Meet the Real ‘Man in the Boat’ That Inspired George Clooney to Honor the 1936 Olympic Team With a Movie

The true story of the University of Washington rowing crew has made it to the big screens, with George Clooney helming it. Titled “The Boys in the Boat,” it follows a team of nine working-class boys who go on to become Great Depression-era Olympic rowers. A cinematic adaptation of Daniel James Brown’s New York Times bestselling book, it is indeed an uplifting narrative, highlighting the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin.

But equally important as the boys in the boat is the phenomenal cedar shell. Steve Chapin, who has phenomenal expertise in the Pocock classic shell building it for the last few decades, has some thoughts to share on the same. Let’s take a look.

Steve Chapin shares insights on Pocock Rowing Shells

Anyone who is acquainted with the “Boys in the Boat” will have an intricate understanding of the Pocock wooden rowing shell. The boat is not simply tagged for sports but blends craft with art and history. Steve Chapin, who is a graduate of White Bear Lake, has an elemental role to play in the sports drama, which saw its release on Christmas.

With a deep-rooted passion for boat building, he has closely studied the expertise of the legendary boat builder George Pocock, or the “Husky Clipper.” George Pocock with his brother established Pocock Racing Shells in Seattle in 1911. Pocock rowing shells are known to be solid yet delicate, featuring a steam-bent cedar hull.

Talking to the White Bear Press about the market for these racing shells, Chapin adds, “it’s a small niche market.” The red cellar shells amount to $20,000. He further adds, “But building boats that George Pocock built on his apparatus, with his tools and his wood, is akin to reproducing a piece of history.” Chapin has been bequeathed with Pocock’s tools and inventories, reproducing the historical skills of Pocock with near perfection. His craftsmanship is deeply appreciated by the connoisseurs who note that he can replicate everything that the shells stand for.

A craft that has never been documented

The release of “Boys in the Boat” is increasing interest and awareness about these rowing shells. Chapin has established his reputation, famous as the master Pocock shell boatbuilder. Talking about the craft, he remarked, “Nothing was ever written down or recorded on how they were built.”

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Working with Pocock and the passing of knowledge in the oral tradition, recreating it in Hollywood was indeed a hefty task. Chapin explained that he was exceptionally pleased with their attention to intricate details. Chapin was part of the advance screening of the movie, and the narrative indeed moved him.

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