By Cecily O’Connor
RedwoodAge.com

Penny Narayan never considered herself to be a “water person” until she began rowing in January.

Dan Alexander shows off some of the hundreds of boats at the Open Water Rowing Center.

“It was a challenge to overcome that,” said the newly retired administrative assistant, a 60-year-old took up rowing at the Open Water Rowing Center (OWRC) in Sausalito at the encouragement of a neighbor.

As she tests the waters in an open water rowing shell on Richardson Bay, Ms. Narayan admits she has good days and bad days. But overall, she said she has come to “love” the sport and the ensuing confidence boost that fills her spirit.

“I come out at 7 a.m., watch the sun rise over the city, and see all kinds of birds, seals and porpoises…,” she said, reflecting a few of the reasons that Northern Californians choose to live here.

Rowing is becoming more popular with U.S. baby boomers seeking to strengthen their body and mind. As a low-impact recreation sport, rowing is easily integrated as part of older adult’s cross-training, said Dan Alexander, manager of OWRC where roughly half of the 150 members are baby boomers.

The majority of the center’s baby boomer clientele is made up of what Mr. Alexander called “adult onset rowers,” who like Ms. Narayan have been introduced to the sport later in life. The 58-year-old Mr. Alexander, a retired attorney, counts himself in that category, too.  He began rowing five years ago.

At OWRC, the boomer clientele also includes some members who rowed in high school or college, took a long break, and just returned to the water. “It tends to be difficult to raise young children and row because it’s primarily a morning sport,” explained Mr. Alexander.

Steely Spirit
Outside of Sausalito, other U.S. clubs are reporting growing interest in rowing by older adults. About 20 percent of the Pittsburgh-based Steel City Rowing Club’s members are baby boomers, said Dori Tompa, founder and executive director at the Verona, Penn.-based facility. That’s up from roughly 10 percent two years ago, she said.

“Our adult membership is growing,” she said. “The club has a new home with a bigger boat house and new docks, and with more space (taking up the sport is) more appealing.”

On a national scale, the appeal of rowing spans all age groups. The 2006 US Rowing Masters National Championship reported a 50 percent increase in participants between the ages of 27 and 80, with roughly 1,500 rowers, up from 900 to 1,000 eight years ago, said Brett Johnson, communications director for the US Rowing Association.

One reason for the increase is that rowing programs in schools are becoming more accessible since the advent of Title IX, which banned discrimination in school programs, Mr. Johnson said.

“As a generalization, more affluent people take up rowing, but it doesn’t have to be an elite, upper-class sport,” Mr. Johnson said, noting the cost depends on whether individuals buy their own shell, or participate through a club setting.

A rowing shell can start at $3,500, but the price can move upwards of $5,000, depending on materials and all the “bells and whistles,” Mr. Alexander said.

“Boats may sound expensive, but if you amortize that over 15 to 20 years (over the lifespan of the shell), it doesn’t sound that bad,” he said.

Most people at OWRC opt to use the center’s boats by paying an annual membership, which runs $925, Mr. Alexander said.

The costs vary greatly depending on region and climate. At the Steel City Rowing Club, an adult member pays $350 a year, which gives them access to facilities, as well as indoor and outdoor equipment, Ms. Tompa said. Group lessons cost $4 a session, while individual lessons are $50, she added.

“Most rowing clubs are now really trying to make rowing accessible to anyone who’s interested,” Ms. Tompa said. The Steel Club purchased property in an “affordable neighborhood” to build the club.

“It would be a shame if we couldn’t provide rowing in our neighborhood,” she said.

For some older individuals, the cost of rowing is offset by returns achieved from the sport’s spiritual or nature-istic component.

Ben Kaltreider, 68, a retired doctor in Sausalito who’s been rowing for 13 years, said he’s overcome by a  “feeling of solitude and contemplation” when he’s on the water.

The physical benefits can’t be overlooked, either.