Death Diving is a form of extreme freestyle high diving jumping with stretched arms and belly first, landing in either a cannonball or a pike position. Classic death diving, also known in Norwegian as "Dødsing" (lit. "deathing"), was invented by guitarist Erling Bruno Hovden at Frognerbadet during the summer of 1969. In Norway, Døds events still dominate. The world championship has taken place in Oslo, Norway, every August since the event debuted in 1969. Jumps are performed from a platform of 10 to 15 meters in height.
There are two classes of death diving: classic and freestyle. In the classic event, competitors fly horizontally with their arms and legs extended until they hit the water, with no rotations.[1] Competitors curl into a pike position (similar to a fetal position) just before entering the water, landing first with their feet and hands or knees and elbows to avoid serious injury; dives are judged on speed, air time, complexity, how long the diver holds the original pose, the closing and the splash. In freestyle, the competitors do various tricks during the air travel, including rotations and flips.
The current world record in height is 44,3 meters and is held by Côme Girardøt (FRA). In the women's class, the record is at 31 meters and is held by Norwegian Asbjørg Nesje. The current world record in freestyle death diving is held by Lucien Charlon (FRA) with a height of 41,7 meters.