Rowperfect designer, Rekers dies

Casper Rekers, a prominent member of the Dutch rowing community and inventor of the Rowperfect rowing machine has died while rowing.

From Hardenberg in the Netherlands, Rekers died of a stroke at the age of 73. An engineer by trade, Rekers invented the Rowperfect after his daughter took up rowing and complained that the rowing machine she was using did not feel like rowing in a boat. Rekers set to work planning to make a one-off for his daughter, Marjolein. When top Dutch sculler, Olympian Frans Goebel asked if he could have one too, it began the development of Rowperfect for the wider rowing market. This was 1988.

Rekers began rowing in 1958 as a student and then moved on to coaching but still continued to row himself. Through this time he was always interested in the equipment used for rowing on and off the water.

Rekers’ influence spread outside of the Netherlands with his Rowperfect ergometer and his passing has left a huge hole throughout much of the rowing world. Rekers will be especially missed by his wife, Willy.

“Cas was independent and intellectual, yet a down-to-earth rower's rower. He saw the great human value that lay in rowing, which grabbed him by the throat in his student days and with which he continued to tussle for almost every day of his life.” – Carl Douglas boat designer and builder.

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