Slip n' Slide: The Brief History of the Sliding Rigger

As advanced as rowing technology has become in the last 25 years, the sports banned the product that could provide a step function in on-the water speed: the sliding rigger.

Modern crew shells are gorgeous. There are few sights prettier than a brand new Empacher eight with carbon fiber riggers, looking like a restrained jet. Forms and materials of crew shells have been upgraded and reiterated countless times, and the result is fleets of gorgeous missiles that move faster than ever. But even these glorious feats of materials…