Events over the past 3 years make it clear that it's perhaps time for Apnea to take a hard, honest look in the mirror. Concessions have to be made, truth has to be admitted - not least of which is the growing sense that 'organised' depth competition is perhaps not ready or mature enough for mass participation and media scrutiny. It certainly doesn't seem ready for consumption by the non-freediving public. I am as passionate about the sport as anyone, but I'm sorry: no sensible person, freediver or not, can take pleasure or learn much that is interesting or good from witnessing a significant percentage of competitors at an event effectively 'drowning', convulsing or coughing up blood in the name of 'sport'. No, something is wrong here. There's also no shortage of irony.
As freedivers we all tend to feel (and never seem shy to publicly pronounce) apnea as being 'pure'; that it should be 'aspirational' to non-participants and that it can take us to a deeper consciousness and occupies a 'special place' in the world of sport. Well it seems to me that the evidence strongly contradicts this mindset, at least in the realm of organised depth competition. I realise this opinion won't go down too well, but let's step back a little and consider a few aspects that have bearing on my argument:
1. WE DON'T KNOW ENOUGH (NOT YET ANYWAY)
Apnea stands virtually alone amongst tests of human capability in the extreme nature of the physiological changes it triggers in participants. No other sport I'm aware of makes such deep, not to mention obscure, demands on its top exponents; elite apneists are expected to force their DNA to enter a time machine and 'remember' an ancient reflex - right down to the cellular level - in order to execute (ie survive) a maximal effort. So far so good, but in organized competition we expect these athletes to do this AGAINST one another 'on demand' and under conditions of extreme mental and (as in Cyprus recently) environmental stress. If medical discovery has made apnea 'cough up' many of its secrets, then why are its most informed elite competitors coughing up blood in public? That the sport's cognoscenti could muse in Cyprus, post fact, about the 'surprising' effects of executing maximal dives 'early in the day' after a third of the competitors blacked out in a single discipline, means you surely don't need me to suggest that we might not be ready for the Big Time yet. The unique adaptations required, combined with the fact that blackout-failure or even an out of control samba in a depth discipline technically IMPLIES drowning and death to most external observers, just compound the problem. Think about it for a second: who in their right mind would wish to follow - let alone learn more about or participate in - an activity that showcases itself in this way?
2. APNEA IS NOT LIKE OTHER SPORT
An argument I've come up against is that 'many other mainstream sports involve serious injury or risk of death, so why pick on Apnea?' The usual suspects are typically rock climbing, skydiving, motor racing, freestyle moto-x and extreme skiing. Sorry, once again, but Apnea is different and all these are convenient red herrings for apneists either unwilling or unable to see the wood for the trees. But I'll play along, so let's take them one by one:
Competition climbing does exist, but under strictly controlled, safe conditions where the consequences of 'failure' are benign. Of course climbers do compete fiercely for reputation and individual sponsorship outside of the organised competition format, but in this realm it is not an organised competitive sport but rather a way of life. That said, free solo climbing perhaps offers the best analog for apnea because each freedive is in effect a 'negative free-solo'. Tell me then: would YOU like to attend a 'world individual free solo climbing championships'? If so then best you take tranquilizers (for yourself) and a big helmet.
Skydivers also compete, but its an equipment-intensive, coordination-driven sport where gravity does most of the work. Can you recall an incident where a third of all skydivers smacked into the ground in competition in full view of the grandstand? There is, of course, wingsuit flying - also a better analog for apnea - but it's never been promoted as an organised competition because... well that's obvious, isn't it.
Motor racing is also competitive and dangerous, but maximally equipment-intensive with many layers of built-in safety in the modern era. In turn Freestyle MX, while also an equipment-intensive, skill-based sport, enjoys the inherent benefit of having most of its 'dirty laundry' washed far away from the public view on the test track or beneath padded clothing. And the same can be said for extreme mountain skiing.
3. 'CULTURAL' DISSONANCE
Cognitive dissonance is the ability to simultaneously hold 2 opposing beliefs. I think Apnea might be suffering from this as we collectively, in our own different ways, work towards bringing it into the mainstream. In apnea the dissonance relates to culture: as I alluded to above virtually every apneist I've ever met will, at some point, extol (the legitimate) virtues of the sport: natural, peaceful, wholesome, generous, healthy; a sport that that seeks, in its basic ethos, to place 'the moment' and intensity of inner sensations above raw performance; a gateway to self-awareness. Now try square this with Nick Mevoli, Cyprus 2015 and the countless other competition divers who keep blacking out or surreptitiously spit into their hand to check for blood post-dive and then ask yourself: given the limits of our knowledge and the highly individual and, more importantly, NON-LINEAR relationship between training, personal development and performance in apnea, is this a sport that's ready to take its place alongside others on the public stage? Of course it CAN. But should it?
So after all this ...and if you're still reading... you're probably wondering whether I have a solution to propose. No I don't. I'm cynical enough to know that nothing I say will convince AIDA and many (if not most) freedivers that lining up a bunch of head-strong, highly motivated individuals on a given day and asking them to 'show what they're made of' so they can prove that they're a 'better' diver than someone else ON THAT DAY - just so we can hand them a medal - might be a bad idea. So no solution I'm afraid, but I do have an opinion and it is this: if we listen carefully, and humbly, to what I believe the the science of Apnea has been TRYING to suggest to us, which is that the activity is perhaps too individual, too physiologically obscure and complex - too fickle - to sustain the level of organised competition and sponsorship our sport's Organizational Heads seem to be striving for, particularly in the depth disciplines. Don't get me wrong: I wholly support the pursuit of personal, national and world record attempts. I also believe that our best athletes are beacons - lighthouses - of human potential in every respect and they should be supported. But rather than facilitating a platform where individuals pit themselves against one another in - sorry again - what appears to be a manifestly counterproductive way, AIDA should perhaps direct its efforts towards assisting rare individual talent in raising sponsorship and achieving milestones safely, away from the pressures and hollowness of organized depth competition and the public eye.
Finally, please understand that I don't mean to take anything away from competition athletes - they freely choose to participate, and it is their right to do so. But let us also then make an effort to call things by their proper names. A pillar of the field of neuro-linguistic programming states that 'the result of a communication IS its meaning, irrespective of its intent'. Right now organised depth competition is proving itself to be more of a STUNT than a legitimate sporting event in the general sense, and the presence of safety divers doesn't fool anyone. Even a child understands that each blackout is nothing less than death, cheated. It looks scary, and its ugly; the safeties merely provide a little lipstick. I'm not sure if this the right way to showcase our beautiful sport.
Apnea Instructor (AA) South Africa
As freedivers we all tend to feel (and never seem shy to publicly pronounce) apnea as being 'pure'; that it should be 'aspirational' to non-participants and that it can take us to a deeper consciousness and occupies a 'special place' in the world of sport. Well it seems to me that the evidence strongly contradicts this mindset, at least in the realm of organised depth competition. I realise this opinion won't go down too well, but let's step back a little and consider a few aspects that have bearing on my argument:
1. WE DON'T KNOW ENOUGH (NOT YET ANYWAY)
Apnea stands virtually alone amongst tests of human capability in the extreme nature of the physiological changes it triggers in participants. No other sport I'm aware of makes such deep, not to mention obscure, demands on its top exponents; elite apneists are expected to force their DNA to enter a time machine and 'remember' an ancient reflex - right down to the cellular level - in order to execute (ie survive) a maximal effort. So far so good, but in organized competition we expect these athletes to do this AGAINST one another 'on demand' and under conditions of extreme mental and (as in Cyprus recently) environmental stress. If medical discovery has made apnea 'cough up' many of its secrets, then why are its most informed elite competitors coughing up blood in public? That the sport's cognoscenti could muse in Cyprus, post fact, about the 'surprising' effects of executing maximal dives 'early in the day' after a third of the competitors blacked out in a single discipline, means you surely don't need me to suggest that we might not be ready for the Big Time yet. The unique adaptations required, combined with the fact that blackout-failure or even an out of control samba in a depth discipline technically IMPLIES drowning and death to most external observers, just compound the problem. Think about it for a second: who in their right mind would wish to follow - let alone learn more about or participate in - an activity that showcases itself in this way?
2. APNEA IS NOT LIKE OTHER SPORT
An argument I've come up against is that 'many other mainstream sports involve serious injury or risk of death, so why pick on Apnea?' The usual suspects are typically rock climbing, skydiving, motor racing, freestyle moto-x and extreme skiing. Sorry, once again, but Apnea is different and all these are convenient red herrings for apneists either unwilling or unable to see the wood for the trees. But I'll play along, so let's take them one by one:
Competition climbing does exist, but under strictly controlled, safe conditions where the consequences of 'failure' are benign. Of course climbers do compete fiercely for reputation and individual sponsorship outside of the organised competition format, but in this realm it is not an organised competitive sport but rather a way of life. That said, free solo climbing perhaps offers the best analog for apnea because each freedive is in effect a 'negative free-solo'. Tell me then: would YOU like to attend a 'world individual free solo climbing championships'? If so then best you take tranquilizers (for yourself) and a big helmet.
Skydivers also compete, but its an equipment-intensive, coordination-driven sport where gravity does most of the work. Can you recall an incident where a third of all skydivers smacked into the ground in competition in full view of the grandstand? There is, of course, wingsuit flying - also a better analog for apnea - but it's never been promoted as an organised competition because... well that's obvious, isn't it.
Motor racing is also competitive and dangerous, but maximally equipment-intensive with many layers of built-in safety in the modern era. In turn Freestyle MX, while also an equipment-intensive, skill-based sport, enjoys the inherent benefit of having most of its 'dirty laundry' washed far away from the public view on the test track or beneath padded clothing. And the same can be said for extreme mountain skiing.
3. 'CULTURAL' DISSONANCE
Cognitive dissonance is the ability to simultaneously hold 2 opposing beliefs. I think Apnea might be suffering from this as we collectively, in our own different ways, work towards bringing it into the mainstream. In apnea the dissonance relates to culture: as I alluded to above virtually every apneist I've ever met will, at some point, extol (the legitimate) virtues of the sport: natural, peaceful, wholesome, generous, healthy; a sport that that seeks, in its basic ethos, to place 'the moment' and intensity of inner sensations above raw performance; a gateway to self-awareness. Now try square this with Nick Mevoli, Cyprus 2015 and the countless other competition divers who keep blacking out or surreptitiously spit into their hand to check for blood post-dive and then ask yourself: given the limits of our knowledge and the highly individual and, more importantly, NON-LINEAR relationship between training, personal development and performance in apnea, is this a sport that's ready to take its place alongside others on the public stage? Of course it CAN. But should it?
So after all this ...and if you're still reading... you're probably wondering whether I have a solution to propose. No I don't. I'm cynical enough to know that nothing I say will convince AIDA and many (if not most) freedivers that lining up a bunch of head-strong, highly motivated individuals on a given day and asking them to 'show what they're made of' so they can prove that they're a 'better' diver than someone else ON THAT DAY - just so we can hand them a medal - might be a bad idea. So no solution I'm afraid, but I do have an opinion and it is this: if we listen carefully, and humbly, to what I believe the the science of Apnea has been TRYING to suggest to us, which is that the activity is perhaps too individual, too physiologically obscure and complex - too fickle - to sustain the level of organised competition and sponsorship our sport's Organizational Heads seem to be striving for, particularly in the depth disciplines. Don't get me wrong: I wholly support the pursuit of personal, national and world record attempts. I also believe that our best athletes are beacons - lighthouses - of human potential in every respect and they should be supported. But rather than facilitating a platform where individuals pit themselves against one another in - sorry again - what appears to be a manifestly counterproductive way, AIDA should perhaps direct its efforts towards assisting rare individual talent in raising sponsorship and achieving milestones safely, away from the pressures and hollowness of organized depth competition and the public eye.
Finally, please understand that I don't mean to take anything away from competition athletes - they freely choose to participate, and it is their right to do so. But let us also then make an effort to call things by their proper names. A pillar of the field of neuro-linguistic programming states that 'the result of a communication IS its meaning, irrespective of its intent'. Right now organised depth competition is proving itself to be more of a STUNT than a legitimate sporting event in the general sense, and the presence of safety divers doesn't fool anyone. Even a child understands that each blackout is nothing less than death, cheated. It looks scary, and its ugly; the safeties merely provide a little lipstick. I'm not sure if this the right way to showcase our beautiful sport.
Apnea Instructor (AA) South Africa
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