DUBAI, Oct 5 — Dubai's Palm Island Drop Zone will host Fazza freediving champion Branko Petrovic in his upcoming attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the longest breath-hold underwater at the first-ever extreme sports exposition in the Middle East.

The record for prolonged submersion, also called static apnea, of 11 minutes and 35 seconds was set in 2009 by Frenchman Stephane Mifsud.

"I am very confident that I can break the existing world record," says Petrovic. "The Guinness World Records in static apnea were set while freedivers hold their breath on the surface of a swimming pool. At the Fazza Freediving Championships we need to hold our breath, dive down to four meters and ascend to the surface once we have reached our limits which make it arguably the most challenging breath hold tournament in the world."

Although the event, sponsored by Spearo freediving and spearfishing magazine, plans to showcase many extreme sports and products, it's clear that the static apnea contest is the most anticipated item on the schedule at Sky Dive Dubai, set for October 9 to 11.

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Heart-pumping sports to be featured at the expo include kite surfing, skydiving, paragliding, paramotor and spearfishing.

New products to be showcased include the Dual Tracked Vehicle (DTV) Shredder from BPG Works, the first stand up ATV. The Sky V Flying Monocoque, a prototype single seater plane with cubic wings, will also make an appearance, as will Dream Jump, a free-jumping assist system that maximizes air time with its system of ropes and pulleys.

Demonstrations are planned for sky diving tandem jumps and visitors can get the lowdown on what gear, courses and certification they will need for that and other extreme sports.

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Those who cannot make it to Dubai for the event can watch videos on the event's Facebook page and on Spearo's YouTube channel. Additionally, the Dubai Sports Channel will cover the free diving contest on TV. — AFP-Relaxnews