Rowers love their stash, their tools, their gadgets and their bits and bobs. There is always something else to buy that will (supposedly) enhance your rowing experience in some way. Here are a few ideas for Christmas presents for rowers, some big ones, and some small ones.
Kit & Clothing
We’ll start with kit. Rowers love to turn up to training with a new international all-in-one, some snazzy leggings, or dare I say a new bucket hat. To that end many suppliers offer discounted prices for items which have either turned out slightly wrong or are surplus. In this time many of us are also turning to cross training to add some variety, leading to an investment into new cycling clothes, running shoes, or even wetsuits! Our partners Mizuno recently released their new Wave Rider 24 running shoes, which you can read about here. Mizuno also offer a fantastic range of base layers, leggings, fleeces and accessories in addition to their ranges of club rowing kit.
For that special someone, Strokeside Design UK offer a range of rowing themed jewellery. Necklaces featuring an array of boat types, oar bracelets, and rigger jigger earrings are just some examples. They also offer a range of men’s gifts, including cuff links, ties and bow ties, all rowing themed of course. There are a multitude of other companies offering rowing jewellery such as Square Blades, RowPerfect and Rubini Inc. in the US.
Technology
Keen rowers always want to know about their data, so to satisfy this obsession why not invest in a SpeedCoach from NK. There are a few variations on the SpeedCoach with varying prices to suit your requirements and budget, but this is an essential item for a rower’s backpack. If you want even more data at your disposal, NK’s new EmPower Oarlock allows you to unpick your rowing stroke like never before, read our review here. Both of these are compatible with a range of Bluetooth devices such as heart rate monitors, which are another essential item for rowers wishing to track their training zones. Garmin or Polar are the top choices for these, and both host a range of options depending on your desired functionality and budget. For coaches, NK have a range of megaphones, rate watches, and for coxes, their range of CoxBoxes and accessories is vast.
If you want to buy something a bit more ‘fun’ for your rowing friend or family member, Rock the Boat has a range of gift ideas just for you. Water bottles, themed aprons, and even a bottle stopper are just a few of the things on offer. A simple search on Amazon will also give you a range of ideas from mugs, T-shirts, cuff links, to rigger jiggers.
Books
If you’re looking for some rowing inspiration, there are a variety of choices of great books to read. Some standout autobiographies by British heroes include:
- If Not Now, When? – by Greg Searle
- A Lifetime In A Race – by Sir Matthew Pinsent
- A Golden Age – by Sir Steve Redgrave
- The Long Win – by Cath Bishop
- The Autobiography – by Dame Katherine Grainger
- Learnings From Five Olympic Games – by Frances Houghton, MBE
Some other books that any rower should read include The Boys In The Boat by James Daniel Brown, and new release A Most Beautiful Thing by Arshay Cooper.
That’s my list, over to you!
Here’s to a Merry Christmas and lots of rowing in 2021!
That’s all for now. If you’re hungry for more, check out any of our other pieces from The Catch, listen to the latest podcast episode, or flick through our race previews.
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Photos by Roesie Percy
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