| Anyone who was ever witness to a fin swimmer | | | | by a competitor who better learned to preserve |
| sprint 50 meters gets why fin swimming is | | | | his strength throughout the race and finish strong. |
| dubbed the "Formula One" of swimming. The | | | | For all its excitement, fin swimming is still not a |
| speed is undeniably impressive! But it's not only | | | | well-known sport. Popularity is low in part because |
| that. Just like in the Formula One of motor sports, | | | | the fins, especially the extremely fast hyperfins, |
| where elegance of race cars fascinates both fans | | | | are mainly hand-crafted and thus expensive; and |
| and spectators just as much as speed, the | | | | partly because media coverage of fin swimming |
| elegance of a fin swimmer using a monofin is | | | | events is thin. Fin swimming rules and disciplines |
| unrivaled. Like a dolphin, he undulates through the | | | | have been approved by the International Olympic |
| water and it's easy to imagine him breach like the | | | | Committee in 1986 but still the sport is far from |
| sea mammal. He carves out a wake behind him | | | | any participation in these prestigious sport games. |
| like no other swimmer. His whole body becomes | | | | To be considered for participation the sport has |
| one dynamic wave that slinks through the water | | | | to first garner more popularity, as only "widely |
| like an orca. Beauty and speed, just like in Formula | | | | practiced sports" are allowed to enter into the |
| One. | | | | "mother of all sporting events". A lot of |
| Though monofins are also employed by | | | | behind-the-scenes work will have to be done to |
| free-divers to maximize and streamline their | | | | make this goal come true. |
| power while conserving energy, the real beauty | | | | The internet is one medium that already sports |
| of using these fins - which resemble a dolphin's | | | | fin swimming content. Plenty of websites exist |
| powerful tail in form and function - is exemplified | | | | where both enthusiasts and the curious can mine |
| in the speed of fin swimming. A fin swimmer in | | | | for information about the "Formula One" of |
| top form can reach more than 11 km/h (6.8 mph) | | | | swimming. Fin swimming clubs or swimming & |
| in the water, which is almost 3 km/h (1.9 mph) | | | | scuba diving clubs with fin swimming departments |
| faster than the speed of a top freestyle | | | | have their own homepages and most monofin |
| swimmer. Nonetheless, just like the swimmer the | | | | manufacturers nowadays offer their equipment |
| fin swimmer uses only his own body power to | | | | via their own internet presence. There even are |
| propell himself forward. | | | | social communities where fin swimmers and |
| But reaching these speeds takes time and plenty | | | | everyone interested in the sport can find and |
| of hard training. A Formula One driver goes | | | | meet like-minded people the world over and |
| through years of rigorous training in several | | | | exchange information. Fin swimming Wikis, Events |
| classes of the motor sport before he might be | | | | Calendars, Link Directories, Forums and, to make |
| allowed to join the "king class". Likewise a fin | | | | the sport more visual, Photo Albums can be found |
| swimmer also needs years to develop and reach | | | | all over the WWW. |
| his full potential. His body has to memorize the | | | | With the help of these dedicated websites and |
| dolphin-like movement until it is second nature and | | | | with the promotion of the sport in other medias |
| he can do it in his sleep. Small mistakes costing | | | | such as television, fin swimming has a much |
| mere hundredths of a second can make or break | | | | better chance of finally becoming an Olympic |
| a race, just like in the top class of motor sports - | | | | sport. By contrast, some fin swimming enthusiasts |
| split seconds count. | | | | believe that it is undesirable to go "Olympic", |
| The excitement of a 50 meter sprint race with | | | | maintaining that fin swimming should go the way |
| two or three fin swimmers hitting the wall at | | | | of golf or Formula One which are not Olympic |
| almost the same time is like no other in water | | | | sports yet remain extremely popular. Whatever |
| sports. But fin swimming events are raced in | | | | the personal opinion, the sport has great potential |
| various disciplines at distances ranging from 25 | | | | to become at least on par with its slower and |
| meters (usually for younger athletes) to marathon | | | | more famous cousin, classical swimming - if not |
| distance races of up to 25,000 meters in open | | | | even more so. And let us not forget that the |
| ocean or lakes. Each venue and race has its own | | | | elegance and speed of a fin swimmer evokes one |
| particular flavor and excitement. Sometimes in | | | | eternal dream of mankind: to move like a |
| long distance races, a breakout fin swimmer can | | | | mermaid or merman through the water is now |
| gain and keep the lead position for the bulk of the | | | | one step closer to being realized. |
| race only to get overtaken in the final 20 meters | | | | |