Background
SPLASHDIVING™ offers a lot to talk about - from different points of view. From the athlete to the professor - everyone has their own part in this new fun and trend sport.
SPLASHDIVING™ (SPLASH put together with DIVING) the new type of sport in FREESTYLE BOMBING which was created in Germany. In contrast to the classic platform diving, this sport tries to make as much splash and noise as possible when diving into the water. The mass of skin surface which touches the water at impact is an important factor.
Last year the first SPLASHDIVING™ world championship was carried out. From then on there will be a yearly world championship in this sport.
The athlete isn’t too concerned about getting other swimmers and divers wet. It connects to a long and old tradition. The origins are of freestyle diving go backto the 18th century.
At that time Hawaii knew of two ways of diving:
1st Lele Kawa: Dives which were carried out without splashes
2nd LelePahu: Dives which were carried out with lots of splash and noise
Literally translated it means: “diving like drums”
In order to reach this effect, twelve jumps with different degrees of difficulty were developed. In addition come there are elements which increase the degree of difficulty.
All jumps can be split up into three phases:
- JUMP UP (the jump off the board/platform)
- MOVE (the phase in air)
- SPLASH DOWN (the impact on the water)
Gradually number of fans and national teams are growing. Australia and the Philippines are planning to come with their own team to the MENTOS® SPLASHDIVING™ WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP (27th – 29th July 2007 in the Kaifu-Bad in Hamburg).
Up to now 12 official jump figures were developed which are carried out from the 10 metre diving platform.
Scientific investigations
For some it may sound astonishing, but the new fun and trend sport SPLASHDIVING™ is being scientifically examined. In co-operation with the University of Bayreuth examine the hydrodynamics and the bio mechanics of the different jumps and figures of SPLASHDIVING™.
Additionally SPLASHDIVING™ is being analysed for a thesis (diploma).
”GALILEO” (Pro7) and “Welt der Wunder” (RTL II) already reported in 2006 about these interesting aspects. According to plan the results should be presented by the end of 2007.
Now we are already interested in final results, since the first approach already gave very interesting discoveries.