Vertical Blue 2009

[trux]

I am just copying the press release that Ryuzo published on his website, but I guess DB received it too, and will publish it on the DB front page soon too:

From April 1-11, 2009 Vertical Blue will once again hold its annual invitational Freediving competition in Dean’s Blue Hole, Bahamas.
The event will host the biggest names in the sport, with world champions and world record holders competing to test the limits of the human capacity for depth on a single breath.
Dean’s Blue Hole is the deepest blue hole in the world, at 203 meters (660 feet), and the 21 invited athletes will be descending to over half that distance in their attempt to be crowned the world’s deepest man/woman.
The 2008 edition of Vertical Blue was heralded as “the most successful freediving event” with 5 new world records and 23 national records being broken.

In 2009 athletes will once again compete in three disciplines of freediving:
Constant Weight: the diver descends and ascends with fins or a monofin. The current world records are 113m (370ft) for men and 95m (311ft) for women
Unassisted: the diver cannot use any fins or propulsion equipment of any kind, and descends and ascends with a kind of adapted breaststroke. The current world records are 86m (282ft) for men and 60m (196ft) for women.
Free Immersion: the diver uses the rope to pull themselves down and up. Current world records are 108m (354ft) for men and 85m (279ft) for women.

Some of the athletes who will compete this year include:
Herbert Nitsch: 23 world records in freediving, “greatest freediver ever”
William Trubridge: current world record holder in unassisted and free immersion.
Sara Campbell: set world records in all 3 disciplines over 3 days in 2007. Her records have since been broken, and she is in training to get them back.
Ryuzo Shinomiya: Japanese freediving champion
William Winram: pan-American freediving champion
Kathryn McPhee: NZ freediving female champion and world record holder
Jana Strain: US freediving female champion

regular updates will be uploaded to the Vertical Blue news page

For more information, or for images, contact William Trubridge at:
will@verticalblue.net
+1242 3376114

 

[Will]

Head over to William Trubridge News to see the athlete profiles.
For 2009 we have 21 athletes, so expect even more action from Dean's Blue Hole.

Also we will soon open a viewers' competition where entrants can make predictions for a chance to win a Suunto D4 depth computer and official team shirt.

Stay tuned...

 

[trux]

Will, is this competition only for invited freedivers or is it open? I ask because I see relatively few European freedivers (and there are many very deep ones among them), so I wonder whether it is primarily because of the distance and travelling costs, or simply because many of them were not invited.

Also a pity Dave Mullins is not there this year

 

[Will]

The weather is finally starting to calm down and warm up here, and all the athletes are in their final stages of preparation for Vertical Blue.
Here are some of the sites that have news from the event:
- Official news site for Vertical Blue
- Sara Campbell's news page
- Ryuzo's blog
- Kerian Hibb's blog
- Kathryn McPhee's blog
Don't forget to enter the Suunto pick the records competition
1 week to go!!!

 

[Will]

Top times for the first day are up on http://www.verticalblue.net/news and we have a world record attempt on the very first day...

 

[Fondueset]

Awesome! wish I was there

 

[laminar]

Me, too!

There will be much joy in the Blue Hole, methinks, for 2009.

Great job once again putting this together, Will.

Pete

 

[mortenkv]

Keep us updated!
Good luck to everyone!

Morten

 

[BennyB]

That's some damn serious quality in the field there. With the hole clearing up I think we're in for some serious dives over the next week!

 

[drea]

anyone knows what happned today? results and such...

 

[martin_gk]

Results are up on the news site: William Trubridge News

Herbert turned early on his WR attempt.

 

[kelp princess]

Me, too!

There will be much joy in the Blue Hole, methinks, for 2009.

Great job once again putting this together, Will.

Pete

Pete will you provide us with the amazing daily coverage you did last year? so we all feel like we are present?

:thankyou

kp

 

[Will]

photos from today and new top times for tomorrow up on the Vertical Blue news page

The mens and women's Constant Weight world records will both be under fire tomorrow.

 

[DivingDane]

great images, glad to see the blue hole has put it on for the comp. good luck to everyone diving tomorrow.

DD

 

[laminar]

Pete will you provide us with the amazing daily coverage you did last year? so we all feel like we are present?

:thankyou

kp

Unfortunately, no. I'm ensconced in rainy and cold Vancouver, busy with work. So, I'm eager for news, as well. I'm hoping the competitors will have time to post their reflections either here or on their blogs.

So glad the bh cleared up. It is an astonishing place when it is clear like that. Just mesmerizing.

And of course the tarpon like it, too. They get the best seat in the house.

 

[demasoni]

Eric announces a 40m CWT dive tomorrow with a 3:15 dive time?

 

[laminar]

It's actually 400m. Silly typo.

He's doing a hang at 40m in part to get used to the competition routine again.

Lots of other stuff going on, but I'll let him share that info himself.

I know what his goals are - but we'll wait and see.

He's in wicked shape right now.... I've seen him train and know what he's been doing.

:martial

 

[laminar]

Do the math on a 3'15 dive time and you'll get a sense of his goals. You can consider FRC and inhale...

 

[laminar]

Oh, and he only just arrived at the Blue Hole yesterday.

 

[demasoni]

Thanks for the clarification Pete. Looking forward to it.