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295:'s uncanny successes was not that he rowed a longer stroke, but rather that he used his legs to great effect during the stroke. He was also an advocate of fitting longer slides into boats to better allow the use of the legs. Fairbairn's observations led him to develop a revolutionary rowing style featuring concurrent use of the legs, back and arms at the catch.
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However, others felt
Fairbairnism to be anathema to the principles of the "English Orthodox" style. To those observers, Fairbairn's crews rowed sloppily. The schism between "Orthodoxy" and "Fairbairnism" had largely disappeared from rowing by the 1940s. Fairbairn's books were collected, and reprinted in 1951 and again in 1990.
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with strong views and great charisma. Opinions of him and his methods tended to be extreme. Fairbairn corresponded widely and wrote four volumes on coaching, and his views were therefore adopted by many coaches across the globe. In the 1920s and 1930s, many coaches followed his lead completely.
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He also coached that crews should not focus unduly on positioning their bodies according to rigid rules but should instead concentrate on the movement of the blade, creating an easy, flowing movement. His philosophy was that rowing, when done well, should be a sublimely enjoyable experience.
355:" (known colloquially as "Fairbairns") is the annual race held on the first Thursday and Friday after the end of the University of Cambridge's Michaelmas Full Term (typically early in December). The race is organised by Jesus College Boat Club in Cambridge.
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All of these features of his coaching are referred to as "Fairbairnism". There is continuing debate among rowing coaches and historians as to whether
Fairbairnism better describes a style of rowing or philosophy of coaching.
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A bronze bust of
Fairbairn by George Drinkwater is the winner's trophy for the Head of the River Race. In 2010 Fairbairn was inducted into the Rowing Victoria Hall of Fame.
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Fairbairn was a strong believer in the benefits of distance training; part of his philosophy was that "mileage makes champions". As such he developed the concept of the
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Fairbairn was an early proponent of training his crews to slide in their seats to facilitate leg-drive. He had realised that the secret to world-champion sculler
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185:. His father, born in Scotland, was a wealthy grazier with significant pastoral holdings and married the daughter of his business partner
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405:, the Mile Post is a formal intermediate timing point, and it marks one mile from the finish of the Head of the River Race.
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Fairbairn married
Eleanor Sharwood daughter of Sydney Sharwood, on 18 November 1891 at Toorak, Melbourne, Victoria.
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247:. He also won the hammer throwing and putting the weight at the Freshmen's sports for Jesus College. He rowed for
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hangs in the college. A duplicate of the Quinn portrait hangs in Thames Rowing Club's Putney clubhouse.
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393:. This memorial, a stone obelisk popularly known as the Mile Post, is exactly one mile from the
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730:, Easter 1925; 'Obituary', Times (London), 17 May 1938, p 18; Geelong Grammar School Archives
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726:, May 1921, May 1926, Dec 1932, Aug 1938, Oct 1974, June 1975; Jesus College Cambridge,
378:, 16 May 1938. His ashes rest beneath the shadow of Jesus College chapel. A portrait by
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After university
Fairbairn's senior club rowing was from the Thames Rowing Club in
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A memorial to
Fairbairn is situated on the southern bank of the Thames between
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208:. He topped his leaving year in mathematics and was a senior school prefect.
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in the early decades of the 20th century, and founded the prestigious
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Five of
Fairbairn's brothers, including future Australian MP
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Secher, Niels H.; Volianitis, Stefanos (8 April 2009).
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and later while conducting post-graduate studies in
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The
Handbook of Sports Medicine and Science: Rowing
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235:, he rowed to success in the Cambridge University
200:, where he took up rowing and was regarded a good
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439:won a silver medal in the 1908 Summer Olympics.
367:Mile Post commemorating Steve Fairbairn on the
35:Steve Fairbairn memorial bust on the Mile Post
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486:List of Cambridge University Boat Race crews
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335:, for men's eights held annually since on
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784:People educated at Geelong Grammar School
714:(Lond, 1960); Geelong Grammar School (1)
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510:"Fairbairn, Stephen (Steve) (1862â1938)"
508:Michael D. de B. Collins Persse (1981).
170:Fairbairn was born on 25 August 1862 in
704:The Jesus College, Cambridge, Boat Club
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427:and was a financier who originated the
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759:Cambridge University Boat Club rowers
712:A History of Jesus College, Cambridge
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138:(25 August 1862 â 16 May 1938) was a
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710:, 1931â40; A. Gray and F. Brittain,
397:end of the Championship Course. In
142:and an influential rowing coach at
754:Alumni of Jesus College, Cambridge
688:Australian Dictionary of Biography
572:Dictionary of Australian Biography
16:British-Australian rower and coach
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686:Additional sources listed by the
461:Some Secrets of Successful Rowing
779:Stewards of Henley Royal Regatta
708:Dictionary of National Biography
799:Sportsmen from Victoria (state)
706:, 1827-1962 (Cambridge, 1962);
620:"Fairbairn, Stephen (FRBN881S)"
514:Fairbairn, Stephen (1862â1938)
174:. He was the son of Virginia (
124:Cambridge University Boat Club
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624:A Cambridge Alumni Database
423:competed as a rower in the
202:Australian rules footballer
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626:. University of Cambridge.
243:, where they won the 1885
192:Fairbairn was educated at
643:. John Wiley & Sons.
194:Wesley College, Melbourne
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598:Patterson, Scott (2019)
217:Jesus College, Cambridge
702:(Cambridge, 1928), and
669:Jesus College Boat Club
575:. Angus & Robertson
337:The Championship Course
331:In 1926 he founded the
229:Jesus College Boat Club
144:Jesus College Boat Club
120:Jesus College Boat Club
769:Australian male rowers
469:(autobiography), 1931.
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333:Head of the River Race
198:Geelong Grammar School
160:Head of the River Race
794:Rowers from Melbourne
602:, Hardie Grant Books
437:George Eric Fairbairn
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567:"Fairbairn, Stephen"
431:. Their second son,
425:1924 Summer Olympics
320:Training methodology
241:Henley Royal Regatta
227:Fairbairn rowed for
148:Cambridge University
41:Personal information
764:British male rowers
722:, 1877â80, and (3)
718:, 1875â76, and (2)
665:"The Fairbairn Cup"
369:Championship Course
245:Grand Challenge Cup
233:Jesus College crews
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520:. pp. 459â460
467:Fairbairn of Jesus
374:Fairbairn died in
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156:London Rowing Club
152:Thames Rowing Club
128:Thames Rowing Club
419:Their eldest son
353:The Fairbairn Cup
311:Fairbairn was an
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89:(1938-05-16)
72:31 July 1862
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749:1938 deaths
744:1862 births
728:Chanticlere
600:The Oarsmen
542:|work=
391:Hammersmith
380:James Quinn
237:bumps races
87:16 May 1938
78:, Australia
54:Nationality
738:Categories
674:21 January
492:References
429:unit trust
313:iconoclast
293:Ned Hanlan
287:Philosophy
166:Early life
68:1862-07-31
720:Quarterly
579:31 August
544:ignored (
534:cite book
524:31 August
349:River Cam
326:head race
307:Influence
253:Boat Race
249:Cambridge
206:cricketer
162:in 1925.
97:, England
565:(1949).
480:See also
359:Memorial
475:, 1934.
463:, 1930.
457:, 1929.
451:, 1926.
339:on the
251:in the
57:British
724:Corian
716:Annual
647:
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395:Putney
387:Putney
376:London
345:London
276:London
213:George
196:, and
181:) and
111:Rowing
95:London
255:, in
140:rower
108:Sport
103:Sport
676:2023
645:ISBN
604:ISBN
581:2007
546:help
526:2007
401:and
389:and
269:1887
267:and
265:1886
261:1883
259:and
257:1882
239:and
204:and
154:and
116:Club
84:Died
62:Born
518:MUP
351:. "
343:in
177:nÊe
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