In 1997, just 36% of adults went online. Websites from this era were known as "Web 1.0." Netscape Navigator was the most popular web browser. Google didn’t exist yet. And a guy with information to share about Eastern Sprints decided to cobble together some HTML and get the word out. And so, row2k.com was born.

Twenty seven years later, founder and owner Ed Hewitt joins us to talk about how his own rowing journey – Atlantic CIty High School, Columbia University rower and coach, 7x National Team member – influenced the development and success of Row2k, one of the most visited rowing-related websites in the world.

This episode was made possible in part by Breakwater Realty, RowSource, and our Patrons.

QUICK LOOK

00:00 - Intro 
01:45 - Rowing Week on a scale of 1 to 10
02:10 - The Huddle
03:13 - The Hot Seat Q&A
09:05 - Rowing origin story: Football player convinced by “clowns” to row
13:01 - Walking on at Columbia
14:27 - Being young and driven: developing the new women’s program at Columbia in the 1980s
21:31 - Launching Row2k with HTML and chutzpah  
24:33 - Row2k as archive, scrapbook, news source; and the people behind the scenes
28:34 - On being a Row2k photographer
30:30 - Row2k galleries mold rowers perceptions of themselves, their crews
34:06- Brutal Row2k message boards of the 1990s 
35:54 - The necessity of watermarks on photos (aka stop stealing from Row2k)
38:10 - Just how many shots do Row2k photographers take at a regatta?
39:20 - Surviving the dot.com bubble
40:50 - Supporting, engaging with, and being a part of the rowing community
44:22 - Outro

Steady State Podcast is written, produced, hosted, and edited by Rachel Freedman and Tara Morgan. Tara provides additional audio engineering and is our sponsor coordinator. Rachel manages the website, social media, and e-newsletter. Our theme music is by Jonas Hipper.

Episode Mentions

CLUBS
Durham Boat Club 
New York Athletic Club
Undine Barge Club
Vesper Boat Club

COACHES
Connor Bullis
 Chris Combs
 Bob Garbett
 Thor Nilsen
 Steve Wagner
Joe Wilhelm

COXSWAINS
Michael O’Gorman

PHOTOGRAPHERS
 Peter Spurrier

REFEREES
Kris Thorsness 🎧

REGATTAS 
Bill Braxton Memorial Regatta
Dad Vail Regatta
Eastern Sprints
Philadelphia Frostbite Regatta
Head of the Charles
Head of the Lake
IRA Women’s Sprints
IRA Men’s Sprints

RESOURCES
Columbia Spectator

ROW2K
Adam Bruce
Amanda Cox
Erik Dresser
John Flynn
Oli Rosenblatt

ROWERS
Anna Cummins 🎥
Megan Kalmoe  🎧
Peter Wiesberg

SCHOLASTIC & YOUTH PROGRAMS
Atlantic City High School

UNIVERSITY PROGRAMS
Barnard
Columbia University
Northeastern
Rutgers
University of Washington