An eight is a fine-tuned boat. Grace, power, precision, speed. You take a big oar with two hands and go “right against that footplate”.
So, without further ado, what your position in the eight says about you:
Cox
Small, but still manages to be taller than the bow. does more acrobatics in the boat than yelling. When she’s serious, everyone is. Game mode.
Stroke
Has Oakleys for “freespeed” (going really fast?). Fantastic technique. Getting demoted from Stroke is difficult unless you eat a mandarin orange and get said orange all over the oar. Very sanitary. Is chill but in their head, they are furious about the rest of the boat rushing up the slide. “Just follow me!”, they yell (in vain)
7
Stern pair power duo! Best buds with Stroke. Crooked Neck. Yells at bow 4 for not setting the balance while sliding off their seat.
6
Gentle Giant. Fast ergos. Strong, silent, and helpful. Will have a rigger jigger (metal spanner for boats) in the bottom of their bag. Always. Even if there’s no training.
5
The coolest. Solid. Dependable. Shows up to training and gets work done. Never misses a catch, never catches a crab. Happy to be there. Calm.
4
Cannot count for ten strokes or even five. Blames Stern 4 for not setting the boat. Loves the erg. Yells ” Balance the boat”, as said boat sways like a flamenco dancer.
3
Late in the water. Late to training. Late to school. Late to everything.
2
The alternate cox. After a hard, heavy session, they still manage to cough up a few breaths of encouragement. During the piece you can spot them smiling or yelling ” swing through the hips”. The rest of the crew shoots them daggers.
Bow
Aware of their fate, given a bad cox. Accepts that they will be the first to ” gracefully” touch the bank in a crash landing. Vertically challenged, indistinguishable from the Cox. Is the windbreaker of the boat.
