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Ground Breaking Technology Improving Athletes' Efficiency and Boat Speed

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Boothwyn, PA - August 12, 2016

Boothwyn, PA, August 12, 2016 – Nielsen-Kellerman (NK), in partnership with Bio Row, is proud to announce a breakthrough training tool for the sport of rowing -- the Empower Oarlock.  The Empower Oarlock offers athletes and coaches the insight and feedback to train more effectively and row more efficiently in both sweep and sculling.  The Empower Oarlock promises to increase speed in boats of all sizes. Equipped with Bluetooth® low energy, the Empower Oarlock wirelessly communicates real-time data to NK’s SpeedCoach GPS 2 with Training Pack.

The Empower Oarlock offers rowers ease of use and simple presentation of stroke biomechanic data at an affordable price.  Installation of this new product is as simple as replacing a standard oarlock, and requires only basic rigging equipment found in every coach’s tool bag. Once installed on the boat, the Empower Oarlock quantifies technique through measurements of catch and finish angles, slip and wash, and peak force location. Effort is quantified through measurements of force, work per stroke and power. These measurements are updated with every stroke and displayed in real time on a wirelessly paired SpeedCoach GPS 2, which can be located in the rower’s view in the boat, or with the coach in the launch depending on the goals of the session.

The Empower Oarlock is the result of a collaboration between NK and Valery Kleshnev, founder and director of BioRow, a leading rowing biomechanics research and consultancy firm known for producing both in-depth rowing technique analysis and dozens of medals in international competitions. NK and Kleshnev have worked together closely since 2014 to merge NK’s industry-leading rugged rowing technology and user-friendly operation with BioRow’s approaches to measuring and quantifying complex rowing biomechanics. The Empower Oarlock has been tested by rowers of varying skill levels and has proven to be equally helpful to novices learning the basics of rowing and national team athletes fine-tuning their skills in preparation of the most important row of their career.

“The Empower Oarlock is good motivation.  You immediately see your efforts reflected.  It makes rowing more intellectual, conscious, better control,” said Valery Kleshnev, Founder of Bio Row.  “What we feel is very different from what we really do.  This measurement tool is objective.  It shows you what you are doing, force, power and angles.”

“It is always exciting to release a new product.  The Empower Oarlock is special to me because I have been a coach for 15 years, and I can see how helpful this product will be to coaches and athletes,” said Michael Naughton, Director of Product Management at Nielsen-Kellerman.  “We have developed a product that is going to change the way we talk about rowing. I saw this happen 20 years ago when we launched the SpeedCoach because it made speed measurements accessible to everyone.  Now I see that happening all over again with the angle and force measurements, and how having ready access to that knowledge will increase the speed of the boat. I think this is just the tip of the iceberg.  It will be very interesting to see how coaches will use these measurements to improve their coaching and their crews. But, I also believe athletes training without a coach will be able to use the Empower Oarlock right out of the box to improve their consistency and ability to take those elusive good strokes again and again.”

The Empower Oarlock will be available for both sweep and sculling, and ready to ship in Fall 2016.  NK is currently taking pre-orders online. Payment will not be due until the product is ready to ship. Empower Oarlock will retail for $649.00 with discounts available for the SpeedCoach GPS 2 when purchased with Empower Oarlock.

About Nielsen-Kellerman
For more than 35 years, Nielsen-Kellerman has been known worldwide for its waterproof speed measurement, timing, and audio systems for competitive rowers and other water sport athletes. Every NK product is designed, developed, built, tested and supported entirely in the USA. NK is proud to be both a recognized leader in Lean Manufacturing and process improvement and an award-winning top workplace. For more information, visit www.nkhome.com.


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