In the beginning, there was Jacques Mayol, Enzo Maiorca and others. Then came « The big blue ». In the years 1985/1990 of freedivers, yet few in the world, realize new performances, new records. They are passionate. They were mistakenly called the « lit the blue ». History will show a few years later than without them, modern freediving would have never seen the day. Here’s how everything began, this is the story of the birth of A. I.D.A., the international association for the development of apnea.
We are in 1990, Roland Specker, a freediver to the North East of the France trains in Lake. He built a replica of the beggar of Jacques Mayol. By learning just an another french, Claude Chapuis, achieve a static apnea world record in Nice on the French Riviera, Roland Specker meet. They decide to organise courses to discover snorkeling to others. The first stage takes place in Nice in May 1990.
Back in the North of the France, Roland Specker thinks it’s time to create rules for records. Indeed, many records are to be established, but the rules are not always the same. Roland is moving a lot on the records of apnea, meets Umberto Pelizzari, German freedivers and many others. His opinion is made, create an association to recognize records.
On 2 November 1992, Roland Specker and some friends created the international association for the development of apnea. Its headquarters are in St Louis in France, near Mulhouse. Roland’s President, Thierry Meunier Secretary and Claude Chapuis technical manager. Both texts are written: the rules and recommendations for the recognition of records. Soon many records are recognized by A.I.D.A. Thanks to its serious, which became the reference for freedivers. The first newspaper of A.I.D.A. is created in 1995. General meetings, acknowledges the many freedivers as Umberto Pelizzari, Loïc Leferme, Olivier Heuleu, Frédéric Buyle.
October 1996: First the A.I.D.A. World Championship in Nice. There are 5 teams, and 25 participants. The countries present are the Germany, the Belgium, the Colombia, the Spain, France, the Italy and a team representing the United Nations consisting of freedivers from different countries. We will remember of this first World Championship, the tears of the Colombian Marlennedy Claude Chapuis has managed to get out of his country with 2 other compatriots, the victory of the team Italian coached by Umberto, the 6’05 of Jean Delmarre in static, the 53 m Jean-Michel Pradon in constant weight and the incredible success of A.I.D.A. and freedivers from Nice. Modern apnea, apnea competition was born that day.
In 1998, A.I.D.A. France is created, which allows A.I.D.A. of dealing with international problems.
Since the team competitions appear to be lapped, Claude Chapuis suggests to helped to launch the individual World Championships. The reason that had brought helped do not organize them since 1996, was AIDA thought freedivers ill-prepared for this kind of challenge that could cause more blackouts than in team competition. 2000, a new concept is tested, the team in the form of circuit apnoea World Cup between the Belgium the Switzerland and the France.
That year, the France WINS in both men and women.
2005, Sébastien Nagel and Claude Chapuis organize these first world individual and agree that these World Championships individual indoor (pool) and outdoor (constant weight at sea) to follow. They are organized in running in Switzerland and Villefranche-sur-Mer in France. 30 countries participate.
In 2007 is also the sudden disappearance of Loïc Leferme during a workout. A probable crossing of the rope that guides the beggar with the counterweight prevents Loïc back. Rescued, it cannot be revived. On this downhill training at 171 m, he was down head down, old-school »demonstrating once again its abilities to compensate for in depth. Loic was one of the pioneers of AIDA.
2008 5th Championship of the world by team in Egypt, the France won in men with Morgan Bourc’His, Christian Maldamé, Guillaume Nery and Cyril Paulet their coach. It is the sacred: World Champion!
« Free Fall », a video filmed by Julie Gautier with Guillaume Néry to the Dean’s Blue Hole in the Bahamas was filmed in 2010. More than 8 million visitors/viewers watching the film in a little less than 7 months. Media from around the world share this performance.
2011 world championships take place in Kalamata in Greece for depth. Guillaume Nery the Niçois becomes champion of the world of constant weight with 117 m. Christian Maldamé another French’s Bronze Medal. In constant weight without Palm, Morgan bourch’his a French is bronze medal. Aurore Asso, the Niçoise is 5th in constant weight and Brigitte Banégas beat the record of France in constant weight without Palm. For pool in Italy, another French, Frédéric Sessa becomes champion of the world of dynamic apnea without Palm and J Michel Pradon is 5th for static apnea.
2012, AIDA celebrates 20 years. Claude Chapuis organises the 8th Championship of the world by team in Villefranche-sur-Mer, A cradle. I.D.A and modern apnea. There are 140 Athletes representing 33 countries of the unheard. The newcomers are Israel, the Algeria, Malaysia, Cyprus, Mexico, the Ukraine, the United Arab Emirates. Guillaume Néry managed to achieve in team competition the depth of 114 m in constant weight, 14 m more than the regulator of the world, Alexey Molchanov record that he realizes that 100 m. In men these are the Croats who earn, the french are second and third Czechs. Natalia Molchanova women, although that disqualified by weight constant remains the great Lady of apnea. In the end the Japanese prevails before the France and the Serbia.
2013: The AIDA indoor takes place in Belgrade, Serbia. Women Natalia Molanova crushes all his opponents with 3 world records, a snorkeling at more than 9′, 234 m in dynamics with Palm and 182 without Palm. In men, Goran Colak dominates everything with a record of world dynamics with Palm to 281 m and dynamlique without Palm with 206 m. He wins the static with 8’59, a less than Natalia performance, a first since the creation of AIDA international.
The World Cup helped depth takes place in Kalamata in Greece. Natalia Molchanova all wins and set a new record in free immersion with 91 m.
In men, the son of Natalia, Alexey WINS in constant weight with 128 m, new record. William Trubridge WINS in free immersion, but it is a french, Morgan Bourc’his earning in constant weight without Palm.
2014: The AIDA World Team Championship takes place in Italy to Cagliari in Sardinia. The victorious Japanese in Nice seem hard to beat but in the men’s competition remains very open.
Retrieves a text of Claude Chapuis, see full text here:
https://docs.Google.com/file/d/0B1pYqInjWjlmbkFFVmNIWE85MTQ/edit?PLI=1