Outdoor

Rowing

One thousand and one reasons to hop in the water!

Mar. 2023

3 min.

Do you recall that evening, when we sailed in silence?
Upon your waters a great stillness held;
The only sounds were those of oars that struck in cadence
Your harmonious swells.

The Lake, Alphonse de Lamartine (1820)
(Translated from the original French)

As the city begins to awaken, and the sky and surrounding mountains reflect in the lake’s placid waters, a scull boat swiftly glides along the smooth surface, propelled by oars that drive and recover at their recognizably rhythmic pace.

While this may feel like a stanza from Lamartine’s famous poem, this is an almost everyday occurrence throughout the year in Annecy.

This special moment for onlooking joggers adds a bit of magic to their daily routine.

As spring begins, and well before summer’s effervescence sweeps across our beautiful lake, we had the urge to visit the CSAV-Aviron rowing club in Annecy-le-Vieux. The warm welcome from staff and friendly atmosphere proved a great omen for the day ahead.

A sport where teamwork counts for everything, all in a breathtaking natural setting!

Balance, glide, finesse, speed, rowing is a well-rounded sport that requires a healthy dose of camaraderie, as the young athletes present explain. We enjoy an otherworldly experience where the stresses of daily life seem to evaporate with each stroke of the oars.

Jean-Pierre Demorge, Vice President of the rowing club in Annecy-le-Vieux elaborates, “This is a complete sport, well-known for its mental and physical health benefits, and where the social aspect is also key.”

Well then, we have no more excuses not to hop in a scull boat and row!

The Rowing Section of the Annecy-le-Vieux Sports Club was created in 1981 with the means available at the time, just a small handful of boats. The sport quickly gained momentum and rowers of all ages began to flock to the lake.

In forty years, the club has frequently placed crews on the podiums of national level competitions, earning 15 French National Championship titles, 15 silver medals, and 12 bronze medals. In addition, 10 rowers and a coxswain were picked for the French national team.

The club currently has 284 members, ranging from 10 to 80 years old, and 72 boats (single and double sculls/coxless and coxed quads/octuple sculls).

The Competitive Rowing Section trains over four dozen youth – with a few that row faster than a speeding bullet – for local, regional, national, and even international competitions. The program includes hours spent on the water, weight lifting and calisthenics, training on stationary rowing machines, running, and even swimming. They train several times per week.

The Recreation Section is for those who enjoy rowing in a fun, friendly, and non-competitive atmosphere, and organizes a full schedule of festive and more athletic outings all throughout the year. This in includes the Rand’eau Ancilevienne, a popular event for the 250 rowers from all over FRANCE who make the trip all the way to Annecy to circumnavigate the lake.

Today, CSAV-Aviron has 3 employees, and a team of volunteers who enjoy introducing the sport of rowing to a broader public; from school students to companies (organizing Team Building outings for the latter) by way of the first-time beginner.

Four ways to try out and enjoy rowing

1 NEW – AviFit (rowing fitness)

An idea developed by the French Rowing Federation with the goal of introducing and making the sport more appealing to newcomers. The 45-minute session, led by a certified coach, takes place in a gym and with music. This fun, dynamic activity combines rowing technique, a cardio workout, and strength training, and is open to everyone, especially non-members looking to try rowing for fitness or to get back into training after taking some time off. Tested and approved!

Sign up anytime during the year. Sessions take place on Wednesdays from 18:00-19:00 (6pm-7pm). The rowing club in Sevrier also offers AviFit sessions.

2 NEW – Aviron santé

Created last year by the French Rowing Federation, this program is designed for people who have cancer, diabetes, or a cardiovascular disease. The training program, led by specialized instructors, allows participants to regain or improve their physical conditioning, and to help them to better handle their treatment. Sessions can be in the gym or on the water. “We first started with women on the verge of finishing their treatment, in recovery, or in remission from breast cancer. Now the program is open to people suffering from other diseases, on the one condition that they have a recommendation and permission from their doctor,” says Sélim Boulenouar, club president. This initiative receives support from the Annecy-based insurance company, Mutuelle de France Unie, whose contribution helps to purchase the necessary equipment.

Signups for the year are in September. Your insurance company may provide coverage for the program. The rowing club in Sevrier also offers a similar program.

3 Weeklong introduction-to-rowing programs in the summer.

4 Open house the first two weekends of September.