Yelp Cleveland’s Rowing 101

This August, Yelpers adventured to the amazing Foundry in Cleveland’s Flats neighborhood for a one-of-a-kind indoor rowing experience. The Foundry is a nonprofit fitness facility that makes rowing and sailing accessible for all income levels in Cleveland and is a world-class rowing facility thats attracts and breeds national talent. Situated on a historic Cleveland site, the Foundry offers direct access to Cleveland’s waterfront as well as top quality indoor fitness equipment.The evening began with a tour of Foundry’s fascinating facility. Once the site of the first Catholic Church in Cleveland, the facility has a rich history of businesses that have inhabited the 65,000 square foot facility over time, including The Cleveland Museum of Art. The 65,000 square footprint includes top quality rowing tanks, the longest rowing docks in the world, the oldest tree in the city of Cleveland, a large courtyard capable of hosting 300 people and a building filled with history that has been given new life. As Yelper Vera O. wrote, “We started with a tour of the entire site. This is something I truly loved because the buildings held a cool history and were located in one of the most picturesque spots in Cleveland. The buildings were minimally updated to preserve not only the history but to spend more money where it really counts, the state-of-the-art equipment. “Yelpers wasted no time settling into the indoor rowing facility of the tankhouse, where expert instructor Alyssa led Yelpers in a step-by-step tutorial of proper rowing technique as part of the Rowing for Fitness class. A typical adult Rowing for Fitness class is one hour long and is open to beginners as well as seasoned rowers. Rowing for Fitness is open to the public and welcomes all skill levels, and typically 60% of participants are first timers. As Yelp Elite Michelle K. wrote, “Alyssa, our instructor, was great!  She was very informative and passionate about her job! The first thing I learned about rowing is that its all in the legs! Who knew? She also taught us the proper technique to row and how to row in-sync with our fellow Yelpers!”After completing the tutorial portion, Yelpers were challenged to row with instructor led drills designed to encourage synchronization and a healthy workout. As Jessica S. wrote, “Our group all got to sit at a station in an indoor facility with a unique rowing simulator, lining us up along water lines as if we’re ready to set off down the river! We got an introduction to the rowing technique and put it into practice with drills.”The evening concluded with a new appreciation for the art of rowing. As Yelp Elite Michelle K. described again, “If it wasn’t for you [Yelp] I would keep driving by this place, wondering what it’s all about, and never go in.  Thank you to The Foundry for welcoming us into your facility and being so kind! I’ll definitely be coming back here to try out one of their workout classes, which is only $15! If I could look half as good as our instructor Alyssa does, I’ll be here all the time to workout.”

Check out the outstanding reviews and photos here. For more information about the Yelp Cleveland Elite Squad, visit yelp.com/elite.

For information on upcoming Rowing for Fitness classes at The Foundry visit here.

Special thanks to our sponsors:
The Foundry • Elizabeth Sturm Photography