Training monofinning and ice diving

Lately I've been playing around with a new style for the monofin technique. It's a version of the "kick and glide", with 2 and a half kicks, then gliding. It now takes me 44sec instead of the 52sec from when I was using continous kicks. I also use the glide faze to completely relax, even the legs, which I feel is helping me save some energy.



We also did a little training session to prepare for the upcomming Oslo Ice Challenge:

Press release: Oslo Ice Challenge

When: 7.-8. March 2009

Where: Lutvann (outside of Oslo), Norway

What: Freediving competition in the deep diving disciplines

Picture: Steinar Schjager

The frozen lake “Lutvann” just outside of Oslo will be the location of the first freediving competition in Norway, Oslo Ice Challenge. It will be an AIDA competition with ranking, which makes it the first internationally recognized freediving competition under ice. This special challenge will add a new aspect to the sport and give the competitors an experience to remember.

The ice provides extra challenges for both competitors and organizers, but also some advantages. The diving response, which allows freedivers to save oxygen, becomes much stronger in cold water. The ice will work as a platform for both judges and audience to view the performances close up, making it much more interesting to follow the competition. And most importantly, the ice creates a very special atmosphere under water, giving the diving a whole different dimension.

Picture: Domagoj Jakovak

Oslo Ice Challenge will gather freedivers ranging between local divers from Oslo Freediving Club to World Champions and World Record holders. The participants will have the chance to compete twice on Saturday 7^th and once on Sunday 8^th in their chosen discipline. Following a point system which levels the disciplines, the winner will be the freediver with the most points from a single dive. The maximum number of participants is set to 20, and there are still some spots left. There will also be a special static competition for the really hard core freedivers. They will compete in holding their breath in the cold water, and dry suits are not allowed.

The competition will be filmed and photographed by a couple of underwater photographers, among them Dan Burton.

Press contact: Elisabeth Kristoffersen, elisabethskn@hotmail.com

Organizer: Steinar Schjager, osloice@gmail.com

Official webpage: www.fridykking.net/osloice

Coupe des Dauphins 24.-25. January

Right after my last exam, I travelled together with Martin to Switzerland and to the beautiful city of Geneva for the first time. I was going to compete in the pool competition "Coupe des Dauphins" and Martin judge. We were really lucky to get to stay at the appartment of Christian Maldame, who's not only the team freediving world champion for 2008 (French team), but also a very nice guy! Jarmila Slovencikova from Czech Republic was also staying there, and the four of us had a great time, especially after the competition.

Picture: Wikipedia

I had signed up for the competition maybe mostly for the trip itself, and also to have an easy nice start of the competition year 2009. In DNF on saturday I did a very easy 83m dive. I was very happy to see that I can still do something, even without any training or the perfect shape (I had been sick only a week before). I must have overdone the lung strecthing this day though, because the next day I had pain and discomfort on the right side of the ribcage. I went into the water for the other diciplins, static and dynamic, but it didn't work at all to hold a full breath or having contractions. Well well, next time!

The competition saw some nice performances. Ilka Michaelis did a new national record for Germany with 99m. Both Jarmila and Christian made three good performances and won the overall ranking for the women and men respectivly. All the nice freediviers, the well-running organisation and the good pool made the competition a very pleasant one. I'd love to come back next year...


On monday after the competition, we had maybe the best time of the whole trip. Christian took us to a sauna/bath at the harbour of Geneva. Him and Jarmila got to do some freediving in the lake, cruising through and even under the big fountain! I stayed out because of the ribs, but will sure try this next time.

After spending several hours in the sauna, the turkish bath, the hammam and a dip in the lake (4-5 degrees!), we had a good lunch and headed back to catch the plain home. It was a really great experience and big thanks to our host, Christian!

A new freediving year

It feels a little strange to thing about the fact that 2009 will be my 3rd year competing in freediving. I'm sure it's gonna be fun, just check out what is on the schedual so far:

24.-25. january - Coupe des Dauphins (dyn, dnf and sta) situated in Geneva, Switzerland
21. february - Berlin Masters Cup (dyn, dnf and sta) surprisingly enough in Berlin, Germany
7.-8. march - Oslo Ice Challenge (cwt, cnf and fim), which will be the first competition in Norway and the first ever UNDER ICE! Check it out, it might be the most crazy and coolest experience this year..
Easter time - Hopefully another trip to the diving tank of the Norwegian Navy.
April - Dreaming of going back to Dahab for this years Bizzy Blue Hole. Last year was great!


Now I better go back and finish reading for today. Two exams left before I can leave the last semester behind me. Fingers crossed :)

TV apperance on "I kveld" NRK2, 18.des

I travelled home to Norway on wednesday, mainly for the holiday, but also to be a guest in norwegian tv show called "I kveld" ("Tonight") on NRK2. They showed the little movie Martin made from diving the canyon in April and I was talking about the diving in dahab, training and the freediving disciplines. In the background you see some pictures taken on different freediving trips.

It was fun to see the surprised face of the host, Christian Strand, when I was explaining that we humans also have a diving response like other dolphins or whales. And hopefully I've convinced the opera singer who finished the show to snorkel a little deeper on her next holiday. She might have a great freediving potential....

Newsarticle in Dagbladet

Fredrik Naumann, a norwegian photographer, came to Århus in June to follow me at the Aarhus Triple Challenge and take some pictures. He's working together with journalist Marianne Alfsen in their company Felix Features and producing articles for different newspapers and magazines. Unlike many others, their focus is in-depth reporting and telling the story right.

The result was covering 4 pages + the front page of Dagbladet's Sport Magasin on Friday 28th November. The pictures turned out great, both thanks to the photographer and to the lovely weather we had. I was also very happy with the text. I think Marianne did a good job on describing freediving the way I find it, intriging, safe and still in need of more women.


This kind of coverage is something the really sport needs, as usually we are drowed by soccer, skiing and more soccer. Maybe some day, people will not turn their heads when I wait for the bus with my monofin, or stop up staring at the freedivers training static in their wetsuits. Or maybe not :)

More from Eindhoven

There are a couple of more things worth mentioning about this competition, like the car breaking down on the drive down to Holland. The snowstorm we had on saturday (had no idea the dutch had such weather). And the nice prices given to the winners from the sponsors of the competition. I recieved a throphe, a bottle of vine and the percervation of 500m2 of rainforest in Equador.

Copyright BlueConsult.biz

On the picture: Nanja Van den Broek(2), me(1), Barbara Jeschke(2) and in front Stig Severinsen from BlueConsult

The competition saw 10 national records and one continental record (William Winram with 205m in DYN). Big congratulations to Barbara, Ulf, Will, Ilka and everybody else! Two new nations were represented (I haven't seen them on competitions before...), Irish and Emirati. I was also very happy to see two new guys from Aarhus Freediving Club compete in their first competition and doing very well.

Hopefully I'll get a couple of more pictures here soon.