Apnea Academy
30 May to 1 June 2009, the 10th edition of Rovinj Apnea Croazia will be held in Rovinj, organized by the Apnea Academy – Scuola di formazione e ricerca per l´apnea subaqua, and Mike Maric, 2004 world apnea champion and 2004, 2005 and 2006 Croatian apnea champion.
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Perhaps by far the most important event of this year’s 10th in a row International Free Diving Competition was the coming of one of the greatest world divers of all time, Umberto Pelizzaro, who is a multiple world champion in free diving. The rea
During the three-day Stage, educational lectures will be held in Valdaliso Resort (a round table on apnea and its significance, the mental aspect of apnea, breathing and monofin diving), as well as practical workshops in the sea. Around a hundred participants from Europe are expected at this year’s Rovinj Apnea Croazia.
The lecturers are:
Umberto Pelizzari – multiple world apnea champion;
Mike Maric – holder of the Jump Blue world record;
Stefano Figini – multiple world monofinswimming champion;
Roberto Chiozzotto – 2001 world champion;
Valter Mazzei – monofinswimming;
Siniša Cerin – CroatiApnea;
Manilo Esposito – Webmaster at the Apnea Academy;
Massimiliano Musella – instructor at the Apnea Academy;
Roberto Mattana –Apnea Academy Forum;
Alessandro Vergendo – President, Apnea Academy Competition;
Rosita Gagliardi – Secretary General, Apnea Academy Competition.
On Saturday, 30 May at 9 p.m., the lecturers of the 10th Rovinj Apnea Croazia will be presented on Rivijera town square, including screenings of apnea films and an entertainment & music program.
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Perhaps by far the most important event of this year’s 10th in a row International Free Diving Competition was the coming of one of the greatest world divers of all time, Umberto Pelizzaro, who is a multiple world champion in free diving. The reason for the appearance of the “Depth King” were three-day diving courses being held, organised by Apnea Academy from Milan and Mike Maric, the world free diving champion in 2004, and the Croatian champion from 2004 to 2006.
For the purposes of this sport becoming known better, a welcome meeting was held on the Riviera Square, organised by the Rovinj Tourist Board for numerous divers and their instructors, including Mike Maric, Umberto Pelizzari, Stefano Figini, Roberto Chiozzotto, Valter Mazzei, Siniša Cerin, Manilo Esposito, Massimiliano Musella, Roberto Mattana, Alessandro Vergendo and Rosita Gagliardi. The local Master Band were entrusted with the task of good music, while course organisers provided that “sea flavour” using a video wall. Short documentaries were screened – “Liquid man“, a chronicle of surpassing Pelizzaro’s record with the depth of 150 meters achieved, “The Blue Rovinj“, advertisement footage on some of the most beautiful places for diving in the world, and, finally, not less attractive film on how to come close to sea creatures, how to film them without harming or scaring them away. World free diving champions, who are at the same time great enthusiasts of the Adriatic, Pelizzaro and Maric, in their capacity as successful organisers of free diving in Rovinj for a number of years now, were presented with two photo monographs by the Tourist Board Director, Odeta Sapač, as a sign of thanks and friendship - “Croatia“ and “Rovinj on Vintage Postcards“.
During a brief interview with Mike Maric, born in Rovinj and living in Milan, we learned his returns to the hometown are always charged with emotion. “I learned how to swim and got to know the sea in Rovinj. Each new coming to the place where I was born and which I left with my parents in 1976, I experience as homecoming”, Maric said.
This jubilee competition was attended by some one hundred divers from all over Europe. Organisers prepared an array of training lectures for them, a panel on free diving and its significance, the mental aspect of free diving, breathing and diving with a single fin, as well as workshops held out on the sea, by Crveni otok and Banjoli.
