David Blaine at TED

[yugyug]

David Blaine: How I held my breath for 17 min | Video on TED.com

nice video of David Blaine discussing his breath hold attempts, quite interesting. Actually, it was for TEDMED so there is a good amount of technical information about freediving.

 

[fcallagy]

i thought it was more like 7min and on or not on o2 etc.

 

[yugyug]

he talks about the 7 minute one as well (where hey may or may not have used O2) but the 17 min referred to in the title is the O2 attempt he did on Oprah.

 

[Kars]

Nice talk, some interesting insights too!

For one it appears that in the first 7' sphere project he wasn't taking O2, and was counting on the fast (no food) effect to carry him to the Tom Sietas' WR of 8'58". The producers' O2 costing chains basically proved a hurdle to high.

The Oprah thing where he did do the O2 17' was a tough one too. Not only because of, as we freedivers know, the position he was in. But also the strain of keeping yourself down while in a very bouyand suit through keeping the feet in the straps at the bottom. What we didn't know was the HR monitor that was loudly giving feedback to David for instance. It's interesting to hear the phases he has gone through during that dive.

Although the last sentence comes out with some emotion, which I don't know weather it's genuine or exacerbated to win the crowds' sympathy.

Interesting good talk, well worth watching also for freedivers!

Maybe with his strength he could try to do a CWT record, or when he's got the money NLT? Off cause he should have true Freediving Judges present that time.

 

[marshallh7]

It's kind of interesting. Moments that approach entertaining. There are a few times in the speech when he accurately presents something that borders on being educational about breathhold training. And I suppose the press he brings to breathhold diving may be worth something.

But something about it pisses me off a little too. I love freediving and seeing someone make a circus act out of it, and then watching others in our community of freedivers latch on to it for the publicity, just doesn't feel authentic to me. Also the fact that he fails at his normal air breathhold attempt and then comes back with an O2 attempt. And he admits through the whole thing he was searching for some magic button method, even implanting an appartus, or breathing chemicals, anything to trick the viewer. So, how can we be sure about his diet, or the 02 he breathed up, or whether he is pumped up on steroids, or anything else. Nothing is sure about the record because he's a magician, not a freediver.

I guess it's cool Blaine made a big show of holding his breath and acting like it almost killed him on Oprah, but in the end, a juiced up magician setting an O2 breathhold record has little, or nothing, to do with the sport, hobby, art of freediving.

Set me straight if you disagree.

 

[Kars]

Just consider the possibility that he actually did want to play fair, I'm sure that even a dozen judges and doping test wouldn't take away the suspicion. Even our non magician Static WR holders have been fervently criticized and pronounced suspicious.

Fact remains mr. Blaine did not ask AIDA judges, hence no AIDA WR.

I think he made a good show out of it, even artistic in my view, and perhaps people have more of an image and appreciation of our abilities and sport. The only thing we need to tell the new newcomers is that we don't use chains and weights or O2 bottles. They already know from DB show that a safety team is vital and a BO not instantly deadly.

I don't clamour for publicity, though when it's in the news I like our love to presented well. Like stated in another tread I prefer a natural growth, not a hype. In fact I don't mind, actually prefer we have a small base of passionate people, and not trend followers, such as scuba and other activities endure.