The Coalville times. [volume] (Coalville, Utah) 1894-1923, 1901-08-23
DIFFICULT DIVING
SOME oRoTEsoUE FEArs
THE SWEDISH YOUTHS.
A Combination somersauit Done b.
nsn from = spr,agboard e. Dariss
Scientific Forms In a Graceful A.
Initiating birds.

The swedes delight IN "combinauo.
diving" and two men will perfo,,a
many clever feats together. One ~
the most grotesque OF these. saws !
writer In Parsons Magazine. IA showr
when one man stands upright on ~
springboard and tightly clasps ano,h.r
mans body around the waist, holdlnv
him head downward and puts his own
head through the otnor mans lee.
When the upright man springs from
the board he throws his legs into H.
air. 20 that the two men. each clasplnv
the other tightly around the vain
turn somersault. and when they
reach the water the man who started
upside down arrives feet foremost. The
handspring dive IL an effective spe.
cialty Of Swedish swimmers. The Der.
former takes on from tae diving board
with hands instead OF feet, turning hi,
body In order to descend feet forenoon
or somersaultlng TO arrive head down.
ward. Very graceful also Is the bach
spring dive, In which the spring a
made backward. the body turning
toward the sprlngboard. Double som.
eraault dives are made from platforms
thirty or fifty feet high. the diver max.
ing two turns In the air and entering
the water feet foremost. Among The
swcdes the graceful art OF diving In
It's most daring and scientific forms
Is cultivated TO a degree that no other
nation can equal. The Swedish boys
and girls are taught when young 10
overcome their natural instinct OF fear
whom entering the water and 10 prac-
tice all manner OF difilcult feAts, and
the result Is that even among tho
primitive races, such as the Hawai-
ians. whose wonderful diving holds
the man who cannot swim IN bonud-
less awe and admiration, there are few
who can attain such a standard OF tho
ant as may be found throughout swe-
den. To a swede diving means not
only plunging into the water head
foremost, but also springlng backward
turning somersaults and swan" div.
ing from twenty. thirty or forty feet
Swan diving Is peculiar to Sweden. II
Is the poetry OF motion, the suprem,
glory OF the art. With a standing
spring. or with brief run. the body
Is launched into the air. AZ the SAME
moment the head Is flung far back, n,
back is followed sharply. the legs arr
Strengthened and brought together
The arms are flung out In a line with
the shoulders. like the wings Of a birs
flying. In this position the bod
swoops through 80 air until with I
few foot OF the water. when the arm
are swung 'cse,her until the hand
touch. sctfaft .he body strikes tn
water Ike Il failing arrow, at the cor
rect angle. with hardly a splash. Their,
is no more fascinating dive TO watcl
than this swan dive of the swedes
Ono after the other. In follow-my-lead
or style the Swedos run to the edge
OF the diving place and throw them
selves into the air, the impetus gained
from the running spring sending th'
body twenty or thirty feet forward, q
drop through tho air for all the world
as though Il were flying. In Sweden Il
Is not uncommon TO see a party Of
boys flying through the air together
performing the swallow dive. All day
long they enjoy themselves practlclnl
these fancy forms OF diving, perform
ing tricks and somorsaults that would
astonish the most expert gymnast The
women become as fearless as the mer
In the backward and forward somer
aault dive from comparatively grea
heights. and are oven more graceful
In their movements. Now York Preas
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Mam s,r.st carsIs.. in A.llra