Students first began rowing at Dartmouth in 1833 and it has since grown to be the most popular sport at Dartmouth, with over 200 participating. Dartmouth's first professional coach was the legendary professional oarsman, John Biglin, who was also the subject of many Thomas Eakins paintings from that era. Today, the Dartmouth Rowing Club consists of three varsity programs: Men's Heavyweight, Men's Lightweight, and Women's Open-weight. The men's teams compete in the Eastern Association of Rowing Colleges (EARC) while the women's team competes in the Eastern Association of Women's Rowing Colleges (EAWRC).