About

When I published the first Almanac back in the spring of 1996, I was a 26-year-old elite sculler traveling, training, and competing all over the United States. Part of the vision of the Almanac was to provide a platform to fill the information void in rowing. While it was the dawn of the Internet age, I vividly remember those early years stuffing thousands of paper questionnaires into envelopes distributed via “snail mail”. That is literally how the first few editions of the Almanac were built – information transmitted back and forth through the postal service! That quickly changed with the world wide web and email communications. From 1996 - 2008 tens of thousands of Rower’s Almanacs were distributed at the Head of the Charles, US Rowing’s National Learn to Row Day, local regattas and sold online.

Today, we have several generations of rowers who don’t know what life was like before the Internet. Digital platforms allow everyone to share information instantaneously, while it is happening. Whether it is social media platforms, live video streaming of regattas, or digital college recruiting sites – these technologies allow rowers and coaches to share information and connect like never before. What the Almanac did many years ago – providing information for people to connect with each other – is now done ubiquitously through our digital world.

For many years I used the Almanac to find a place to row when I was traveling. Now you can find rowing clubs on the web but it's still difficult to get a hold of someone if you are just looking to take out a 1x when you're on a business trip. I'm piloting a new idea at RowerConnect that will make it easy for rowers to facilitate other rowers' desire to row. Check it out and let me know what you think!

See you on the water - Karen Solem Derringer

Founder - Karen Solem Derringer

Karen Solem Derringer is publisher and founder of The Rower's Almanac and Boathouse Finder. Karen graduated from Walt Whitman High School in Bethesda, MD in 1988, learning to row her senior year of high school with the newly formed team.
After a year of club rowing at the University of Texas, Austin, Karen transferred to the rowing powerhouse, University of Washington in 1990. She rowed 6-seat in the varsity eight for two years winning the San Diego Crew Classic’s Whittier Cup, the Windermere Cup and Pacific Coast Championships (PAC-10) in 1992. After graduating, Karen moved back to Bethesda, joined Potomac Boat Club and began sculling in the single. She had the opportunity to train in Washington, DC, Philadelphia and Augusta under the tutelage of internationally and nationally recognized coaches including Ted Nash, Igor Grinko, Ken Dreyfuss and Brian Tassi.

Karen's 'On-The-Water' Highlights

Highlights of Karen’s rowing achievements include:

1st place - 1994 Canadian Henley Women’s Intermediate Double;
1st place - 1995 Canadian Henley Regatta Women’s Senior Quad;
1st place - 1995 US National Championships Women’s Double;
1st place - 1996 US National Championships Women’s Quad;
1st place - 1997 US National Championships Women’s Eight;
1st place - 1997 Head of the Charles Women’s Championship Eight;
1st place - 1998 US National Championships Women’s Double;
1st place - 1998 Canadian Henley Women’s Senior Double;
1st place - 1998 Head of the Schuylkill Women’s Single;
1998 – Member of US National Team;
1st place - 1999 Canadian Henley Senior Lightweight Women’s Single;
1st place - 1999 Head of the Occoquan Women’s Single;
1st place - 2000 US National Championships Women’s Sr. Single 500-meter Dash; and
1st place - 2000 US National Championships Women’s Lightweight Single.