The Clanfe Olympics returns to splash live.
After two compulsory online editions, the the most fun, light-hearted and wet event of the summer is finally back in presence.
Registration has already started (exclusively on the site www.spiz.it within Thursday 28 July) for the fifteenth edition of the Olimpiade dele Clanfe, strictly with one L to underline the bond and affection towards the dialect of the city of Trieste, scheduled for Saturday 30 July from 1pm at the Ausonia bathing establishment.
After two years in which the event was held online due to the limitations caused by the pandemic, the clanfadori will finally be able to return to more suitable stages, namely the Ausonia Establishment, the historical venue of the Olympics.
As the pool with diving boards is still unavailable, this year's diving will take place on the other side, with a fixed platform, which pleases the true purists of clanfe, that have always been performed from rocks, jetties or the "topolini" terraces.
Big revolution in the jury, for the first time in history renewed in all its six elements and totally female.
One prominent name is Elisa Cosetti, athlete of Triestina Nuoto, the first Italian woman to dive from 20 meters at the age of 19 and to qualify for the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Championships in Japan.
At her side the actress Zita Fusco, the journalist Giulia Basso, the writer Francesca Sarocchi, the illustrator Nicole Vascotto, author of Laila impara el triestin, and, last but not least, the Davidina, whose real name Davide Destradi reveals a small stain in the total pink of the jury.
The jury, it is worth mentioning, is corruptible, yes, but only with food and drinks, a choice that has accompanied the Olympics since its first edition, to be ironic, of course, but at the same time to make the public aware of this unpleasant issue. The corruptor of the Clanfe Olympics must indeed have the courage to declare the crime and self-denounce. And when there is too much corruption, the 'people-spectator' is invited to rebel by going to feed and quench their thirst at the table of the corrupt.
The formula of the event is tried and tested: each participant proposes a dive of his o her choice among those of the local bathing tradition: clanfa, bomba or testabalòn (kamikaze), seasoning it with variations of style ranging from applause in flight, battle screams, somersaults, twists, cloaks, disguises and much more. The jury's task is to evaluate both the technique and the height reached by the spurt, the true goal of the "clanfadori".
A vote also goes to the "morbin", for the ability shown in entertaining the public by performing some choreography worthy of the best summer carnival.
In practice it is the vote for the artistic performance.
Over the years there have been those who have dived dressed as skiers, those who pedalled on a tricycle, those who attempted to take flight with helium balloons and those who were even, completely covered in eggs and flour.
The Olympics, born almost by chance in 2008, was immediately a great success, so much so that it grew exponentially both in popular consensus and in the number of members.
The first edition had about sixty divers, now the competitors are around 200.
Which means about four hours of guaranteed entertainment and fun.
The Olympics embraces a wide range of generations, with participants ranging from 4 to 82 years old.
«If you like, this is precisely the secret of the event behind which there is a great commitment and a considerable amount of work by all the members of SPIZ Association of Social Promotion. - explains Mauro Vascotto, patron of the event - That is, bringing together different generations and entire families: fathers and children, but also grandparents and grandchildren, often dive in side by side. The philosophy must be to cement family relationships but also friendships, in the spirit of competition, but above all of the typical morbin triestin».
Participants are divided into categories based on age: there are pici, up to 11 years old, muletes, from 12 to 15, mules (16-25), muloni (26-40), mati and babe (41-50) and finally the vece bobe and the vece marantighe. Those who perform particularly complex dives then end up in the UFO category.
The prices? The king and queen will take home a themed bracelet and pendant, as well as the rich gift cards of the Torri d'Europa Shopping Center, books, games, beach towels, bottles of wine and beer, packages of typical sweets, massages and much more, offered by the generous sponsors of the event.
