INDIVIDUAL: Vincent Comparetto
GROUP SIZE: Many
NATURE OF GROUP: Children
INCIDENCE OF SOCIOMETRY: Individual Expression and The Art of Diving

The diving board represents the fundamental instrument that inspires athletic expression in the public swimming pool setting. Due to lofty insurance premiums and lawsuit potentials, the diving board has unfortunately become an endangered species.



This past summer I managed to locate a pool that transcends many of these contemporary fears. Just entering the beautiful setting, tucked away in the small canyon town of Eldorado Springs, would transport anyone to a timeless state. Many children lined up at the diving board anxious to demonstrate a creative performance that seems best described as "improvisational gymnastics". As a result of the children's unawarenes of what is deemed "appropriate behavior", a greater variety of expression existed in this subject group compared with the sun-worshiping housewives at the pool's edge. The lack of data available to the young divers coupled with the lack of practiced systems of etiquette has allowed them to exercise greater individuality.

The name of the instrument "diving board" implies a certain approach, but the children rarely dove. Many would not even exit the board from their feet, preferring a form of cartwheel. It was apparent that many of the adults were inspired by this freedom and began to emulate a more relaxed manner, leaving the safety of their magazines and gossip to brave the unpredictable effects of gravity. It was affirming to witness a sanctuary that embraced behavior that many tenets of modern society have deemed too dangerous for the general public.