Sweep or single oar rowing has a long history as a competitive sport, with regatta events recorded as early as the 13th century.
As a means of transport for early Greek vessels and Viking ships, the history is even older and more diverse – slaves who could ‘pull an oar’ would have always been in demand. The method of pulling an oar on one side of the boat, and hence on one side of the body, originated from these wide vessels, as the technique allowed crewmen to sit side by side. However, it has now evolved to what we enjoy today – the sum of up to eight bodies pulling on different sides of a thin cigar shaped shell of carbon fibre to make it track straight up a course at great speed.