Freediving Champion Pipin Ferreras
We asked Pipin some questions right after Patrick Musimu’s new world record in constant ballast organized by IAFD (Dominican Republic 04/20/2002).
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| Photo Credit: www.iafdusa.com – Pipin with Bob Talbot, director of Oceanmen |
AM: Great day in Dominican Republic. Patrick’s task wasn’t easy at all, but he did a wonderful -87 in constant ballast. You and Audrey have had problems with a flu some days before the attempt but at last you made it: 103 mt in Tandem mixed. Would you share with our readers some impressions on this amazing IAFD day?
Pipin Ferreras: Patrick achieved an amazing immersion in spite of all the problems and discussions we had. Since he wasn’t involved at all in the organization of the event or in the technical aspect of it, he had the chance to focus 100% in his record and meet his goal.
Regarding the Tandem dive with Audrey, it was relatively easy, although we both had the flu. The week before, we had trained with Emmy, whom initially was going to make a Tandem dive with Audrey to ’92 meters, but since she was also sick, she could not achieve this. The best that happened during this event in Dominican Republic was that the IAFD is becoming stronger and more professional to organize and realize events of such a big magnitude as this one. The IAFD is also acquiring more control of the logistical and technical aspects of a record in spite of its category, depth or complexity.
You are a living legend of freediving, always trying to reach human limits in the depths of the sea. What are your goals before giving up with record attempts? And what are the main problems you’ll have to face to reach them?
My personal goal is to reach -201 meters in the next 5 years. At this moment, I’m 40 years old, and I’m thinking on retiring at 45. But for me, it is more important to produce a Female version of the movie OceanMen. This version is already registered as OceanWomen. I would also like for women to reach ‘175 meters before I retire. The biggest problem we find now is the logistic involved obtaining assistance at these depths. Maybe that would be the most difficult barrier to surpass.
Nowadays there are many freediver who can dive really deep and set w.rs and this is good for freediving, but…on the other hand media and public need Oceanmen like Maiorca & Mayol or you and Umberto. Do you think that the end of “Oceanmen era” is going to affect freediving in a bad way?
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| Photo Credit: www.iafdusa.com – Pipin and Patrick Musimu |
I think I covered this point in the last answer. I feel that it is more necessary to create the new area of OceanWomen. This would be the light that will ignite the new era of OceanMen.
Who are they? We still don’t know, but I’m convinced that they will show up, and that is why both the IAFD and myself are putting so much effort to it.
IAFD is making great efforts in order to promote our sport. Courses, stages, records, big media events: that’s exactly what we need to grow. What about competitions? Is IAFD going to organize any sort of international competition?
Yes, we are organizing for the first time a freediving championship, titled IAFD DIVE OFF. You can check it out in our web page. We didn’t do it before because during the past 4 years we had been proposing AIDA to take care of the organization of events and validation of records, while we took care of the educational part of apnea. We waited for many years hoping to reach an agreement. We wanted to give them access to our manuals and classes, and have access to their events and records data. We could never reach an agreement, especially on the latter. This grabbed our attention and we started to investigate closely what was happening. When we found errors, doubtful homologations of Records and injustice, we decided to start doing records, homologations and events by ourselves as well as the educational part. To get a wider view of what happened between AIDA and IAFD, you can check our web page.
Talking about the future of freediving I want to ask you a question about the relationship among the various organizations. On IAFD website there are many documents about the countroversy between IAFD and AIDA: freediver against freediver, champion against champion. What do you think is going to happen? When will we find a way to work all together in order to promote our sport with respect for other peolpe’s job? Don’t you think that great champions like you and Umberto might find together a solution to these problems?
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| Photo Credit: www.iafdusa.com – Pipin is also a great spearfisher |
I have always tried to work along other people, always respecting everybody. Let me remind you that we have organized events for Loic Leferme, Benjamin Franz, Mandy Cruickshank and Karoline Dal Toe, just to mention a few of the most recent events. I have worked with, and know very well, Enzo Maiorca, Jacques Mayol, Deborah Andollo…among others, and I have never had problems with any of them, on the contrary, I still have a friendly relationship with each one of them
Now, after having worked with Patrick Musimu during our trip to Dominican Republic, and observing the ‘champion wanna be’ attitude that many freedivers of this decade have, I understand why Umberto decided to retire: in order to avoid dealing with them. I know that if Umberto has the interest to find a way to promote our sport and keep apnea growing, he can do it without a problem. Now, if he decides to retire completely and have nothing else to do with diving, I also understand. While working with Patrick, his attitude made me want to quit and concentrate exclusively in my career and Audrey’s. After everything I organized at no cost for him, with the only purpose of helping a new apneist, give him the opportunity of starting well his career, opportunity that I didn’t have at the beginning of my career because I didn’t have any help, I still haven’t received the only thing I expected from him, a simple word: Thank you. I’m still waiting for it.
After -131 in Capri (recognized by IAFD) Umberto left competitions and records, but he said (and told us, too) he would accept to compete with you in ALL the disciplines at once: static, constant, variable, no limits. What do you say? Is that possible?
Ja’Ja’Ja’ This is never going to happen. I cannot do such a stupid thing as what Umberto is proposing. Not for all the money or publicity of the world. He knows that, at the beginning, when we still were friends, he had the opportunity of measure himself against me in a friendly way. The rivalry between us blinded his ego and this ended our friendship. If his hatred for me reaches a point in which he would be happy by me accepting a challenge, the only way I would accept it is, as I already proposed to him, in a boxing ring, with boxing gloves and hats, to avoid hurting each other too much. I think this is funnier and even more satisfactory for him, than to make the mistake of embarking in an Apnea competition, where, without a doubt, any or both of us will end up suffe ring irreparable damages that will keep us from doing what I love and respect most: Apnea.
Would you like to tell us something about Pipin Productions?
Regarding Pipin Productions, we are focused in finding the remaining financing to produce OceanWomen.
Thanks, Pipin
Category: Articoli, English, Freediving
