FKA Kiteboarding Forums - Photo Of The Day!!!

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FIT Divers and Trainers (http://divefit.com/) had the Gulfstream Free Diving Competition over the last four days. It was a real intriguing experience including competition over several forms of free diving or disciplines. Niki Roderick and Martin Stepanek of FIT created this first time ever event. Disciplines included Constant Weight miles offshore in several hundred feet of water, Static and Dynamic Apnea (apnea = breath holding) in the pool. The competitors including a range of athletes with strengths in varying areas. A new national record was set by Niki for Constant Weight descent to 55 m (181 ft. deep)with no fins. Jared also made it to 58 m (191 ft.)Constant Weight (with fins) yesterday.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Rig_s.jpg
The free floating free diving setup with weighted descent lines and even an automatic diver retrieval system in case of emergency. Technical SCUBA divers were deployed to various depths along the descent for the competitors. Safety free divers also meet and escort competitors to the surface at pre-established depths. Should the competitor black out or show signs, there are multiple provisions and personal in place to manage the situation including an EMT.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Martin_s.jpg
Martin just starting his warmup. We go through a series of preliminary descents to activate the mammalian dive response to depress heart rates and improve breathhold efficiency.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/SA_s.jpg
Competitors and safeties performing static apnea or breathholding in the pool. The techniques for the various disciplines share training aspects and benefits in both competitive free diving as well as recreational diving.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Jared_s.jpg
Jared, a former Navy SEAL coming up after his first dynamic apnea dive, ever, I'm told. He made it 109 m (359 ft. horiziontally) in the 50 m pool if memory serves. Tony his safety diver is just behind him.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Martin_n_Niki_s.jpg
Martin eases up past Niki. Martin is a nine time world record holder in various free diving disciplines. Martin (CZ Free Diving Team), Niki (NZ Free Diving Team) and Jared (on the U.S. Free Diving Team) just left today for Egypt for a major international free diving competition.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Ascent_s.jpg
I think this is Todd on final ascent. There were a ton of volunteers required to pull this event off. Lots of technical safety divers equipped with lift bags (no aero-embolism for free divers to worry about), still and video cameramen, safety divers, boat crew, etc..

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album347/Moon_Jelly_s.jpg
Todd again with a moon jelly. It really is blue out there in the Deep Blue.

More to come, have a ton of video clips to edit as well.

Some shots from gulf coast swell and storm winds courtesy of Hanna, Ike, and Gustav

http://inlinethumb12.webshots.com/42...600x600Q85.jpg
Tripp Hobbs SUP - Pass-A-Grille

http://inlinethumb02.webshots.com/44...600x600Q85.jpg
Tripp Hobbs SUP - Pass-A-Grille

http://inlinethumb29.webshots.com/41...600x600Q85.jpg
Matt Sexton SUP - Pass-A-Grille

http://inlinethumb47.webshots.com/22...600x600Q85.jpg

Billy Bosch of the UF Kite Club - Pass-A-Grille Tube

http://inlinethumb02.webshots.com/40...600x600Q85.jpg
Tripp Hobbs Strapless Kiteloop

Thanks for putting up the intriguing shots Matt! I understand they were taken by CJ as well. Nice session and great photography!

yea the two colored sup and surf shots were cj's the others were wells prestons, gulf coast really does get waves! ........but for now we're heading east

http://www.aolcdn.com/aolportal/fusi...0lvg051608.jpg
From: http://journals.aol.com/photographyd/AOLPHOTOTALK/

It's a little off topic, but what the hell, I would love to fly something like this someday.
And, doing it over the Swiss Alps, amazing. Yves Rossy of Switzerland just tooled
across the English Channel in 10 minutes with one of these jet propelled wings.

But can he do a loop?

Absolutely amazing. The guy is a 49 y.o. airline pilot from Switzerland. I wonder if the orders have started to pile up. I wonder if he'll figure out how to use it without the jump plane. BASE jumpers must be salivating right now.

I found a new item for my Bucket List.

F.

It is the stuff of dreams Frank, or nightmares depending on how things go. Maybe he'll do all the critical T and E for us. Here is some more ...

The clip of the crossing of the English Channel

http://resim.samanyoluhaber.com/resim/ucan_adam_4.jpg
Just step up and slide in

http://resim.samanyoluhaber.com/resim/ucan_adam_2.jpg
Will it work, strips paint great!

http://resim.samanyoluhaber.com/resim/ucan_adam_5.jpg
Free fall

http://resim.samanyoluhaber.com/resim/ucan_adam_7.jpg
It's a race

http://www.davinciinstitute.com/new/...lyingman07.jpg
Winning

http://resim.samanyoluhaber.com/resim/ucan_adam_12.jpg

Photos from: From: http://fotogaleri.samanyoluhaber.com/galeri/946/4

http://www.davinciinstitute.com/new/...lyingman03.jpg
Touch down
From: http://www.impactlab.com/2007/04/28/...he-flying-man/

Kinda reminds me of a movie... Who remembers this one? Not bad for a Disney flick either.
http://members.tripod.com/makeitsoma...VERFORBLOG.jpg
From: http://makeitsomarketing.tripod.com/...pic_id=1085512

There was an hour long special on last night at 11pm on the NGC channel showing his flight from Calais to Dover.

I'm sure the military has already got plans for it's use. And it would give suicide bombing a whole new perspective. As if they needed any more ideas.

F.