DAVID GREENE, HOST:
It's hard to believe, but summer is winding down already. There are only a couple weeks left, which makes all of those summer moments even more special - enjoying a Popsicle, laying by the pool.
NOEL KING, HOST:
But for people who would rather be jumping or flopping into the pool, there's the dodsing world championship this Saturday in Norway.
GREENE: The word dodsing itself is derived from the Norwegian word for death. But just hang on with me here for one second. It's essentially belly-flopping. And they get really into it in Norway. Let's take a listen to some sound of a competition.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
UNIDENTIFIED CROWD: (Cheering).
(SOUNDBITE OF SPLASH)
UNIDENTIFIED ANNOUNCER #1: (Foreign language spoken).
GREENE: There is actually walkout music for people taking part in this. You heard the Chili Peppers there. They've got commentators.
KING: All right. So in the classic version, contestants hurl themselves off a 10-meter platform, and then they make their body stiff as a board until, right at the last second, they curl up, and they belly-flop.
GREENE: Ouch.
KING: (Laughter).
GREENE: There is also a freestyle version of this, like the ones many of us did as kids - not always intentionally. But in this one, you do an acrobatic trick before you fall into the water. No matter the category here, this competition is fierce.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
UNIDENTIFIED CROWD: (Cheering).
UNIDENTIFIED ANNOUNCER #2: That's how you do a clean death dive. You could see how he has so much control in the air.
KING: A clean death dive, he said. Last year's winner, Truls Torp, has been practicing all summer in the hopes of reclaiming his title.
GREENE: I just can't believe there are commentators for this.
KING: (Laughter).
GREENE: There have been no warmup events for this all around Norway, so plenty of training, and he is still a teenager, so he'll have lots of chances to compete again, even if his performance this year flops. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.