|
Mostar Bridge re-opens for “dive” traffic International diving stars join local enthusiasts for inaugural jump
One week after the official opening of the historic Mostar Bridge held under such strict security that locals could only watch it on television, thousands turned out to line the banks of the Neretva River to watch the return of probably the world’s oldest high diving competition, this and last year titled the “Red Bull Ikari 2004”.
This year, international cliff diving champions joined local heroes to leap the 21 meters from the top of the graceful 438-year old Stari Most (Old Bridge) in a competition that was filled with nostalgia, passion and threads of hope that the now restored bridge will help to help the wounds of a terrible war that claimed 260,000 lives and displaced 1.8 million people.
More than just a sporting event
“It was awesome,” said former world number in the extreme sport of cliff diving, Australia’s Joe Zuber. “It was really a special day and it was a great honor to take part in such a historic jump.”
Zuber and six-times World Champion, Colombian Orlando Duque joined local competitors and to the enthusiasm of the crowd, leapt together for their final plunge. They jumped out of competition, preferring to leave the glory to the local competitors.
“There was a huge crowd and it was very emotional, “Zuber said. “We all threw flowers into the water for the people who had died in the war, including some of the former divers.”
In another symbolic gesture of the desire to heal war wounds, Serb diver Zvezdan Grozdic, a 36-year-old fireman who first leapt from the ridge in 1988, also joined the out of competition divers. Grozdic also managed to jump on occasions during the war. ”It was the only chance I had to feel free; like a human being,” he recalled. |
 |
Video |
Steeped in tradition
Observers say jumping from Stari Most, a rite of passion for the town’s youth, goes back hundreds of years. Even after the graceful marble and limestone arch, a 438 monument to the architectural skills of the Ottomans, was brought down by tank artillery fire in November 1993, the competition still continued from a platform rigged on the shattered span. Prior to the war, the competition was a highlight of the summer in former Yugoslavia, nationally televised and followed with great interest. The town of Mostar, which was named for the bridge, is only 70 km from Sarajevo and remains deeply divided. Many are hoping that the restoration and the enthusiasm shown for the annual diving competition will help to heal deep wounds.
Veteran jumpers join competition
More than 75 competitors made the leap on Saturday, including three veterans of 70. Glory on the day went to local hero Haris Dzemat, 29, to complete his sixth victory. Arman Puzic, 25 was second and last year’s winner Lorens Listo, 24, came in third.
Taking his place among the 2004 jury was arguably the greatest ever Mostar diver, 70-year-old Emir Balic, veteran of 1000 jumps, the first when he was just 15 years old. Balic, like many people in the Bosnian town has a huge respect for the symbolism of the bridge and still recalls his horror on seeing the bridge destroyed.
”It was as if someone in my family had died,” he said.
Now 70, Balic recalls that when he first jumped at 15 he was so scared to let go the railing that the crowd had lost patience with him and gone home.
”I jumped well, and I crashed well,” Balic says when remembering that day. He still recalls crawling out of the water and resting his bruised body on the banks of the Neretva after that tough initiation. On Saturday, there were other bruised, but happy divers after the event.
Head-first into the water
Balic was a “head first” jumper. His trademark “Swallow” dive is inextricable linked to the Mostar diving competition and was chosen for the logo of the 2004 event. Mostar Divers have always been admired for their skill and daredevil spirit and Balic recalls that while soccer players earned more money, the divers were more famous. Having worked as a stuntman, Balic was also a natural choice to “fall” off the bridge as a dead man for a film shot in the ancient Bosnian town.
http://www.redbull.co.za/article.action?documentIntID=1092216814987-1026849015
