THE COMP BLOG

May 19, 2022

Christina Sours, AIDA Freediving Instructor, SpitSea Dive

During the closing of Vertical Green 2022 as winners were announced and volunteers were cheered on, it felt like the entire California+USA freediving community won. As someone who got to be a small part of the pre-planning and also an athlete experiencing the final results of that work, there was nothing more satisfying than boating out to the platform for the first time and seeing everything come together. You could really tell how much passion went into this comp. Yes, the water was cold and breathing up to shouts of “wave!” are not ideal circumstances to some, but those hometown water conditions are what unified all the competitors and volunteers during the whole event. I feel super proud to have been a part of the very first Vertical Green and look forward to growing next year!

The training day was essential for me to get out Day 1 jitters, test out the platform and get a taste of what the conditions would be like. Experimenting with the proper warm up for a cold water comp was the key to having solid dives the next two days. Even in cold water, the sunny days and good company made me a lot more relaxed than I expected I would be. By the time we got the Top Time for Day 1, I felt nervous, but ready.

Day 1 came around and fortunately, the day was a bit delayed. This worked to my advantage, since it meant getting to chat with my fellow athletes, hydrate and loosen up a bit before heading out to the platform. I noted to time things similarly “early” for Day 2. Once we taxied out, the warm up lines were wide open for me to time dives and get a nice rest time before my Official Top. It was especially fun to have so many familiar faces on the safety team and get cheered on by people I had met even just the day before. Coming up with the white tag, I felt safe, supported and excited all at once. It was an incredible climax that extended into the very next day and heartfelt closing ceremony. 

When all was said and done, sitting on the grass with everyone enjoying a luxury chef-cooked meal, I couldn’t help thinking how glad I was that I competed and how special a thing it is to be a part of the community that put this on. Even more than a podium, I’ll always be able to look back and say I had a part in this huge USA Freeediving milestone event. That’s pretty rewarding.