David Blaine blames Safety People for his failure

[jome]

Well, I hope we see him in competition.

I have no reason to doubt those times. For someone extremely fit, a lot of will power and lucky genetics, time and resources to train and a trainer who knows what they're doing, certainly possible! All true for David.

I remember reading somewhere that Sebastien Murat reached over 7 minutes on was it the first or third try or something? And put that down to being extremely fit...Of course with all the legends and rumours conserning him, who knows

But I do remember from my own training that I went from 4 minutes to 7 with few months of training...And I was not fit at all at the time, just very persistent...

 

[icarus pacific]

Regardless...

Sven, I beg to differ.

Fine by me. See also Jay's post.

The thing is, and this goes out to everybody, is with clowns like Blaine and the drama that Kirk/krew decided to join, people are going to decide that what may have been a genuine, real, quasi dangerous and dare I say a spiritual endevour is now all about just seeing how long you can hold your breath and possibly deny themselves the experience. I mean you don't get real thrilled about a sport after seeing some guy in slacks and a catheter being held up by a couple of players in Zissou-suits. :hmm

And these people are missing the very large picture, that there is much, much more to it. And some people are going to get hurt, and then when the numbers get high enough, (and you know it doesn't take many), then the Feds and the insurance people get their mitts in the pile and then we have more regulations and oversights. I for one got into this because it was a solitary thing free of Big Brother and discovered that I was being overseen by the Big Guy. Eh, Jay?

What this crap condones will backfire on us like the motorcycle helmet law(s).



PS... Mark, check your emails in a minute.

 

[Fondueset]

I don't think it was a bad thing - as long as we don't get on about it too much...

Publicity is allways double-edged.

As for DB blaming anyone - well it smacks of headline sensationalism if you ask me. He may have thought they pulled him out early - but that is not the same as Blame - it's not an exact science. I mean what are you gonna do - wait till he quits twitching? I'm sure he knows that too.

There is something to be said for diving under the wire - maybe that belongs over in the PADI type certification thread...

 

[Mark Laboccetta]

I think you guys make valid points, I know that if you declare you fly,skydive, or SCUBA dive on your life insurance policy your premiums go way up and maybe freediving is next, although its going to be hard to enforce and define between snorkeling/freediving.

Mark

 

[Fondueset]

Freediver Eats Family, Self!

Lets start a bunch of rumours to keep people away from the sport!
"Male Freediver Gives Birth to Spiney Lobster"
"Scientific Article: Freediving may lead to the development of Fish-Like facial features"

We could also target certain demographics - I say we start with rednecks

"Freediving found to create 'Gay DNA' in rabbits"

 

[BennyB]

although its going to be hard to enforce and define between snorkeling/freediving.

About 40m should do it

I said a while ago in the other thread that the most famous freediver in the world was Kirk Krack because he was on the cover of most of the newspapers in the world that day. Well, a photo of him was in an AOL conference today, so now he's in my workplace too. The speakers were discussing the definition of immersion and they showed a photo of Kirk over the top of the sphere looking down on Blaine.

 

[Lehmann108]

If Blaine is truly blaming his safety people for his failed attempt-one word-"punk."rofl

 

[ramstam]

I think you guys make valid points, I know that if you declare you fly,skydive, or SCUBA dive on your life insurance policy your premiums go way up and maybe freediving is next, although its going to be hard to enforce and define between snorkeling/freediving.

Mark

My life ins. agent already had freediving excluded from policies three years ago.

 

[efattah]

Kirk & Mandy's own effort at promotion in Canada resulted in a documentary about the 2003 CAFA Nationals by CBC (biggest station in Canada). Both Mandy and Tom had bad blackouts at that competition that were shown in the documentary. This created a much better documentary than the film crew ever had imagined. It was aired daily for months, and it seems half the country saw it -- friends getting calls from the other side of Canada saying they saw it, etc....

One problem -- CAFA's insurance company also saw it, and upon seeing the shocking nature of the sport, they immediately revoked CAFA's insurance. This led to a huge and fruitless search for another provider.

This documentary produced, in my opinion, more awareness about the sport in Canada than all previous publicity stunts combined. It also created a big problem, the loss of CAFA's insurance.

Publicity is always a double edged sword .... not much way around it.

 

[fcallagy]

Guys, all I can do is remind you you're debating a TELEVISION SHOW.

It's like having a symposium on the Sublatent Endocognitive Misogyny in Elmer Fudd's Antipathic Dysphonia Toward Dat Wabbit.

A huge television show, to be sure, and one seen ( and still talked about ) all over this blue planet, but a TV show just the same. Entertainment employing aquatic themes.

Now, to serious matters - does Elmer use semtex or C4 when he tries to blow up Dat Wabbit ? Given the well-known difference in the expansion velocities of these two explosives, I'd have to go with the semtex.
P Kotik cracks me up.


I thought when asked by the interviewer that a wry smile past between Mandy and Martin when asked about the current record holder (Tom) and Blaines ability to pass it so I reckon despit what they may say publicly I,m sure they don,t stand over it as any thing other than a stunt ( imho). If they saw this as legitimate attempt why would they have their own records scutinized ? I,m sure they had to sign confidentiality clauses etc as part of their deal and Kirk got great publicity out of it deservedly so.

 

[icarus pacific]

Guys, all I can do is remind you you're debating a TELEVISION SHOW. Now, to serious matter.

This is a serious matter Sunshine.

When you consider how most if not all people, at least over here, get their info and how younger people develop their opinions, putting this crap on TV does no one any good. Yeah, maybe the advertisers, but I seriously think that PFD lessened themselves.

 

[jimqpublic]

You guys are the only ones who still remember David Blaine. TV is back to Paris Hilton, Brittany Spears, etc. coverage. (What, you wouldn't expect them to cover news or the state of our government would you?)

I've mentioned to a bunch of people my upcoming PFI class. On several occassions I've mentioned that PFI is the squad that acted as David Blaine's safety divers. In every instance I got a blank stare. Then I said- "You know, the magician in the fishbowl from the TV show?" and some of them vaguely recall the event. Apnea had its 7 minutes of fame. Now back to Paris.

 

[Spaniard]

I'd like to see Paris Hilton and Ms Spears in a big clear bowl, free-necking. I reckon I'll still remember that long after it's over.

 

[fcallagy]

Hi Sven,
I know where your copming from but it was a stunt imho not an attempt on the record and the fact that Blaine is blaming his safety team for pulling him out early proves that I think. We could surely say the same for any stunts seen on TV and some kid somewhere is going to try and attempt to some degree. I really hope no one tries too hard with out the info but i have already seen one attempt in my local pool. Like Jim said I think its had its 15 mins of fame but I don,t think it shed PFI in a bad light but thats only an opinion. as to the two lassies in the fish bowl give them both a speargun and see which one is the fastest at working out how to use it.

 

[ramstam]

I think any light is good light. Tanya (I refer to her as if we have met FTF, but we have not) has done a great job getting into the minds of the masses. People like Eric (again I have never met FTF) support the sport with attitude and knowledge. I wish the people that really "live the life" would garner more press time. With my weak skills and a phone call I made the full front page of the local paper, so they want us.
I have to say that Anabel and Bill Briseno are the best quality people that I have ever met that are living the "ocean life". Further they make my top 5 role models for living a good life.

 

[Jay Styron]

Hey, easy w/ the demographics remarks. I've been told I resemble a redneck from a distance....
IMO the only thing DB's stunt has to do w/ us is he did it in water. He could of just as easily had his little fishbowl filled w/ CO(that's carbon monoxide), do his breathups on a hooka rig, spit it out and waited. We'd know pretty soon if he cheated. OK, for the mammalian reflex, stick his head in a bucket of ice water.
Other than that, this is a guy trying to hold his breath as a STUNT. Not to mention a large cash pay out. I also think what seperates this, is his history. He doesn't have any, bingo. I don't recall hearing his name come up in any recent comps. It's not like he's been competeing w/ some of the people that are internationally recognized. Correct me if I'm wrong. To me it has to be a way of life, beit a large or small part. I would guess a majority of the folks that enter apnea comps in the static breath hold catagory also enter and participate in the other catagories. And do it for little to no money. It's one thing if some no name person shows up at a comp to compete, totally another when their debue is on national television.
OK, my last rant on this. The moniker "Aquanaut" for DB. I'm sure this was thought up by his PR team. Although technically correct-to an extent. He's not in the truest sense of the word. I know Sven is through commercial sat.diving and I'm not sure about Eric and there's probably others on here. I am through research sat. diving. We do it to accomplish a task. Not to show endurance. You want an example of endurance: Me not maiming/killing any tourist this past weekend as they flooded our fair city and beaches.
OK, enough. Holding his breath for 7ish minutes was commendable and I applaud him for that. Let's just not be so eager to let him in the gates of our community. Remeber the Trojan Rabbit..., uh horse, yea I meant Trojan horse.
Jay

 

[DEEP BLUE]

In this interview David says "The handcuffs was really a bad idea on my part."
From the "Good Morning America" Television Show on May 10, 2006

LINK

 

[Erik]

I'd like to see Paris Hilton and Ms Spears in a big clear bowl, free-necking. I reckon I'll still remember that long after it's over.

I'd like to see them chained down for a long dive on a short breathe-up.
Waste of O2, especially Ms. Hilton. At least Spears DOES something
I watched the PPView UFC Hughes vs Gracie the other night: the camera panned the audience and showed Paris sitting, looking at her Blackberry (Crackberry we call them here). The audience booed as she was shown on the big screen inside the stadium rofl
Erik Y.

 

[Fondueset]

It's 'interesting' how readily alot of us buy into the subject line of this thread.
Goes to how suggestible we are. That's why guys like Karl Rove here in the states do so well...

 

[icarus pacific]

From DB to Karl Rove??

I'm missing the allusion to Karl Rove. It might be my public school background or the helium dulling me, but then I have to believe that Karl spells it a space lot. :ycard

By the way, I missed a 12-14 pound lincod yesterday. I'm blaming it on the lack of a safety team. rofl