Welcome to the NEW World Rowing
After months of preparation, we are proud to release the new brand of World Rowing. This is
far more than just a new logo because in its every manifestation, it embodies the philosophy,
character and values both of our sport and the people who row.
As a sport, Rowing has developed a very strong set
of values and its own personality. To a great extent,
these derive from the people who row – whether for
their nation or their club, university, school or for
fitness and leisure, or as an indoor rower. But the
environment in which we row is also very important
to us; we need clean water and fresh air, and must
do our very best to preserve this life-giving aquatic
habitat – for others as much as ourselves
the same kind of focus and dedication to develop the
skill and feeling through which the body, oar and water
combine to produce the perfect stroke. And the “enso”,
the circular symbol of Sumi-e, itself also shares the
shape and form left from a rower’s perfect stroke. It
became obvious to us that our new World Rowing brand
should be designed in this art-form with this symbol.
Finding the right way to depict these values and
personality in a simple, modern and effective way, is
a challenge which has taken our team several months
of preparation. We are delighted with the result and
very proud to at last be able to share this new image
with the World.
We are fortunate to be at the heart of a sport which
can boast many strong values. Teamwork, endurance,
closeness to nature, fairness and inclusiveness define
who we are, and we aim to keep these values at the
centre of everything we do to promote our beautiful
sport.
World Rowing’s new logo has been designed in an art
form which comes from the Far East. Surprisingly, the
people who practice this art form, Sumi-e, have many
similarities with the sport of rowing. In Sumi-e, the
artist, the brush and the ink work in perfect harmony
to create the prefect brush stroke and the quality
of the brushstroke is said to reveal the depth of
enlightenment of the artist.
In fact, World Rowing identified these values many
years ago, but recent research confirmed to us that,
despite the many social, cultural and technological
changes which are affecting sport in general, the
core values of rowing and rowers remain integral to
our sport, and so must be preserved. They are the
very essence of what our sport is about.
© FISA
And, just as it takes a lifetime’s dedication to create
the simple but perfect brush stroke, rowing requires
The new World Rowing brand does not change who
we are. On the contrary, it strengthens our image
and better identifies our personality and we strongly
believe that rowing, in all its forms, is the truest of
sports.
We hope you shall embrace our new image just as
we have.
● Denis Oswald
President
