The chart shows not just sports results but legacy, pressure, and pride — each crew inherits the position from the previous year’s team. The bumpers (winners) get to pick green leaves from the Cam and row back with a green crown. The ‘bumpees’… well they do the bare headed ‘row of shame’ #MayBumps
beautifully hand-drawn “Bumps Chart” from Cambridge University, depicting the results of the May Bumps rowing races from 1919 to 1931. These charts are a tradition in Cambridge rowing, visually representing how college boat crews moved up or down in rank over the years. • Vertical columns = the years (June races, 1919–1931). • Horizontal rows = the crew rankings in each year (1st place at the top, lower ranks at the bottom). • Coloured lines = the journey of each college’s boat across the years — they rise when a crew gains positions (by “bumping” the boat ahead), and fall when they lose ground. • On the far left and right: the crew names at the beginning and end of the timeline. • The note about 1920 shows that a third division was added that year due to an increase in participating teams.
This chart shows college rankings in the #MayBumps from 1919 to 1931. Imagine being in the @caiuscollege.bsky.social crew that climbed 12 places between 1921–25 — or in the Trinity boat that dropped 11 between 1920–22. Every rower feels the weight of inherited position… and the drive to climb.🏆
Cambridge May Bumps this week (don’t ask why in June…), where rowing crews line up 1.5 lengths apart & on cannon blast attempt to hit each other (a bump). Bump up every day &win a blade (full sized oar). Here’s mine. It means whenever I move house I need a wall long enough for it 😆 #maybumps #rowing
Ducks and ducklings just getting in with life…
#Cambridge #MayBumps
(Don’t ask why ‘May’…)
Canons at the ready, it's that time of year again! 💜🚣♂️💜
May Bumps kicks off today, with a total of five King's crews (three men's and two women's) competing across the week!
Follow all the action on the CUCBC website or by listening live on CamFM.
#KCBC #MayBumps #Rowing #CambridgeUniversity
