The wow factor

[rxcnc2]

The NL record by Herbert, fantastic as it is to us and
largely ignored as it is by the media (for the moment),
prompts a natural question: what is the future of freediving records?

They are now expensive (large teams, long preparations,
athletes who do almost nothing else other than training in
their lives, serious health risks), and the wow factor
is diminishing. Although Herbert did spice it up with
a whole 30m increase in NL, one might also say it was
"only" one more equalisation from the previous one.
If Stepanek does 80CNF, and it takes the next record
holder what it has taken to add 1 and then another 1 meter,
I have admiration for both but can't really say who
is better. At some point I even have to wonder about
the accuracy of the measurements - a chapter that would
deserve a thread of its own.

Maiorca was a professional pharmacist, running his shop
on weekdays throughout his freediving career. He captured
the popular imagination because someone had predicted the
human body would crush at -50 and he did -51. Somehow,
they had forgotten that Staggis (sp?) the greek sponge
diver, was doing -70m decades before. There was the
great fascination of the "challenge" with Mayol, there
was Big Blue.
Umberto and Pipin were the next two. After that, for the
media it's just a blurred picture: record here, record
there. They want to focus on the superlative, they don't
care if someone did it with fins or without. They wake
up if someone dies, but let's not go there.

Stavros made the point quite well: on the day after the
NL record, the greek newspapers were featuring "another"
diving story, and who cares if it was with or without
scuba. And Alki made it clear how difficult it is to
have big networks involved.

Me, I support Wolle's suggestion: from now on, records
only in competitions. Either regular ones, or Monaco-like
organized events.

Those who need media and sponsors may have to think
about new ways to get the headlines. Maybe they have to
start acting more out of the water: appear on TV, maybe
have their own talk-show. Maybe do a stunt in the pool
with oxygen, maybe a show-dive with a dolphin or a
shark, maybe rescue a poor damsel in distress.
Perhaps if Herbert really does 1,000 feet it will catch
attention, provided it doesn't happen in a time warp.
But for the rest: 85CNF, 115 CW, 150VWT: nobody will
notice apart from our community and the local newspaper.

What does it take for the next big wow?
Andrea

 

[CEngelbrecht]

I'm still dreaming of a series of well-organized world comps (world championships, world cup, Nice Open, BIOS Cyprus, etc.), televised live through multiple depth cameras with the same excitement as skiing, road cycling, swimming, you name it. You know, with all the collored graphic bars, showing the athlete's names, nationality, personal bests, etc. right before their top, nice results lists at the end of each heat, etc.

I still think there's some time before this happens, but it's definitely out there waiting. The current comp setup may have to be polished further, but the excitement also for quasi-ignorants of the game is there. As a start, why the hell not broadcast the world big ones on the Internet with all them colored bars I'm talking about and broadcast them live (not like on Herbert's 214 NLT here recently, but real live). I think sponsors would find that an insentive, 'cause with a small sport it'll then be easy for its worldwide followers to keep track of the event and simultaneously see 'Coca Cola' and 'Microsoft' in between breaks.

For all the organisational shortcomings of that event, the Hurghada Worlds did one captivating thing: It reversed the traditional starting order, so that the deepest started last (only possible safetywise because of this new backup lift system). Kept the excitement all the way to Mr. Nitsch's 111m attempt.

In Egypt, "only" an Egyptian channel broadcasted the comp live (I've never seen what that looked like). My impression is that bigger international networks could easily have been in the bag, 'cause the concept was good. (It failed before it came to that, mainly because of individuals, I believe.)

In terms of records, off-hand I think they can survive as part of the big events. In Egypt again there was a good concept with record attempts following the worlds (by Herbert and Will Winram, even though Will's attempts got f***ed up as well). Personally, I think that record sessions should be placed BEFORE these events, so the main focus stays on the competition, and also after such a big event everyone in the organization is tired, wanna go home, and they are gonna start screwing up things. Having records before also gives room for organisation rehersal before full days of athletes' tops where everything has to be perfect at all times.

Side note: I'm starting to believe that AIDA should disallow seperate record attempts in the competition disciplines (but that may not be fully thought through...).

 

[par2005]

same question already asked before:

How do you imagine NL competition ?

 

[Jorg]

2 lines to 600 meters... Both freedivers on their separate sled and line. The one who stops the first going down looses!

I think it was 2002 when the IAFD from Pipin announced a no limits competition, I don't remember exactly how they wanted to make a competition of it.

 

[Haydn]

I suppose we need to figure out through trial and error what works on camera. Develop the skills through coverage like Alki, experiment, play and try unusual events to build a story. Find what works.....Tanya has her formula for nature documentaries and thats great. David Blaine stunts get 5 minutes of fame every now and again. So we need to create the demand for covering competitions and records. Then the public get a more complete picture. But, the media have no expertise of what works and how to film it. People like Alki do and people like Herbert create the opportunities for people like Alki to hone their skills. One day, we will put on the 'Big Blue' event that captures the imagination of the World, we will film it correctly and get the work air time. It really is up to us to figure it out and make it happen.

So for Herberts next trick, how about the Worlds highest apnea freefalll. Then he can be the highest and lowest. Maybe jump out of his own plane.....now I'm getting stupid. But thats what it takes to come up with the next spectacle.

 

[CEngelbrecht]

same question already asked before:

How do you imagine NL competition ?

I don't. In this I'm thinking solely constant weight, with and without. Pool disciplines can be accepted, or though the depth is what I think would work for live coverage. For some reason, I don't think about including free immersion in this equation.

I can do without sled competitions.

 

[TheDude]

Do we really need a wow factor? Do we really need big media attention? What benefits would it bring to us? More money for NL records? I personally don't really care about NL. I wan't spill a tear if this was the last NLT dive ever.

More money for competitions in other disciplines? Yes, sure, but for what price. Do we want freediving to become a sport like football where 80% of fans just knows the sport from TV and does not practice it? Or do we want small kids to go freediving in their free time?

One of the great things about this sport is the community, you can see it here on DB - you can find posts by people like Herbert, Tom Sietas and many other top athletes. Do you really think stars like Ronaldo or David Beckham post on any forum? I don't think so... The base of active freedivers is rising steadily and this community feeling and sharing of knowledge is the best way to retain them to the sport.

BTW I've been asked in the last 2 days by at least three friends something like "Didn't some crazy diver do a 200m dive or something recently?" They did like it, but the reaction was nowhere near "Wow, that's wonderfull, I want to try freediving as well". It was more like these are some crazy people... So think about what we really want.

Last weekend I was at my first pool competition, when we came in the evening before you could see the pool from top. Inside the pool some freedivers gliding silently from side to side, you could feel the relaxed atmosphere, no splashing, no shouting. That was my personal "wow" on this sport. Something that in my opinion would make more people join the sport than a thousand meter NL dive in the news.

Decent media coverage would be great, but bear in mind that todays wow is already forgotten tommorrow. Only by consistently presenting the real nature of the sport we can build a lasting positive public image. Media always want emotions, passion. Let's face it, as a result of the nature of freediving a live coverage will not show much emotions... But there are more intense emotions and passions in why we do and love this sport than in most other sports. That is something that we could present more...

just my 2 cents :t

 

[CEngelbrecht]

This is my theory (not just about freediving, but about a lot of stuff):

You got two opposites to every situation. In a sport like freediving (or any), each individual can make one of two basic choices, either 1) scorn at competitions and media and sponsors and yak-yak-yak-yak-yak, and instead seek to find the perfect blue, the perfect marine encounter, the perfect zen inside oneself, the perfect tribe of aquatic apes, all that , or 2) freedive solely for competitions, worship the greatest athletes and strive to become one of them and get sponsors and media attention and fame and fortune and wome...well, you know what I mean.

As I see it, most "freedivers" (what ever the heck that is) stumbles 'round in between both these options. And it is my ferm impression that these two opposites, when given equal ammount of attention (from the bulk of the freedivers, from AIDA, etc.), they will support each other and make each other mutually stronger and thus make the game stronger.

In a country like Denmark, we play a lot of Football (Soccer, to some of y'all...). I grew up playing football in the hood. I have a childhood friend that got professional in a Danish club, but most of the guys he played with back then hasn't. And so what? Option 1 of football was plenty to most of us, this guy just happened to be able to make a breakthrough with option 2, so let him.

Same with freediving. Out from the bulk of the 'tourist' freedivers comes the champions, the monsters, the Umbertos, the Herberts, the Tanyas. Some of us will go to competitions for the social of it, and some of us because we want to win. Most of us probably has a bit of both. It's yin-yang.

I have seen this work quite well for freediving for some ten years now. The 'option 1' people seek out clubs, competitions, record sessions and other meetings because they have heard about the monsters, the stars. People wind up in a social gathering and that is plenty for most. A few of all these people suddenly discover that they have a superpotential and become 'option 2' people. I'm sure that's what happened to Herbert and Martin and Carlos and who have you, way back when.

The elite inspires the non-elite, and from the non-elite is found the elite. It's grand, it's the human way.

So yeah, I think we do need the wow factor. But in close collaboration with the 'what ever, where's my ocean?' factor. The two make each other stronger.