TARPON SPRINGS, Fla. — Athos Karistinos, 18 of Tarpon Springs, retrieved the cross at the 120th Epiphany Day cross dive.
Tampa Bay 28 reporter Erik Waxler was at Spring Bayou as Karistinos triumphantly emerged from the water with the cross.
Watch the world-famous cross drive 2026
The tradition brings crowds to Spring Bayou, where members of the Greek Orthodox community gather for prayer, the release of a dove and the ceremonial dive for the Epiphany cross.
WATCH: Tarpon Springs 18-year-old retrieves cross at 120th Epiphany cross dive
This year, more than 70 young men raced into the water and onto boats as spectators packed the waterfront. The dive ended with 18-year-old Athos Karistinos retrieving the cross from the bay.
"I saw the glow, and it was there, and I grabbed it,” he said.
On the dock, family members and fellow divers shouted the Greek word, “Axois,” meaning “worthy and deserving,” as Karistinos emerged from the water.
"It's a big blessing. Tremendous blessing,” said his younger brother Stasi. “I always knew he could do it."
Karistinos, a senior at Palm Harbor University, was lifted onto the shoulders of other divers for the walk back to St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Cathedral, where he reflected on the moment.
"I'm so overwhelmed but in a good way."
Karistinos is the latest member of his family to retrieve the Epiphany cross. His father did so in 1991, along with his uncle and two cousins.
"I've always felt blessed, and that was just another extra part of my life that I could look back to and always feel blessed about, and now my son gets to feel the same way,” said Anestis.
Karistinos said he did not train specifically for the event, beyond growing up on the water.
"This has a lot of tradition and a lot of meaning to me, and it's hard to explain, but it is a blessing."
The Epiphany commemorates the baptism of Jesus, and tradition holds that the diver who retrieves the cross will receive a year of good fortune.
The Epiphany celebration dates back more than a century and reflects Tarpon Springs’ strong Greek Orthodox faith and its deep connection to the water. For many families, the event is about honoring heritage and continuing traditions passed down through generations.
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