Le Nice Abyss Contest took place from June 23 to 25 in Nice with 40 athletes in attendance. After 2 days of official training where athletes could dive under competition-like conditions, competitors and the organization gathered on the evening of June 22 for the official briefing and first day competition announcements. France, Italy, Ecuador, Australia, Lebanon, Switzerland, Russia many nationalities were represented!
The Diveye drone to film live
The next morning, 6 a.m., the CIPA team is already preparing for the setup of the dive site: reception boat, transition boat, safety boat (operated by two doctors from Nice University Hospital and a team of firefighters from Nice’s Tour Rouge), Diveye boat (a company present to film and broadcast all dives live) and of course « La Blonde, » the boat of the organizing club, CIPA, which was the « official » boat.
With the boats in position, 7:45 a.m. it’s time for the first warm-up. Stéphane Tourreau announced 103 meters.
8:30 a.m. first official start, athletes follow one another, performances continue, white cards multiply. Constant weight, free immersion, constant no fins… each in their own discipline. 2 p.m. the end of the first day. It’s lunchtime, everyone gathers for the announcements for the next day.
Saturday mirrors the previous day. The team on land to welcome the athletes and prepare lunch (thanks to our sponsors, La Vie Claire and Carrefour Market), the safety divers team, judges, firefighters, doctors, everyone is here. Boats are repositioned and, much like Friday, everything goes as planned.
Sunday, the last day… the organizing team of CIPA begins to tire but maintains the necessary smile and motivation for the smooth running of the competition. The morning is more challenging, the current has turned and the bottom is borderline for the first announcement. Thanks to the Diveye drone, we check that the bottom poses no risk of snagging and the competition can start. Everything goes well, the dives follow, and the white cards keep coming in. Unfortunately, at 1:30 p.m. the wind shifts, the sea rises, and we have to cancel the competition; 3 freedivers can’t dive…
3:30 p.m., award ceremony – find all the results here: http://niceabysscontest.com/resultats/One of the important points of the Nice Abyss Contest 2017 was the presence of Diveye which allowed for the first time (or almost) to broadcast a deep freediving competition live on Facebook. A great step forward for our discipline and its development.
Julien Alias, president and AIDA judge
This competition could not have taken place under these conditions without our partners. Thanks to Chango Diving, the PAN and the ‘Esprit Pêche et Nature’ association for lending their boats, the Nice University Hospital and the Tour Rouge firefighters for setting up the safety system, Cressi, Domaine des 3 Chênes, Bérénice and Eglantines for the prizes, the City of Nice and the Nautical Base L’Aigle Nautique.Photo at top of page: © William Rhamey, Azur Diving.