1. Why do I call this blog scullduggery?
If it's not obvious, this blog is, in part, about rowing--sculling in particular. Beyond that, I like the connotations. One is trickery, as in tricks to get the most out of each stroke, tricks to move the boat closer to the finish line, tricks to elicit better physiological performance. The 'cheating' connotation of the word isn't necessarily bad either: cheating the clock, cheating the wind, and, for masters rowers, cheating age.
In the scullduggery recipe, there is a dollop of 'cunning' which derives from the word "to know" with hints of ingenious, artful and shrewd, all tempered with finesse. Yes, I rather like that combo.
And, sure, there is some 'calculating' in the mix too, and I hope to develop ways to do that.
NOTE: I didn't think the word 'scullduggery' actually existed--the conventional spelling is skullduggery--but I looked it up and sure enough, there is:
Definition:
trickery, deceitful behavior
"Origin: 1705–15, Americanism; var. of sculduddery, orig. Scots: fornication, obscenity" (source)
Scull Doug
2. Why am I doing this?
I am reminded of something Carl Douglas wrote:
Rowing, like so many sports, is steeped in tradition and lore. Many of the things we do are based on how things have been done for decades. Ask why and what if and see what follows.
Am I qualified for this undertaking? Not especially. I just enjoy it. You're welcome to jump into the fray.
"So many tons of perspiration, so few micrograms of inspiration!"Douglas' notion is that if we gave more thought to what we do in rowing--how we catch, drive, release, how we train, how we design equipment, how we rig, etc--we might actually row faster. That, in a nutshell, is the spirit of this blog.
Rowing, like so many sports, is steeped in tradition and lore. Many of the things we do are based on how things have been done for decades. Ask why and what if and see what follows.
Am I qualified for this undertaking? Not especially. I just enjoy it. You're welcome to jump into the fray.
