S3E18 - Brothers Dick and Pete Dreissigacker: The Innovators Behind Concept2

Concept2 oars and indoor rowing machines are nearly synonymous with rowing. But did you know that it all started in the early 1970s with brothers Pete and Dick Dreissigacker? They were just a couple of grad students messing around with carbon fiber and fiberglass in a kitchen hoping to develop a better oar - their “secret weapon” for finding more speed on the water.

And to keep training through cold winters in Vermont? Nail an old bike to the floor and pull on the free end of a chain. Voila! The mass market indoor rower was born.

Pete and Dick open up about:

• getting hooked on rowing

• how Title IX expanded the demand for oars

• being champions of rowing in the 1980s fitness market

• hoping to get it all together by the time you reach the HOCR start line.

GUESTS
Dick Dreissigacker
Pete Dreissigacker
www.concept2.com

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TIME STAMPS
[00:00] Episode lead-in
[03:04] Rapid Fire Q&A
[08:20] In preparing for another run at HOCR (which they’ve done every year since 1979) working on disappearing into the row, and sharing memories about their coxswains
[15:28] Dick left football for rowing, and persuaded Pete – a discuss thrower – to get in a 1x
[19:00] Getting hooked on teamwork and getting it all right
[25:06] Starting to experiment with making composite oars
[30:38] Oars: early prototypes, manufacturing, and what made them unique
[33:55] Tackling innovations: split handles, big blade controversy of 1992
[39:29] Growing a business, hiring staff, driving innovation
[44:05] Success of C2 oars around the world
[46:55] Listener question: Who has a faster 5k?
[48:10] Listener question: How does the monitor calculate its data?
[51:10] The Model A origin story, and what the indoor rowing market looked like in the early 1980s
[55:00] Best screen display for learn to row students
[56:50] The impact of COVID on Concept2 production and staff, and the explosion of indoor rowing around the world
[1:00:30] What expectations Dick and Pete had for the business
[1:04:11] Favorite coxing commands

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This episode was made possible in part by our Patrons, Concept2, and Lake Washington Rowing Club. Subscribe on your favorite podcast app.

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EPISODE MENTIONS

CAMPS
Craftsbury

CLUBS
Lake Washington Rowing Club
Vesper Boat Club

COACHES
Albin Moser

EQUIPMENT
Gamut
SpeedBoss (Bart Gullong)

EVENTS
C.R.A.S.H.-B.s
Erg Sprints
Head of the Charles

RESOURCES
Science of Rowing

ROWERS
Meredith Breiland
Larry Gluckman
Judy Geer
Susan Kinne

UNIVERSITY PROGRAMS
Brown University
Dartmouth College
Trinity College
Stanford University

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To see photos of Pete, Dick, early oars and ergs, and to get links to the people, clubs, and events mentioned in this episode, check out the show notes on our website.