World Rowing and Salty Lemon Entertainment pave the way for a new era of digitally enhanced Rowing experiences

World Rowing, the international governing body of the sport of Rowing, has announced that Salty Lemon Entertainment, the company that operates “EXR” – an innovative digital application for Indoor Rowing – has joined World Rowing’s Associate programme.

Salty Lemon Entertainment’s vision for EXR to infuse conventional Indoor Rowing workouts with engaging online adventures and experiences aligns with World Rowing’s mission to extend the influence of Rowing and foster a vibrant, connected and globally interacting Indoor Rowing community.

In this context, this new association marks a step forward in leveraging modern technology to redefine the way rowers, but also fitness enthusiasts and the health and recreational sectors affiliate with the sport. It is driven by a shared commitment to harness and further unlock the potential, the popularity and continued growth of Indoor Rowing and the ever evolving digital environment offer.

With its iconic virtual Rowing venues such as some of the World Rowing Championships courses, Boston’s Charles River and Henley-on-Thames, detailed performance statistics and gamified training options, EXR inspires users to spend more time on their Rowing Machines. Rowers can also enjoy the event system, which allows the community to come together and participate in multiple online Rowing events per week where they can train together or directly compete against each other in virtual spaces. 

In the upcoming months, visitors of worldrowing.com and users of the EXR services will be given unique opportunities to share the excitement building up towards the upcoming 2024 World Rowing Indoor Championships presented by Concept2 in Prague, Czechia.

Alfred Campenaerts, CEO of Salty Lemon Entertainment said: “I am delighted to announce that EXR has joined World Rowing’s Associate program. The foundation of our collaborative endeavor is a shared vision of elevating global Indoor Rowing; connecting communities worldwide through coordinated initiatives and streamlined operations. EXR has already had the privilege of collaborating with World Rowing, showcasing Indoor Rowing and Esports related opportunities in the Free-to-Play Zone of the 2023 Olympic Esports Week hosted in Singapore – a significant initial strike within this promising collaboration.” 

Christian Osterode, Head of Broadcast & Marketing at World Rowing, added: “This association is another testament to our commitment to foster a healthy, robust and exciting global Indoor Rowing ecosystem, filled with a rich diversity of experiences and supported by established companies and innovative startups alike. Developing and showcasing (Indoor) Rowing Innovation to the benefit of the millions of current and future Indoor Rowers out there is at the heart of our activities, in particular with a view to the IOC’s most recent announcements regarding its future Esports ambitions.”

In a dynamically progressing digital landscape, World Rowing remains committed to orchestrating the sport’s future. The collaboration with EXR echoes World Rowing’s commitment to extend Rowing’s impact, promote holistic well-being, and explore new avenues to connect the Rowing community.

More recently, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced that they were actively considering the creation of Olympic Esports Games, further demonstrating a belief in the extraordinary growth potential of Esports.

About Salty Lemon Entertainment Ltd.:

Salty Lemon Entertainment is a Belgian game development studio producing EXR, the virtual Indoor Rowing app. EXR immerses rowers into its virtual worlds like Boston’s Charles River and uses gamification elements like challenges to motivate them to row longer and more often. The app offers multiple modes, third-party app integrations and a free trial.

About World Rowing:

Headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland, World Rowing (previously named FISA – from the French “Féderation Internationale des Sociétes d’Aviron) is the international governing body of the sport of Rowing. Empowered by its 159 National Rowing Federation members, World Rowing sets the rules and regulations for the practice of the sport in all its forms, including but not limited to the disciplines of Classic Rowing, Coastal Rowing, and Indoor/Connected Rowing. World Rowing also oversees Para-Rowing, sanctions events and works on coaching education and other matters relating to the sport of Rowing and its development.