Concept2

Concept2 is a manufacturer of rowing equipment based in Vermont, USA. It is best known for its air resistance indoor rowing machines (a.k.a. "ergometers" or "ergs"), which are considered the standard training and testing machines for competition rowers and can be found in most gyms. Both the CRASH-B Sprints (which style themselves the world championship for indoor rowing) and the British Indoor Rowing Championships indoor rowing competitions are rowed on Concept2 indoor rowers. Concept2 also manufactures oars for sculling and sweep rowing (under the name Dreissigacker) and air resistance Nordic skiing trainers (SkiErgs).

The company was founded in 1976 by rowing brothers Dick and Pete Dreissigacker. The two brothers trialed for the American team for the 1976 Summer Olympics and while preparing, they modified their oars with carbon fiber in an attempt to go faster. When they were not selected for the team, they founded the company and started selling carbon fiber oars. Their first office was in the back of a bread truck until they bought a farm in Morrisville, Vermont, United States.

Dreissigacker oars were well received by the rowing community and quickly established themselves as one of the major players in the market. In 1991, the company came out with asymmetrical "hatchet" oar blades. These improved a team's performance by 1 or 2% and became popular so quickly that by 1992 most of the Olympic crews were using them. Many elite rowers use Concept2 oars, and along with Croker oars they make up the majority of oars used in international competition.

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