It was 1989 when Rob Sleamaker, our founder, walked into the American Swim Coaches Association (ASCA) World Clinic with an unconventional new product. It was the Vasa Trainer, a swim bench that unknowingly would change dryland swim training forever. Already an acclaimed exercise physiologist and author, Rob had seen the effects of intensely focused dryland training firsthand with Olympic level Nordic skiers—but would the world’s most respected swim coaches be interested in training their swimmers outside of the pool on such a device?
The answer was a resounding YES. By the end of the conference, we had taken orders—unknowingly from three legendary U.S. Olympic swim coaches—Richard Quick, Nort Thornton and Richard Shoulberg.
By 1992, many athletes on the U.S. swim team were using the Vasa Trainer for dedicated dry-land workouts and for the 1996 the Atlanta Olympics, the U.S. swim team coaches requested Vasa Trainers for the aquatic training area. Our machines have held an honored spot at every Olympic competition since.
At the same time the Vasa swim bench started showing up across the nation, becoming ubiquitous with top-tier swimming programs. Coach Richard Shoulberg of Germantown Academy would dub the poolside row of 9 Vasa Trainers as “Lane Seven”—a dry land extension to their 6-lane pool.
Our philosophy from the start has been simple. Make great products that yield excellent results for those that use them. If an athlete or coach has the desire to excel, we share a common goal with them. That is a bond we take seriously.
So even as we’ve gained worldwide recognition among elite competitors, we’ve stayed focused on supporting athletes and coaches at every level.
From Masters swimmers looking to build strength and improve technique, to triathletes striving to reach the next level, we’re in it together. We listen to our customers who use Vasa products everyday and we make improvements based on their feedback. It’s that feedback that helped to make our machines what they are today.
As Rob likes to say, “this isn’t just a product we’ve developed in a void—it’s a true collaboration with customers, designers, engineers and manufacturing.”
Making something right the first time matters. All our Ergs and Trainers are designed and made with attention to detail and quality right here in Vermont. “Made in the USA” is important to us. We have a strong commitment to product integrity and value. That’s why our designers and engineers work closely with local manufacturers who share our commitment to quality.
As long-time athletes and coaches, our passion for pursuing our own fitness goals comes to life in the craftsmanship of every Vasa machine. We take a lot of pride in creating machines that we love to use ourselves.
