SMAD. An Organ of Student Opinion. 1936. Volume 7. Number 4.
Rowing
Rowing.
The Eight has now been selected and training commenced in earnest. Over the week-end the boat was taken to Petone where it will be housed till Easter. The crew are getting fit, but more attention to training is necessary. An essential to physcial fitness is rest and early nights and no cigarettes will play a large part.
Hansen is setting a good stroke, and the crew is swinging along very well, despite a tendency to roll. Gibbons, the best oar in the boat, is rowing excellently at 7. Barnes is probably the fittest of the crew and is swinging well. Bullock is rowing well but when under stress is losing his slide, a fault which he should overcome. Brown at 2 is skying at the catch and should concentrate on eradicating this evil. Bow is rowing well, but looks a bit worried.
All through the boat the handwork is a trifle slow. The hands should be "got away" quickly, and in this respect, bow should take more care. It would be as well if more devil was put into starts. At present the starts are a bit slow. Concentration on starting will enable the crew to get the length's lead at the beginning, and as we all know it is easier to keep ahead than get ahead.
Though the chances of victory are improving, it should be remembered that both Auckland and Canterbury will be hard to beat, but with plenty of boat work, the V.U.C. eight will be well up.