When it comes to making a splash, technique tops brute force.
In the competitive sport of Manu jumping, a flamboyant, cannonball-style splash sport from the Māori and Pasifika communities of New Zealand, the secret to record-setting splashes hinges on a butt-first, V-shaped entry and a well-timed, underwater follow through, researchers report May 16 in Interface Focus.
The insights could help athletes vying for glory at the Z Manu World Champs competition or simply liven up a backyard pool party. But they may also inform aerospace engineering, aiding in the design of hull shapes or impact angles for smoother, safer spacecraft splashdowns, says Tadd Truscott, a fluid dynamics researcher at