Bomb-diving contest makes a splash
It was all about the angles when hitting the water for Wellington’s best bomb divers as they gathered at Whairepo Lagoon to put their splash skills to the test.
More than 50 bombers gathered at the jump platform on Wellington waterfront on Saturday to showcase their best manu for Te Po¯ hutu Nui (The Big Splash).
A manu is when a person dives in a V-shape and their tailbone or lower back enters the water first.
Competitor Manaia Clark, 10, had some tips for making the best bomb. ‘‘You don’t want to stay straight. You want to lean back on an angle a bit.’’
Manaia suggested people cover their face to protect themselves from the water’s impact.
‘‘It’s got to be a straight-up splash. It’s your angle, and you’ve got to tuck in at the right time.’’
Competitor Michael Duncan, 11, said his technique was ‘‘the coffin’’ – keeping his arms close to himself. ‘‘I just jump, and coffin, and then I’m flat and lean backwards. Then you get the pop.’’
Duncan had jumped twice and thought his bombs went well. ‘‘For the whole school holidays, we were here just jumping.’’
Wellington City Council projects specialist Daphne Pilaar said the best bomb was about how big the splash was and how much noise it made.
Despite an overcast day in Wellington on Saturday, not a single competitor had complained about the cold, she said.
The council took over the running of the event this year. The alignment with Te Matatini, the four-day national kapa haka festival, made the bomb competition even more attractive for the same weekend.
This year the competition had more than 50 bomb divers registered, Pilaar said.