The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1908-07-26
THE FINE ART or DIVING
A SPORT THAT rs COMING INTO
FAVOR IN THIS COUNTRY.

.
The Rules OF the A. A. u. Prescribe five
Styles for Centests-The Continent
Pays Little Attention to the Way or
Entering the water. which Counts Here.
Diving In a sport whichlis taking up much
OF the time Of Anne rican swimmers nova.
days and In which they have made great
advances during the last thrss or for
years. Three years ago the New York
Athletic Club e~ndeavored to foster interest
in the sport by adding'a diving contest 10
It's monthly programmed swimming events
held at Travers Island. At this time there
were not more than half q dozen good
divers In the whole country.
The graceful and spectacular work OF
the few metropolitan divers upon this
occasion. chief among whom were Thomas
O'Callaghan. Walter Lee and Fred Wenck,
caught the fancy Of the spectators. and
diving wa an established feature upon each
programme Of swimming events thereafter.
A little later the interest created by tho
sport coming to the notice of the officials
OF the Amateur Athletic Union the latter
added q national championship at the sport,
which has been one Of the most interesting
features Of the national swimming cham
pionships. d,
Later still the colleges took up diving
and made 1t one Of the principal features
Of the programmes Of their dual swimming
meets when the intercollegiate swimming
association was organized. Then they
created an intercollegiate diving cham
pionship. =
Rules were then adopted by the A. A. U,
to govern diving contests. defining the
standard dives, and now this branch Of sport
Is as firmly established as II 1t had been
followed for years.
. The regulation dives altogether number
hve-the plain front. the plain back, the
front j~aclknife, the back jackknife and
the one and q half dive. The takeofYs,
which are from a,solid platform. number
three In a~ll--ten, twenty and thirty feet-and
the diver gets credit for q greater plumber
Of points as the height Of the takeo6 In.
creases.
In the plain front dive the diver. with feet
close togeth er and hands held over head.
must describe q long or short semicircle
before entering the water, that detail being
left optional. This IL the easiest Of all the
dives and the first one mastered by the
beginner.
Tho front jackknife is executed by jump
ing a few feet In tho air. turning sharply
an d descending 90 that the head shall
enter the water not more than SIX feet
beyond the edge Of the platform from which
the diver has Jumped. This 10 quite O diff
cult dive, % the contestant - very apt to
make 1t a plain front dive instead OF EN-,
thus leaves open q trap into which many
good divers have fallen on the day OF q
diving contest.
In accomplishing the third regulation
dive. the back jackknife. the contestant
the takeoY with his back to the water.
Jumping upward his body turns quickly
toward the point Of takeo6 and he descends
with his face outward. As In the front
j~aokknife. the regulations require that the
than six feet beyond q line drawn from the
edge Of the takeo6.
The last Of the regulation dives. the one
and o half. 10 the most difficult, and few
even Of the most e1pert dtvers often succeed
IN a P psster% os sao e P e 1isslSiiy = an sSm S1rs II
and q half. The body must describe q
complete somSrsault IN the air and then
half way around again. 20 that the
entrance to the water b bead frst. =,
ference between the diving experts Of
American and those Of tho Continental
countries. Americans hold that the very
essence Of the dive rests upon o clean en-
trance, head first. with tho least possible
disturbance ns noe S 81 me s, ~as sa maoh ~d dise Sn sHls
created at tho st. Louis worlds fair
Germany wal represented BY o team OF
splendid divers-from the Continental point
Of view. In Germany points count for the
divers manner Of approaching the takson'
bia movepnenta In the air. and then criticism
Of his actions ceases.
Magnificent work wal shown by. the
Germans at the worlds fair contest IN all
these particulars-in fact they completely
But the Germans did not care
how they entered or struck the water.
Walking down the plank Of the spring
board with head erect, eyes front, chest
thrown out. feet close together, legs work.
rieidiy held to the sides. the German diver
a spring Of marvellous ease would
describe a beautiful evolution through the
air and then-hit the water broadside with
a reeounding smack that would send
'h gSs s% OF snssy o 0sss svssy 9 solo nssT VII Yin
great deal less fuss and even grace;
far out into the air a entered
The water head first, at times with such
skill az scarcely to cause q ripple. When
he contest was DECIDED the judges had no
tbo " AAttNO tiA1AA w w. s"O
10 the American contestants.
Every young swimmer now knows the
regulation American dives sanctioned by
The A, A. u, and these youngsters are
becoming very efficient. While but hye
regulation dives are scheduled. still the
rules in this country permit three special
lives, so there need DO no check upon
:
However. Il IL the object to conflne even p
;hese specialties to ~eyolutions which shall
invariably end With the entrance head first
the water, although no attempt 10 made
% hamper or restrict the movements OF
he diver In the air.
Diving rarely has bad results II q person
viii exercise Just ordinary caution. Persons
'hould make 1t a practice never 10 dive Into
ure and depth Of the water should always
made before q dive 10 undertaken. There
nav be less water than one supposee:.a
spile may be concealed BY the
water. OIL q heavy piece Of wsterloeged
good may be floating q few feet below
he surface.
rTsHWOMEN ON THEYk DIGNITY.