In the world of human-powered boating, rowing resides in the fringe.
Think about it; the last time youve canoed your favorite wilderness circuit, or explored a dramatic coastal archipelago in your kayak how many rowboats did you encounter? Not many.
Theres not really a good reason for this - sliding seat rowing is one of the fastest ways of propelling a craft by muscle and it offers the best full-body workout. In fact, its the advantages of rowing that motivated my wife Julie and me to use rowboats on almost all our human powered journeys on waterways and oceans around the world. In the summer of 2011, I chose to use a rowboat to break the human powered speed record around Vancouver Island (previously held by sea kayaks) due to its speed, seaworthiness and cargo-carrying capacity.
The reluctance to embrace rowing isnt just restricted to recreational paddlers; it also extends into the racing scene. Recently, I was inspired to try my hand at an adventure race that included mountain biking, running and a paddling leg. Naturally, I wanted to row the aquatic section, however, was soon informed that rowing boats were the only human powered craft not allowed. Then another race caught my attention, The Yukon River Quest, a grueling 715 km race on the Yukon River from Whitehorse to Dawson City. Its open to canoes, outrigger canoes and kayaks, and I eagerly asked the organizers if they would accept rowing entrants. The quick response was no.
Not to be deterred, this June I will be rowing from Whitehorse to Dawson City (not as part of the formal race) attempting to beat the fastest time this 715 km stretch has ever been completed by muscle. My rowing partner is Steve Price, a senior citizen from Oklahoma who could be the poster child for the Heart and Stroke Foundation. With cardiovascular disease encoded in his DNA, few males in his family have lived much beyond sixty. Exercise for Steve is both an elixir and an addiction. At 58 he broke the world record for the most pull-ups in a 24 hour period (for any age), and at 61 he broke the 24 hour record for stationary rowing in his age category. Now hes determined to show the young bucks that grey power can prevail on the rivers too.
If all goes well, Steve and I will complete our quest in just under two days. We will be rowing around the clock in two hour shifts, one person always propelling the boat while the other rests. Ive designed and built the boat we will be using - similar in shape to a standard canoe, but propelled with a sliding seat rowing rig instead of paddles. A sleeping bag and mat placed in the forward open section of the boat will offer the only comfort for the off-shift rower.
Our balm to soothe blistered hands and aching muscles will be the gorgeous scenery the Yukon River is renowned for - grazing moose, decaying remains of steamships, prospectors cabins, and wild flowers. In fact, this is one of the most popular recreational paddling routes in Canada, with most people spending a week or more to savour the wild landscape. It offers more than just some of Canadas top scenery, but is virtually an outdoor museum, offering ghostly reminders of the areas bustling gold rush history around every corner.
People have often asked why we plan on doing this. As with my row around Vancouver Island, why rush past some of Canadas top scenery? I like to use the comparison of running the New York Marathon to explain our motivation. Entrants are slogging as fast as they can through one of the worlds most exciting cities, but theyre still experiencing the flavour. And when they finally hit the finish line, completing a personal challenge dreamed about for months or years, the feeling is unbeatable. The only difference with Steve and me is we wont be celebrating with 30,000 fellow competitors. Well be celebrating alone.
{italic}Colin Angus is the guest speaker at the Citizen Outdoor Show at CN Centre on April 5 and 6. He was the first person to circle the world exclusively by human power. Angus is the author of five books, and his writing has appeared in The Globe and Mail, Explore, enRoute, and Reader's Digest, among others. The above column first appeared in Explore magazine.
