Coastal Rowing goes Olympia – LA 2028. Ein some MRC adventurers have tested the new discipline on the wild North Sea. With some surprises, but great fun.
Coastal rowing, the whitewater variant of rowing, is typically practiced on the open sea. The camp in Amrum, which has already been organized several times by Tobias Wischer from the RG Wiking Berlin, puts a premium on rowing on the North Sea, which depends on the tide, the tide. Special coastal rudder boats, wide, stable boats are used, which are suitable for rough open water and waves. The boats have a bow that cuts easily through waves and an open stern to easily drain incoming water. Unlike inriggers, there is little room for luggage. The feet are usually in the water.
Fixed by tours in Inriggern on the Baltic Sea and good experiences with coastal boats on Lake Maggiore, the Coastal Rowing Camp on Amrum has been on my ‘bucket list’ for a long time. Finally try a beach-sprint race – and that's exactly what the Ascension programme was all about every year. Samantha quickly joined the project, and later more curious people from the MRC1880 found themselves, who then received their commitment to participate via a waiting list (Guido Gilbert, Pia Benedigt, Julia K., Julia Moser, Michael Zink, Kay Behrens). In addition to the boats of the German Rowing Association DRV, further boats were organized in order to be able to take all interested parties with them. After all, there were 85 participants from 30 clubs from Berlin, Hamburg, Lübeck, Hanover, Neuss and other German cities.
A large part of our group met in the night train to Hamburg, following the recommendations of the organizers with neoprene clothing, cycling gloves (wg blistering by salt water), life jacket and club flag in their luggage.
The way led us after several changes of the DB (train ended with a long delay unplanned in Niebüll) with the ferry from Dagebüll to Wittdün on Amrum. On the ferry we met other participants from the MRC, who also had bikes with them, as this is simply more practical for the paths on the island and to the camp.
A fresh breeze greeted us on Amrum. First we took the bus to Norddorf and to the various accommodations. And most of them quickly get another bike.
At the start of the camp, there was a ‘get together’ at Norddorfer Strand at the Boyens surf school in the evening.
The official start was on the morning of Ascension at 9 a.m. Then the teams were divided on a board (fours, twos or one).
The boats were finished and the basecamp was set up: a large circle of beach chairs where you could change, rest and can.
It promised to be difficult conditions, the tour to Sylt and also around the seal island will not be possible, it was announced. The instructions were clear: All boats stay together at the exit. It is rowed in several slots, with not only an Obperson in the boat, but also a Pulk-Obmann. If he raises the flag, he is stopped and his instructions are followed. Care must be taken (especially with the low water tours) that you are not stranded on a sandbank. Or skulls or the fin get stuck in the sand and break or bend.
The weather apps announced an increasingly windy day. The first slot should row north to Kormoran Island in the low water (located between Amrum, Föhr, Sylt). He should be the calmest in the weather. The Costal novices had precedence over it.
The boats start in knee-deep water (because of the fin). And off we went with smooth water. Further north, however, the Strömumg was too strong to row to Kormoran Island. The group turned around at the northern end of Amrum, marvelling at the strong current in the Priel between Amrum and Sylt (a natural, often meandering watercourse in the watt).
I was then in the second slot in the controlled four with running water. We originally wanted to row up to the height of fog. There were mega waves (1.1 m) and strong currents. Even getting into the surf was challenging. On the way, the waves could be mastered if you stand in parallel in the boat – old rule of rowing. However, this must be avoided if the waves break, then there is a risk of capsize. Fortunately, there were experienced rowers in all boats.
The current was very strong – one pulls and pulls on the skulls and almost does not come from the spot. The full power of the North Sea. We then turned around and were ratz fatz back at the starting point. When we landed, we were all in the water from the boat and only then realized that we were on a sandbank and a deep prick separated us from the shore. We quickly stood up to our chest in the cold water. Thanks to the neoprene clothing no problem.
In the afternoon we could warm up with tea with rum and delicious Frisian waffles.
As usual on the North Sea, the weather changed constantly, and so did the tour planning. The next day was even windier. Instead of the planned ‘around Amrum’, it was stated: Three slots at Norddorfer Strand. For the friends of wind and waves a nice but exhausting ride along the coast, floating back and forth. Some even managed to surf the waves. Rowing "beautiful" was not part of the programme, air strikes were not uncommon. In Costal Rowing, however, such challenging conditions are actually desired.
In the evening, with a stiff breeze, the surf school grilled on the beach and chilled in a circle of beach chairs.
Saturday promised to be windless. ‘Rund um Amrum’ should start at 4.30, as a regatta 30 km at a time. In earlier years, the round was also driven as a relay, which turned out to be impractical, as the boats had to land in the silt. So this long tour was more reserved for experienced coastal rowers. They were back at 7:30, in record time.
For the less experienced, there were then trips to Nebel on offer. This time I was in a manoeuvrable twosome – a completely different rowing with shallow water, sun and views of dune landscape and lighthouses. It's a pleasure!
After that, the beach sprint races should take place. At the race, the start and finish are on the beach, marked by a flag, about 50 m from the water edge. In the water, buoys were installed, which were to be circumnavigated. One participant per team must appear at the start. She/he sprints to the boat waiting in the water, occupied by the crew, then goes out to sea, around the buoy and back to the coast. One jumps out of the boat and sprints to the target.
Everything was set up, but sudden dense fog wiped out these plans. The buoys were no longer visible. Rowing is not possible. Long faces.
Now everyone was hot on the beach sprint and so Tobi invented a new format, the ‘Prielsprint ohne Boot’. The four groups originally reported for rowing in relay ran from the starting point on the beach towards the sea through a Priel, circumnavigated a flag and came back to the start. The teams gave everything, whereby interesting techniques were developed (e.g. stilt walk or upside down) and some of them went swimming in the Priel. All with great cheers and cheers (https://youtu.be/GwA4rwaSOKI, external link). Will the Prielsprint ever be an Olympic event?
The boats were cleaned and charged in a good mood. Then we went to the award ceremony at the kiosk of the surf school.
‘Full pull around Amrum’ in four was won by three women, one man & helmswoman with a time of 2.45 hours (2.39 previous best time). Organizer Tobi in the mixed team with Hannah Strothmann from the Neukölln Rowing Club Berlin set a new best time in two: 2,36 hrs. It was still celebrated for some time in the sand, cozy, sociable, sunny and windless – one did not want to leave at all.
With an MRC1880 farewell dinner in the evening at the Neptun restaurant, the happy and impressive ride for our group ended.
Some were able to extend a day and made a guided mudflat hike from Amrum to Föhr on Sunday. In mild weather and sun it went about 10 km through the march and the mudflats. Pure nature with birds, crabs, shells, snails, worms, a wreck, blue sky and views of the surrounding islands Amrum, Sylt and Föhr. Halfway through, a Priel had to be crossed, wading up to the belly button in the water. In the evening we went by bus and ferry back to Amrum.
On the return trip to the mainland the next day you could enjoy the sun on the sun deck and watch seals and seals. A relaxing and calm ending after the wild days.
The next Coastal Rowing Camp Amrum will take place Ascension Day 2027 (2026 will be paused) – just give it a try (Infos: https://coastalrowingamrum.de/, external link)!
Konstanze Steinheimer-Breitkreutz
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