So Sony have introduced headphones for rowers, as demonstrated in this (admittedly quite cool) video:
I have to say I think this is one of the craziest ideas I’ve heard in a long time. I suppose, in the interests of balance, I should acknowledge that even at the best of times I’m not a fan of headphones. I don’t wear them on the rare occasion I go out for a run, preferring to hear the birds (and the chainsaws – I run in woodland). I don’t wear them on the erg, either – although I need music to keep me going, I don’t like the feeling of wearing headphones. And my inability to multitask means that when I once tried wearing them when out and about in London, I kept bumping into things and losing my way.
But seriously. When rowing? A sport that you do backwards? How do you hear the inevitable cry of “SCULLLEEEEERRRRRR” from the eight powering down towards you? Or the chunter of the pleasure boat that you’re about to hit? Or the roar of the appreciative crowds on the bank? (OK, maybe not that one).
I couldn’t help noticing that the video cuts out a touch abruptly, though. He looks like he’s rowing right out in the middle of the river, so do you think that’s the moment when he collides with a quad?
He didn’t look around either!
I kind of admire people who don’t look around all the time, though. When I’m in a single I look around every second stroke which doesn’t really help my technique…
We have a few in our club who share your opinion, but since I am usually called in to fix the boats, I’m afraid to say I do not!
Might not be good for practice/on a river, but it might be useful to some rowers during races. As in 2k races with lanes.
Music can motivate a lot (like on the erg) and make you give just that extra power. In that way its useful. Only for scullers and maybe coxless boats though
I suppose it could be like having a cox shouting in your ear, depending on what you had playing! But yes, definitely not one for wearing in a coxed boat. That really would get you in trouble!!
I suspect that Sony’s not actually trying to go after the “enormous” market that is scullers (and if you read the *very* fine print at the end of the ad, they warn people about how they wear them).
I think they’re actually trying to attract the people who go to the gym and do 2 minutes on an erg @ a 38 (half-slide) and think that it makes them rowers. This spot would call to them…
Greg
Good point, and I can see the benefits for listening to music when erging (especially in the gym where you might not like the music on tap). Haha re the gym rowers. Don’t forget, either, that they have to have the resistance on 10 😉
NO, NO, NO!!! It’s just wrong. But why would you want to? Bubbles under a well-moving boat, the sound of a single catch, the ‘thunk’ of the oars feathering – why would you want to block those beautiful sounds out?
In addition to other boats, I have swimmers where I row, many of whom like to wear black caps to make them close to impossible to see. I only know they’re around somewhere (close!) is by hearing the noise of their splash. If you were in a crew boat, you’d be shutting yourself off from the rest of the crew. In a single, you’d have little idea what was going on around you. I can’t find a single good reason for these!
Couldn’t agree more. So many beautiful sounds.
Oh, and canoeists! We need to be able to hear them, too.
We had a couple of swimmers between our eight blades and the hull last summer. The wife of one of the them was sitting on the bank supposedly keeping an eye out for boats but she never said a word – scarey.
Oof, that’s scary!