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The Business of High Diving Shows
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Professional High Diving captured the breath and hearts of a worldwide audience on ABC’s Wide World of Sports for nearly thirty years. To commemorate that extraordinary history, KEG has compiled an unprecedented archive of captivating narratives and fascinating memorabilia for a series of upcoming books and television documentaries. These intriguing media productions, which will introduce High Diving and the fabulous era of Water Show Productions to a new generation of unfamiliar fans, features a behind-the-scenes look at the inimitable business and invites its audience to revisit the mesmerizing motif of the spectacular aquatic phenomenon.
A long list of prominent Competitors and Water Show Icons share enthralling in-depth stories and epic recollections, all of which is captured on broadcast-quality film. The series of books and television documentaries will provide the public with a comprehensive depiction of the remarkable water show business, the sport of professional diving and the implausible life-story of High Diving Superstar Dana Kunze.
While water shows remain some of the highest rated productions at various casinos on the strip in Las Vegas, public interest in swimming and diving (the original extreme sport) has experienced an uncharacteristic and rather bizarre decline. The consensus of all KEG participants is that the America’s previous long-standing fascination with aquatics can be re-instilled and enhanced to surpass the lure of today’s other so-called ‘extreme sports’.
KEG is owned and operated by Dana Kunze, the CEO, and Dave Lindsay, the President and Chief Writer. The two men are spearheading a collaborative nationwide effort to regenerate public appeal and the entertainment value of professional diving, swimming and water show productions. They recognize that theirs is a considerable undertaking, but Dana and Dave feel strongly that as the two most accomplished divers in the sport; if we don’t make a genuine effort to preserve and rejuvenate the sport...who will?
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At present, and in addition to Dana’s NEW WORLD RECORD ATTEMPT, three literary works and related television documentaries are in the process of being developed for prompt release. Their first book features an in-depth biographical account of Dana's incredible road to success and his phenomenal life story. “Going Up” is scheduled for release in early 2010.
In January 2009, KEG hosted its first videotape recording session in St. Louis. In attendance were some of the sport's premier performers and competitors from as far back as the 1940s. The Participants included such historical figures as; Rick White - Acapulco Cliff Diving Champion, Johnny Bower - one of the most celebrated water show comedians in the business, John Carney - Acapulco Cliff Diver - Comedian - An icon of the Famed Steel Pier in New Jersey, Hobie Billingsley - Olympic Diving Coach, Bob Kerper - Author of 'Splash', Dana Kunze and Dave Lindsay.
Dave has since interviewed such prominent figures from the wonderful world of aquatics as; Olympic Gold Medalists...Micki King, Adolph Kiefer and Cynthia Potter. Other videotaping sessions included such acclaimed icons as; Dene & Vic Whitaker, Don Columbo, ‘Crazy’ Pete DiCroce, Trampolinist - Dick Gutting, Tom Gumpf, US Olympic Coach - Dave Burgering, John Deininger, John Spannuth, Lucky West and John Tobler. And many more sessions are currently being scheduled.
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KEG OBJECTIVES
THREE literary works are presently scheduled to be written by Dave Lindsay. The books are planned for prompt publication and will be distributed in a carefully planned timeframe that will coincide with specific televised sporting events.
BOOK I Dave will be writing a biographical book about the fascinating life-story of Dana Kunze, the most accomplished high diver in sports history. From the start of his career at the age of thirteen and the tragic circumstances that prompted its beginning to his rise as the world leader in aquatic entertainment productions are fully and carefully chronicled.
BOOK II A pictorial piece detailing the outlandish history of one of the world’s most dangerous and truly unique sports, professional high diving. The good and the bad as well as the beautiful and its ugliest aspects are brought to light. Memorabilia and narrative interviews with former producers, directors, performers and competitors serve up a feast of fascinating behind the scenes antics and on stage performances.
BOOK III The fabulous history of water show productions, which date back to the early 1900s, as told in colorful narratives by the people who created it. Although our focus will be primarily on the diving-related shows and the latter years, we’ll also delve well into the prominent era of aqua shows that featured such stars as; Johnny Weissmuller, Esther Williams, Buster Crabbe and Adolph Kiefer as well as the fascinating shows produced by Billy Rose, Al Sheehan, Elliot Murphy, Henry Scoff, Bob & Norma Maxwell and others.
HISTORICAL FILM DOCUMENTARIES
THREE made-for-TV documentaries are docketed to carefully coincide with distribution and development of the proposed literary works.
Click the link below to watch excerpts of our informal and unedited participant videos
"Video Teasers"
NEW COMPETITON FORMATS FOR THE SPORT
KEG will lead a campaign to develop an EXTREME SPORT approach to the former and less appealing competition format that has plagued the sport of diving in the past. With the assistance and input of the world’s foremost experts in the field, KEG will develop a NEW fast-paced action-oriented format geared to appeal to the up & coming X-Generation of fans, today's sports-television networks and tomorrow's major corporate sponsorship programs.
Although many different events are under consideration, KEG will initially focus on such events as; High Diving (80’, 90’ & 100’), Cliff Diving, Springboard, Tower, Synchronized Diving and select opportunities for qualified individuals to break the World Record for the highest dive.
UNPRECEDENTED SUPPORT
In its quest to revamp public interest, KEG has secured the unencumbered support of leading organizations such as; the International Swimming Hall of Fame, U.S.A. Diving and the World Acrobatic Society. The efforts are also supported by a growing list of industry entertainment professionals with immediate access to valuable resources that until now did not exist. That and a long list of contributing participants make the foreseeable success of these endeavors even more viable. All indications are that KEG is on track to achieve all of its objectives.
MEMORABILIA
KEG is also compiling an elite archive of early-era memorabilia; photos, film footage, swimwear, costumes, posters and show programs. Items such as these have been hidden away in the closets of dated performers for far too many years. When combined with our phenomenal anthology from a wide array of water show and high diving eras, the results are expected to be nothing short of spectacular.
PLEASE JOIN US
Feedback, advice and guidance from professionals in the media-related industries have prompted us to move forward with unbridled conviction. We sincerely hope you'll join us in this unprecedented effort. If KEG is successful, the exceeding benefits will serve to enhance the future of all aquatic sports and other progressively related ventures.
Our primary goal is to illustrate the exhilarating lure and mystic of high diving and water shows in a series of television documentaries commensurate with those seen on HBO, the History Channel and the Discovery Channel. Although most of the data compiled has been captured on broadcast-quality video, time constraints of a TV documentary prevent us from including all of the narratives. Many of the stories excluded from the TV Documentaries will be incorporated into KEG's literary publications.
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Click the link below to watch excerpts of our informal and unedited participant videos
"Video Teasers"
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| Dana Kunze - CEO Kunze Entertaiment Group |
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| Dave Lindsay - President Kunze Entertainment Group |
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KEG Literary ProjectsClick to learn more about books in progress by Dave LindsayDL Books
Kunze Entertainment Group, LLC
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