apneadagen - fridykning

A freediving competition in static breathholding is usually a tedious and boring affair - specially for an audinece. Team static is the opposite!

The general idea:

Three man teams side by side start simultaneously. Second athlete starts before first one surfaces. The whole competition is over in about 15 minutes.This has been tried twice in Sweden and has been a success both times.

The rules (losely based on Aida principles)

1. A team of three, no coaches, no outside help. The team has to communicate witin themselves and solve the switches as best as they can. The team is also responsible for their own tapping and OK-signs.

2. All compeeting athletes must lie side by side - the closer the better.

3. Timing starts at top +10 no matter when each individual athlete starts.

4. Every late second in start or switches is penalized with -10 seconds on the overall result.

5. If there are many teams and not enough judges one can manage three teams at a time and let the two best times meet in a final after a short 10 minute rest.

6. Friendly splashing and gentle pushing in a crowded situation is OK. Verbal abuse between the teams is greatly appreciated. Also the audience is encuraged to voice their comments on the performances.

7. There has to be a commentator! His task is to constantly supply the audinece with background facts on what is happening. Comment on warm up proceedures, equipment use, signaling and give details on every athletes personal bests, their current shape.
Most important of all the commentators task is to stress the competitors with questions, insults e t c. Even knocking on a breatholding athlete asking why he is wearing socks, why he is shaking?
This is a fun and friendly competition. The commentator can even ask for a quick comment directly afterwards while the next teammate is still holding his breath.

Advice: One witty judge can handle three teams and commentate at the same time, but there has to be a very bright and quick assistant keeping track of times and another assistant writing down the times and quickly deducting penalty seconds so that the commentator can get that information. Every single athletes time can be displayed afterwards aswell. If there is an overlap it is easiest to count the switch time from tyhe starting athlete and not the finishing athlete (individual times will in this case not be totally accurate).