Photograph: Werner Schmidt
Showing posts with label Svensk Rodd. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Svensk Rodd. Show all posts

Saturday, December 4, 2010

A Long, Cold Winter Ahead...

The snow came early this winter in many parts of Europe. E-mails and phone calls from Sweden are saying the same thing: the snow came way too early. I still remember the cold, long winter of 1993/1994 in Sweden. My friend Per Ekström and I were working on the issue of the rowing magazine Svensk Rodd that was due for March. All the articles and images were in place and the printers were more or less waiting at the presses, but we still lacked a picture for the cover. Per and I met at the rowing club in Malmö to try to find something ‘snowy’ that we could take a picture of. In the boat house we found a bow from an old wooden single that had just been cut up. We borrowed the bow and placed it on the frozen canal (yes, the water was frozen stiff so you could actually walk on it). We threw a life saver around it, and took a couple of pictures. The result you see on the right.

I have a feeling this is also going to be a long, cold winter. I don't like it!

Monday, November 15, 2010

Swedish Rowing Magazine Turning 20 Years!

My good friend Per Ekström, editor of the Swedish rowing magazine Svensk Rodd, is very busy these days. He is working hard on getting the last issue of the year out to the readers. I am guessing he had to shuffle some pages around after Frida Svensson became World Champion in the single scull in New Zealand a week ago. Svensson's victory is an enormous success not only for her, but also for Swedish rowing. Despite the many rivers, lakes, and the long coastline, rowing is not a big sport in Sweden.

However, Ekström's magazine is reaching almost 7,000 members of the Swedish rowing clubs, and they get the magazine for free. This year Svensk Rodd is celebrating 20 years. I have already told the story how Ekström and I started the magazine in 1990 in an entry on 19 March 2009. It seems Ekström has no intention to hand over the helm to someone else, which is good because few know more about rowing than he does. He has proven great editorial skills these two decades.

Congratulations to Svensk Rodd and Per, a jolly nice fellow and a good sport!