’re surrounded by nature, and it’s very meditative. I’ve seen coyotes with their pups, deer, foxes, osprey nests, egrets, and herons. I’ve even had fish jump over my rowing shell! It makes you feel very one with nature to be able to be out there.”
As the sun rose in the sky, peeking out through leafless trees, the temperature warmed and the nature that Passanante referenced came into view. In fact, coming upon Rosenbaum in a single, King observed him in a staring contest with a large swan. “I’m communing with nature,” Rosenbaum said and then added, half joking, “I call Greg Obi Wan Kenobi because he is my spiritual master.”
King said, “In most activities, it’s still hard to put down your phone and be fully present. Here for one and a half hours, you put it all behind you.”
The Friday group was skewing female with just a few men. “I have read that women’s masters programs are among the fastest-growing segments for many clubs,” said rower Elise Napack of Harrison.
She thought the reason might be that women discover a sense of physical power they may not have experienced before.
“Rowing builds real strength and cardiovascular fitness, and it’s easy on the joints,” she said. “There’s something deeply satisfying about moving a boat through water using your own force. Many women didn’t have the same athletic opportunities growing up that men did. Masters rowing welcomes all levels from beginners to Olympians and for many, it provides that competitive experience that master rowers may be missing or missed earlier in life.”
RAR’s website notes that for a session that starts Dec. 1 and goes through Feb. 11, it costs $2,400 to row five mornings a week and just over $1,800 for three days a week (and it would be on ergometers, not on the open water).
For many, the price offers more than just a physical workout. King mused that many of the rowers are highly successful in life so the experience of starting this new pursuit can be humbling and frustrating. “There are so many small technical things to be mindful of. Focus on one change in technique and another crops up. If you are looking for a challenge, this is it.”
“We ask quite a bit because we want you to improve,” said Serafimovski. “If we say good job, you can believe you really did a good job.”
And there is also the camaraderie; there is no room here for large egos or hissy fits. “It’s a really inclusive, friendly group,” Passannante said. “We have a group chat, and if there’s an event, everyone’s invited. When some people are competing, the people who aren’t competing will try to go and cheer them on at the Head of the Charles or the Schuylkill regattas, because you’re all part of the same team.”
Napack noted that they often get together for birthdays and other events. “We will go to an activity at the Rye Arts Center or have a holiday party. We tell each other about all kinds of events to see if we can get a critical mass to go.”
Serafimovski added, “It’s been a tight group for a long time, but they are welcoming to anyone new.”
Private lessons are available by request and swimming proficiency is required to enroll in any of programs.
