I am very keen to get involved with openwater rowing - I rowed recreationally as part of a ladies 8 fro over a year - but am keen to get out on the water again.

Am currently living in Madison WI - but will travel anywhere.

Many Thanks

Sinead

-- Sinead O Hanlon (sinbad126@hotmail.com), August 29, 2000

Answers

Sinead: Yes, open water exists even in the Midwest! We've been rowing all over Minnesota the last seven years and the water is fantastic. I have customers with boats in WI as well, and you are in a perfect spot for rowing, as I'm sure you realize from UW Madison's fabulous crew team can attest. Call us when you're in the Twin Cities to check out Aldens. They can be rowed anywhere. Tom Minnesota Rowing Shells

-- Tom Alagna (talagna@mn.uswest.net), September 01, 2000.

There is great opportunity for open water rowing in Wisconsin, as we are fortunate to have the Great Lakes in our neighborhood. The Great Lakes offer much beautiful coastline with invigorating cool clear water. I find that they offer as much or as little challenge as anyone could want to seek.

We live in Marinette, Wisconsin, which is adjacent to the upper peninsula of Michigan, which has coastline on Lake Superior as well as (of course) on Lake Michigan. I row quite regularly solo as well as with my wife and kids (we can row tandem in our 16 foot Whitehall). I also occasionally do some longer, more challenging rows. For accounts of two of these see "Escanaba to Menominee" in Issue 5 of Open Water Rowing, and on the Cape Cod Vikings web site under "Tall Tales" http://www.c4.net/viking/ you will find my article about my row from Green Bay to Marinette.

Of course, in Wisconsin, one has to be prepared to be a tiny minority in open water rowing, ofen attracting odd looks from those who can't understand why anyone would want to work so hard on the water, and that while facing aftward, for hours and hours. I RARELY see another rower, and at times feel a bit lonely, but also feel sorry for all the power boaters and even kayakers who are not fortunate enough to have discovered our sport.

Have fun rowing!

Kurt Breuer

-- Kurt Breuer (breuer@cybrzn.com), September 07, 2000.

Get in touch with Craig Schowalter at the South Shore Open Water Rowing Center, P. O. Box 364, Washburn, WI 54891, phone 715-373-0794.

-- David Stookey (dstookey@openwater.com), November 01, 2000.

Hi, I'm a student at the University of Minnesota and also competed novice Division 1 last year. If anyone would be interested or- needs someone in there shell- please contact me! I would love some extra practice over summer. I live in Milwaukee but I am usually free on weekends. Thanks! Bre

-- BreAnne MacKenzie (mack0225@umn.edu), June 22, 2001.

I am very new to this sport yet the idea of open water rowing has consumed me. For the last few years I have been building my owm 16 foot rowing boat patterned after the pulling boats of the Scilly isles. I'm wondering if there is any information about solo rowing trips across Lake Michigan in any such boat.

-- David Stattelman (dstattelman@yahoo.com), June 09, 2004.