Thank you Norway!
March 18, 2011 7:50 AM Subscribe
Shallow diver breaks world record for paddling pool jump. "A US shallow diver has broken his own world record by swan-diving 36ft (11m) into a paddling pool containing just 12in (30.5cm) of water.
Darren Taylor, also known as Professor Splash, dived into a pool of near-freezing water in Trondheim, Norway, making the jump his 13th Guinness certified record.
Mr Taylor, who is from Colorado in the US, has 25 years' professional high-diving experience and works as a stunt diver." Via: BBC
I wonder if Norway was the only place that would allow such lunacy to take place?
posted by Fizz at 8:00 AM on March 18, 2011
posted by Fizz at 8:00 AM on March 18, 2011
Anyone know the details of the cushion base the pool is sitting on? Is it a big chunk of foam or some kind of air bladder or something else?
posted by Mitheral at 8:01 AM on March 18, 2011
posted by Mitheral at 8:01 AM on March 18, 2011
He has great bellyflop form.
posted by ghharr at 8:01 AM on March 18, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by ghharr at 8:01 AM on March 18, 2011 [1 favorite]
I was going to ask the same question as Mitheral; it looked to me like he definitely hit the bottom of the pool with quite a bit of force. If it had just been a concrete-bottom pool, he'd be in a world of hurt. (Although I still can't believe that he's not, as-is... but without that padding I don't think he would have gotten up.)
Still, unbelievably insane.
posted by Kadin2048 at 8:02 AM on March 18, 2011
Still, unbelievably insane.
posted by Kadin2048 at 8:02 AM on March 18, 2011
Like others, I'd be more impressed if his paddling pool wasn't on top of a gym mat. I suspect that a good stunt man could have fallen on that mat without hurting himself even without the paddling pool.
He probably wouldn't have deliberately landed on his face, though.
posted by jacquilynne at 8:05 AM on March 18, 2011
He probably wouldn't have deliberately landed on his face, though.
posted by jacquilynne at 8:05 AM on March 18, 2011
Yeah whatever...I think I've seen Daffy Duck dive into a pint glass so this is bullshit.
posted by spicynuts at 8:06 AM on March 18, 2011 [28 favorites]
posted by spicynuts at 8:06 AM on March 18, 2011 [28 favorites]
I can remember how much a bellyflop hurts just from the edge of the pool. From 36 feet must really sting.
posted by Forktine at 8:11 AM on March 18, 2011
posted by Forktine at 8:11 AM on March 18, 2011
He's quite the showman, but I suspect the water is largely superfluous, and this is a basic high fall.
posted by monju_bosatsu at 8:14 AM on March 18, 2011
posted by monju_bosatsu at 8:14 AM on March 18, 2011
I'd be more impressed if his paddling pool wasn't on top of a gym mat.
Not me. That was awesome enough just as it was.
posted by three blind mice at 8:16 AM on March 18, 2011
Not me. That was awesome enough just as it was.
posted by three blind mice at 8:16 AM on March 18, 2011
THANK YOU NORWAY!!!!
posted by Dia Nomou Nomo Apethanon at 8:19 AM on March 18, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by Dia Nomou Nomo Apethanon at 8:19 AM on March 18, 2011 [1 favorite]
Only 36 feet? Call me up when it's 136 feet.
Seriously, call me. I don't want to miss that.
posted by cjorgensen at 8:22 AM on March 18, 2011 [2 favorites]
Seriously, call me. I don't want to miss that.
posted by cjorgensen at 8:22 AM on March 18, 2011 [2 favorites]
I really don't know what to say about this. Good for him. I'm glad this world offers such a variety of hobbies, and that he can pursue his no matter how strange it might be. Personally my extracurricular activities are pretty boring in comparison, but I can only hope to be as successful at them.
posted by The Winsome Parker Lewis at 8:24 AM on March 18, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by The Winsome Parker Lewis at 8:24 AM on March 18, 2011 [2 favorites]
I'd be more impressed if his paddling pool wasn't on top of a gym mat.
Not me either. I'm more impressed by a guy who can safely put on a good show than by someone hurting himself for no reason.
posted by rusty at 8:24 AM on March 18, 2011 [1 favorite]
Not me either. I'm more impressed by a guy who can safely put on a good show than by someone hurting himself for no reason.
posted by rusty at 8:24 AM on March 18, 2011 [1 favorite]
Meh, call me when it's a puddle of gasoline on a concrete floor with 2ft metal spikes pointing straight up. Oh, and electrify it and then light it on fire.
Kids today, they have no sense of accomplishment.
posted by blue_beetle at 8:30 AM on March 18, 2011 [1 favorite]
Kids today, they have no sense of accomplishment.
posted by blue_beetle at 8:30 AM on March 18, 2011 [1 favorite]
USA! USA! USA!
posted by cloeburner at 8:30 AM on March 18, 2011
posted by cloeburner at 8:30 AM on March 18, 2011
The only problem is, once they release this movie, no one will pay to see me jump off the Woolworth's building into a damp rag.
posted by not that girl at 8:35 AM on March 18, 2011
posted by not that girl at 8:35 AM on March 18, 2011
Before I watched the movie, I imagined that he was going to dive (like you know....dive) into something like a toddler's wading pool. Oh well, still fun to watch.
posted by nasayre at 8:36 AM on March 18, 2011
posted by nasayre at 8:36 AM on March 18, 2011
I really don't know what to say about this.
THAAAAAAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNNNNNK YOOOOOOOOOOOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHY!
posted by ennui.bz at 8:41 AM on March 18, 2011 [1 favorite]
THAAAAAAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNNNNNK YOOOOOOOOOOOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHY!
posted by ennui.bz at 8:41 AM on March 18, 2011 [1 favorite]
...forget Norway. Where can you see lions?
posted by The Winsome Parker Lewis at 8:43 AM on March 18, 2011 [3 favorites]
posted by The Winsome Parker Lewis at 8:43 AM on March 18, 2011 [3 favorites]
"I FEEL GLORIOUS! I FEEL FANTASTIC! THANK YOU NORWAY!!!"
posted by snofoam at 8:44 AM on March 18, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by snofoam at 8:44 AM on March 18, 2011 [1 favorite]
But he's not wearing ice skates
posted by Flashman at 8:46 AM on March 18, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by Flashman at 8:46 AM on March 18, 2011 [2 favorites]
I can remember how much a bellyflop hurts just from the edge of the pool.
If you go frame by frame (or at least as much as YouTube lets you), it looks like he breaks out of form at the last minute by bending his knees slightly and putting his arms down. I feel like that wouldn't make things hurt any less, but maybe he's able to disperse the force better that way?
posted by Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug at 8:47 AM on March 18, 2011
If you go frame by frame (or at least as much as YouTube lets you), it looks like he breaks out of form at the last minute by bending his knees slightly and putting his arms down. I feel like that wouldn't make things hurt any less, but maybe he's able to disperse the force better that way?
posted by Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug at 8:47 AM on March 18, 2011
That was hilarious!
posted by Mental Wimp at 8:48 AM on March 18, 2011
posted by Mental Wimp at 8:48 AM on March 18, 2011
Only 36 feet? Call me up when it's 136 feet.
And I, Bruno, will dive one thousand feet into a block of cement! On my head, yet!
posted by rocket88 at 9:02 AM on March 18, 2011
And I, Bruno, will dive one thousand feet into a block of cement! On my head, yet!
posted by rocket88 at 9:02 AM on March 18, 2011
Damn you, Winsome Parker Lewis!
posted by jacquilynne at 9:11 AM on March 18, 2011
posted by jacquilynne at 9:11 AM on March 18, 2011
I'll just leave this right here:
Dana Kunze's 172-foot world record high dive (warning: vertigo inducing)
posted by prinado at 10:17 AM on March 18, 2011 [5 favorites]
Dana Kunze's 172-foot world record high dive (warning: vertigo inducing)
posted by prinado at 10:17 AM on March 18, 2011 [5 favorites]
You ask "Why in near freezing Norway?" Shrinkage. You know what is the last thing you want to land on diving from 36 feet.
posted by digsrus at 11:31 AM on March 18, 2011
posted by digsrus at 11:31 AM on March 18, 2011
If you go frame by frame (or at least as much as YouTube lets you), it looks like he breaks out of form at the last minute by bending his knees slightly and putting his arms down. I feel like that wouldn't make things hurt any less, but maybe he's able to disperse the force better that way?
By throwing his arms and legs forward like that, he's trying to make a bigger splash, which means more of the energy of his fall will be transferred to the water rather than absorbed by his body at pool-bottom impact.
posted by The Tensor at 1:07 PM on March 18, 2011
By throwing his arms and legs forward like that, he's trying to make a bigger splash, which means more of the energy of his fall will be transferred to the water rather than absorbed by his body at pool-bottom impact.
posted by The Tensor at 1:07 PM on March 18, 2011
In slow motion, while on fire, at night, and oh, did I say super slow motion?
posted by tamitang at 2:42 PM on March 18, 2011
posted by tamitang at 2:42 PM on March 18, 2011
The whole contrast of this guy and his viking victory cries, jumping into a blow up children's pool (complete with silly pattern) makes it hard for me to respect it as a mammoth achievement.
People in Norway need to get a god damn job.
posted by straight_razor at 3:32 PM on March 18, 2011
People in Norway need to get a god damn job.
posted by straight_razor at 3:32 PM on March 18, 2011
Yeah, I was more impressed by his post-dive bellowing.
posted by brundlefly at 4:11 PM on March 18, 2011
posted by brundlefly at 4:11 PM on March 18, 2011
How jaded do you have to be that this is not incredibly impressive? 36 feet. 36 feet into a kiddie pool!
posted by Kafkaesque at 4:56 PM on March 18, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by Kafkaesque at 4:56 PM on March 18, 2011 [2 favorites]
Agreed. This was fucking rad.
posted by thsmchnekllsfascists at 5:35 PM on March 18, 2011
posted by thsmchnekllsfascists at 5:35 PM on March 18, 2011
You hand in your ticket
And go watch the geek. . . .
I had this song playing in my head, whilst watching that.
posted by Danf at 10:46 AM on March 19, 2011
And go watch the geek. . . .
I had this song playing in my head, whilst watching that.
posted by Danf at 10:46 AM on March 19, 2011
Blimey that looked painful. That man is truly a hero for our times.
posted by jonesor at 3:44 AM on March 20, 2011
posted by jonesor at 3:44 AM on March 20, 2011
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posted by JimmyJames at 7:59 AM on March 18, 2011