www.redbullcliffdiving.com

technical partner

“I love thIs sport because It offers a sort of feelIng that you don’t really fInd

anywhere else. It’s so pure. It’s just you and your body and

what you traIned your body to do. that almost flyIng feelIng

captured me.”Steven LoBue, USA 3rd Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series 2012

“just lIke In any other sport, there Is one event that every athlete

wants to wIn. It’s kInd of a prestIge thIng; for hIgh dIvers the world

serIes Is the top In our sport.”Orlando Duque, COL, 2nd Red Bull

Cliff Diving World Series 2012

“It was an IncredIble feelIng to wIn the tItle agaIn especIally

when you’re competIng agaInst the best dIvers In the world.”

Gary Hunt, UK, Winner Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series 2010, 2011 and 2012

“the world serIes Is more than just a clIff dIvIng event. you have to be able to handle all the clImbIng up rocks,

traverse through forests, go through rIvers; you got to do

all kInds of crazy stuff, that Is what makes It so

specIal and unIque.” David Colturi, USA, 5th Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series 2012

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no protection & no additional machinery

hitting speeds of 85kph in a swimsuit

tripling the height of the olympic high dive

executing acrobatic dives from jaw-dropping

27 metres in 3 seconds

the world’s best cliff divers come to

a cliff near you in 2013.

Man versus gravity

2

introduction

Cliff diving is the purest extreme sport on earth. Ten of the world’s best cliff divers and up to four wildcards per stop launch from 27 metres without any protection, except their concentration, skill and physical control. They add flips and twists to their freefall and hit the water three seconds later. As the pinnacle of cliff diving competitions, the 2013 Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series is once again the platform for breathtaking action and beyond-belief complexity, spotlighting the sport’s top athletes as well as young talent. In its fifth season, the World Series title is decided during eight competitions across Europe, Asia, North and South America between May and October.

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kph,aesthetic gravity-defying freefall

4

calendar

4

8 THAILAND KRABI PROVINCE

several locationsOCTOBER 21-26

5 USA BOstONInstitute of Contemporary Art

AUGUST 23-24

6 UK sOuth WAlEsPembrokeshire / st. David’s

SEPTEMBER 13-14

7 BRAZIL NItÉROI, RIOIcaraí Beach

SEPTEMBER 27-28

2013 Red Bull Cliff diving WoRld SeRieS aRound the WoRld

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1 FRANCE lA ROChEllEst. Nicolas towerMAY 24-25

2 DENMARK COPENhAgENOpera houseJUNE 21-22

3 PORTUGAL AZOREs, s. MIguEl Vila Franca do Campo Islet JUNE 28-29

4 ITALY MAlCEsINEscaliger CastleJULY 13-14

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Review

2009 Eight competitions in eight countries, almost 300 dives and 7,488m of freefall at 85km/h in three-second flights – the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series 2009 and a selected group of the world’s best high divers set a real standard for what cliff diving is about and re-defined the limits of this sport. Never before have athletes jumped from the 26-metre platform in eight successive stops. Between May and September competitions were hosted in La Rochelle (FRA), Rotterdam (NED), Dubrovnik (CRO), Polignano a Mare (ITA), Antalya (TUR), Hamburg (GER), Sisikon (SUI) and Athens (GRE). With physical mastery and pure aesthetics on the platform, and crackling tension among the spectators, the traditional sport of cliff diving leapt into a new era. And it was nine-time world champion Orlando Duque, from Colombia, who was crowned

winner after his fourth place finish in Athens on September 20, taking the World Series Champion title in a photo finish.

FINAL RESULTS 20091 Orlando Duque COL 1272 Gary Hunt GBR 1273 Artem Silchenko RUS 111

2010 In its second year, the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series took the next breathtaking step and led its protagonists in six competitions from Europe – La Rochelle (FRA), Kragerø (NOR), Polignano a Mare (ITA), Sisikon (SUI) – to Central America – Yucatán (MEX) – to the sport’s birthplace in Hawaii (USA) for the grand finale. After more than 20,000 miles travelled, almost 200 flights and 17,263.45 points awarded, the 2010 Red Bull Cliff Diving

The hisTory of cliff diving & The red Bull cliff diving World series

Back in TimeIt was from a rock made of lava that the last independent chief of the Hawaiian island of Maui, King Kahekili, jumped in the late 1700s. He used cliff diving as an initiation rite for his warriors. He challenged them to follow his example by jumping off cliffs in an effort to prove their loyalty.Ever since then, the site of ‘Kahekili’s Leap’ has been regarded as the birthplace of the majestic sport of cliff diving. ‘Mana’ and ‘pono’, power and balance – these old Hawaiian principles were applied when lele kawa, diving off cliffs, was born on the islands in the midst of the Pacific back in the 18th century – principles that have been upheld and are today prerequisites for the sport of high diving.Despite its long tradition, diving from heights of around 27m, the equivalent of an eight-storey building, remained largely in the shadows until the start of a series of competitions in May 2009, featuring the world’s best high divers. A series that has since pushed the limits of the sport and impressed close to half a million of spectators worldwide. Each year, a handpicked group of high divers from up to ten different countries between 23 and 46 years of age have competed in 28 competitions in the first four seasons.

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World Series staged its final showdown at the Kawainui Falls on Hawaii’s ‚Big Island’ on September 12. In a spine-tingling competition, reigning World Series champion Orlando Duque took his first season victory and handed over the title to Gary Hunt. The year’s dominator took four wins out of six in only his third year of high diving and took the crown from Colombia to England.Season II brought about innovations in the competition format as well as in the diving itself: new dives, more difficulty, more focus and an obvious challenge to the throne by an up-and-coming generation of high divers.

FINAL RESULTS 20101 Gary Hunt GBR 1092 Orlando Duque COL 943 Artem Silchenko RUS 80

2011 Between March and September the World Series travelled from the remote Island of Rapa Nui (Chile) to Central (Mexico) and North America (USA) and Europe (Greece, France, Italy, Ukraine). The third season saw three different winners in seven challenging competitions, featured three rookies and a lot of other surprises along the way: a tsunami evacuation in Easter Island, the injury of the two-times winner Orlando Duque in April, wind gusts up to 80kph in France on competition day, lightning in Boston that interrupted the opening round and a successful season wrap up on the shore of the Black Sea, where the ‘brilliant Brit’ Gary Hunt defended his overall title. At the great showdown on the Crimean peninsula Russia’s Artem Silchenko broke a personal and a World Series record by receiving three 10s for one dive and more than 500 points in total.

FINAL RESULTS 20111 Gary Hunt GBR 1252 Artem Silchenko RUS 913 Michal Navratil CZE 77

2012 Three years after its inception, the World Series is established as the pinnacle of high diving competition. In 2012 this unique championship was once more the platform for the world’s most dizzying dives in seven stops between June and September in Europe, North America and the Middle East. Eleven athletes competed head-to-head for the prestigious title and spread the spirit of cliff diving all over the globe. The showdown in Oman was a battle until the very last dive. Gary Hunt had just set the day’s high score of 173.25 points and the pressure was on Orlando Duque, who had the honour of taking the season’s last plunge at Wadi Shab. As soon as the Colombian had hit the water it was clear that the higher degree of difficulty had paid off for the Brit, as the judges awarded the same number of points to the two contenders, crowning Gary Hunt with the World Series championship title for the third time.Almost 300 competition dives, seven different podium finishers and four winners’ faces in natural, urban, remote and unique venues made the fourth season the most awe-inspiring to date.

FINAL RESULTS 20121 Gary Hunt GBR 8602 Orlando Duque COL 8403 Steven LoBue USA 740

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fascination

8

On the one hand, it’s mere numbers: 27 metres, three seconds and at least 85kph. On the other, it is pure, thrilling and exudes a fascination that is spreading around the globe. Put all together, cliff diving is the equivalent of jumping from an eight-storey building, accelerating faster than a sports car, twisting and flipping aesthetically, and then bringing yourself to a stop in less than five metres and walking away in perfect health. Overwhelming and captivating.

The height for a World Series competition ranges between 26.5m and 28m for the simple reason that it allows the athletes to do more difficult dives during their three-second flights. With 25m, a lot of the dives the cliff diving elite do would be difficult to squeeze in, whereas every metre above 27, the impact increases massively. Gary Hunt, the three-time winner of the World Series, calls it “the compromise we found between enough height to fit in a lot of somersaults and twists and somewhere where our bodies can handle the impact.” Orlando Duque’s (COL) horizontal comparison makes things even clearer: “If you’re going 85kph in your car two metres takes you nothing, five metres takes you nothing, even 10 metres takes you nothing. So if we went to 35m we’d gain 0.3 seconds and that’s not a lot of time to add to your manoeuvres; only the impact is much harder. Even if we could go higher it would not add

much besides a higher risk and more danger to the diver. I think we have gotten to the level where there is still a lot of risk but somehow we can control it.”After accelerating from 0-85kph within three seconds, the impact of the water entry brings the diver’s body to a complete stop in about a second. “You hit the water so fast that the water stops you equally as fast. If you just jump off the side of a pool and you go straight down you might probably go pretty deep. But if you go higher just the tension of the surface breaks it up and you scoop and only go three metres,” says US diver Kent De Mond. For nine-time world champion Duque it’s an “extreme deceleration. Within one and a half seconds you’ve stopped. The body goes through a lot of tension upon entry and it hurts every time, even when you do a good dive, but you don’t feel it until much later. It’s almost like a car crash where you walk away.”

Before this ‘walking away’, however, comes the acrobatic and aesthetic part of the freefall and it all starts on a small strip of grip tape 27m above the water with the take-off – get it wrong and it shows with the rest of the dive. “The speed needs to be perfect, the jump has to be perfect, the mind has to be ready. You need to have that fear and control in check,” acknowledges cliff diving expert Joey Zuber. For Russia’s Artem Silchenko this is “the moment of your life. You stand there and you are ready.”

AT ITS MOST EXHILARATINGWhat is cliff diving?

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Ready to do the twist, one of the most complicated moves in cliff diving. Adding more twists increases the Degree of Difficulty of the dive. And the top athletes can pull off up to four twists a second. “You start out wide with your arms like a figure skater and then you come in tight; you want to have a long, straight, tight, pretty line, with pointed toes. Once you’re initiating and you wrap in tight, it goes really, really fast,” explains 24-year-old David Colturi who is said to be one of the fastest twisters in the cliff diving scene.

In order to add a perfect ending to a dive, the athletes have to break the surface with as little splash as possible and be streamlined like a bird. The move that makes this possible is called a barani; undoubtedly the most important part of the dive besides the take-off. This perfect control mechanism allows the divers to hit the water safely and is essentially one forward somersault with half a twist. It is used in cliff diving as opposed to regular 10-metre diving where the athletes hit the water head-first. Spinning at high speeds from heights comparable to an eight-storey building it is very easy to lose orientation

but the barani gives the divers the chance to bend at their waist and look at the water as they do it. This is the moment when they have the chance to control the dive prior to entry.Cliff diving is definitely one of the purest sports on earth and holds a fascination for doers as well as watchers. For 38-year-old Duque a lot of this lies in the impact: “Above water it’s really fast what happens, then you can hear a loud bang and all of a sudden you are under water and everything is quiet. And all you hear is the bubbles around you. It’s surreal. The impact, the adrenaline, everything that is happening to your body is a big rush that you feel. This contrast of being scared while jumping in the air, the speed and then in the water is what makes us completely happy. That’s what gets us divers into the sport more and more.” Those who have come into the sport only recently got infected by the cliff diving bug very quickly, as 2011 rookie Steven LoBue confirms: “I love this sport because it offers a sort of feeling that you don’t really find anywhere else. It’s so pure. It’s just you and your body and what you trained your body to do. That almost flying feeling captured me.”

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world series

10

The Red Bull Cliff diving WoRld SeRieS haS neveR Been aS young aS in iTS fifTh yeaR. The age aveRage of 27.9 yeaRS iS The loWeST To daTe and pRomiSeS anoTheR yeaR of Rapid evoluTion of one of The moST BReaThTaking of all SpoRTS. neW RuleS, a BunCh of neW diveRS and exCiTing innovaTionS – find The haRd faCTS of The WoRld SeRieS on The folloWing pageS and dive inTo The 2013 SeaSon.

QualificationEight dives to match technique and physical artistry in the quest for diving perfection and top scores from the judges – 13 athletes from 9 different nations were given the opportunity to compete in the Red Bull cliff Diving World Series 2013. The initial line-up for the 2013 qualification competition was confirmed following video application and consideration of past performances. In addition to the six divers who competed as part of the 2012 World Series but did not make the automatic cut for season V, seven have been selected and given a plane ticket to Australia. In a top-class and nerve-shredding qualification competition in early February youngster Jonathan Paredes from Mexico, as well as Michal navratil (CZE), Blake aldridge (UK) and the rookies anatoliy Shabotenko (UKR) and Matt cowen (UK) took the available slots for the new high diving season.

the top five divers in the overall ranking at the end of the 2013 World Series plus those for whom injury policy applies are automatically qualified for a 2014 World Series. The first qualification competition for the World Series took place in 2011. Until today eight rookies earned the chance to prove their talent.

HigH StanDaRDSFrom an individual’s passion high diving has turned into a recognized sport, which draws people’s attention worldwide. “it’s getting more and more interesting for new divers to come into the Series, because it’s kind of a prestige thing, it’s the top in our sport. Just like in any other sport there is the one event that everybody wants to participate in and wants to win. this is what every high diver wants to win. not because you’re on tV or in magazines, no. Everybody in the sport knows your name after you’ve won this one,” Orlando Duque explains. In 28 competitions between 2009 and 2012, the athletes have pushed the sport to such a high level that American Greg Louganis – four-time Olympic gold medallist and the most successful diver of all time – predicts an even brighter future for cliff diving: “this Series standardized the sport. the height is always between 26.5m and 28m; they have the fixed degree of difficulty and a good panel of judges. consequently, the divers know better what to expect and can prepare better. i think it’s very possible that cliff diving becomes an olympic sport. there is so much more talent coming into the sport. it’s an exciting time for cliff diving.” The Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series aims for guaranteeing the highest possible quality in this sport, featuring the world’s best athletes as well as young talent and providing them with a platform to excel and express their passion over and over again.

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atHlEtESAs the pinnacle of cliff diving competitions, the 2013 World Series once again spotlights the sport’s top ten athletes from seven different nations between 23 and 38 years, as well as up to four wildcard divers at each tour stop. In its fifth season, the title is decided during eight competitions. The first ever female competition in the history of Red Bull cliff Diving will be held during the competition in Malcesine, featuring six women from four countries.

locationSKicking off at the end of May in france, the World Series goes north to Denmark and will touch Portuguese soil once again after a thrilling competition in the previous season one month later. Between italy, in July, and the united Kingdom, in September, the cliff diving elite leap over the Atlantic Ocean to touch down in the united States. Getting closer to the season finale, South america’s largest country plays host, guaranteeing a full-blooded competition from almost three times the Olympic height. For the final showdown, the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series will switch hemispheres again and touch South Asian soil for the first time ever. thailand’s stunning landscape will be the backdrop for the coronation of the 2013 World Series champion in an out-of-the-ordinary competition in October.

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EVEnt foRMat ~ A competition consists of four dives: two

required dives with a limited DD (3.8) and two optional dives. Both required and optional dives have to be alternated at every competition.

~ Two days of competition.~ First round determines the ranking for the

head-to-head battles.~ Two rounds of head-to-head: one required

& one optional dive.~ Final round: In the event of 14 divers starting

the competition, seven winners & one lucky loser perform one optional dive in reverse starting order.

~ The winner is the one with the highest point total of all 4 dives.

JuRyFive international jurors will judge each dive on the following criteria: take off, position in the air, entry in the water and award scores from 0 to 10 in half point increments.

JuDgES1 head judge & 4 judges per competition selected from a pool of 13 members

claudio de Miro (ita)Head judge, former italian diving team member andrey ignatenko (uKR)winner of first red Bull Cliff diving world series competition in la rochelle, FrA, in 2009, 4th overall the same yearanke Piper (gER)Three-time european champion 10mDmitri Sautin (RuS)Two-time olympic Gold medallist, five-time world Champion, 12 time european Champion, has won more medals than any other olympic divergreg louganis (uSa)Four-time olympic Gold medallist, five-time world Champion, six-time Pan American Games winner, most famous diver of all timeJeff arbon (gBR) Participant olympic Games seoul 1988Julian llinas (ESP)FiNA judge, judged three olympic Games Ken grove (au(S)-t) Two-time olympian for AUs and AUT, orlando duque’s first high diving coachMarion Reiff (aut)Participant olympic Games sydney 2000 and Athens 2004 Renato Rosi (ita)Former italian diving team memberSara Massenz (ita)Former italian diving team memberSlava Polyeshchuk (uKR)Former cliff diver, 2011 4th overall red Bull Cliff diving world seriesSteve foley (auS)Three-time olympian (1976, 1980, 1984), first Australian male diver to final in both springboard and platform at the Games (1984).tonio Martinez (MEX) FiNA judge, organizer of high diving competitions in Mexico (Chiapas & Acapulco) since 2007, high diving shows worldwide since 1988 (substitute head judge)

world series

13

ScoREScalculation of total score of each competition: ~ Five scores by five judges.~ Highest and lowest score are discarded.~ Remaining three scores are added together.~ This sum is multiplied by the degree of

difficulty for each dive.~ Scores from all four rounds are cumulated

for the final competition result.~ Points will be awarded from 1st to 14th

place (including wildcards).~ The winner of any individual tour stop is the

diver with the highest point total from this stop.

WoRlD SERiES PointS ScRatcH SyStEM Divers can strike their worst result from all eight competitions. Winner of the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series 2013 will be the athlete with the highest overall points after all competitions after applying the scratch result policy.

“The diffeRenCe iS, if The diveR failS, Then ThiS neW Rule makeS a Big diffeRenCe aS iT geTS haRdeR To CaTCh up WiTh The oneS Who did Well.” Claudio de Miro, head judge

nEW in 2013~ The Degree of Difficulty (DD) for a required

dive has been raised to 3.8 (was 3.6).

~ Both required and optional dives have to be alternated at every competition.

~ The points scratch system allows the divers to strike their worst individual competition result out of a total of eight.

PointS PER coMPEtitioncalculation of the total score of the World Series:

Points from each competition are added together. The top 7 results of each diver count for the World Series overall ranking.

1st 200 2nd 160 3rd 130 4th 110 5th 90 6th 70 7th 60

8th 50 9th 40 10th 30 11th 20 12th 10 13th 9 14th 8

“ThiS Change puTS a liTTle BiT moRe emphaSiS on The ConTRol and aeSTheTiCS of eaSieR diveS. WiTh ThiS SlighTly higheR dd a good RequiRed dive meanS moRe poinTS foR The diveR. ThuS, The impoRTanCe of a RequiRed dive inCReaSeS and makeS The CompeTiTion even moRe Challenging aS noT all The foCuS iS on The opTional oneS WiTh a higheR dd.” Niki Stajkovic, sports director

WHy DiD tHE DD foR a REQuiRED DiVE cHangE fRoM 3.6 to 3.8?

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technical data

Minimum water depth:

5m

2-3GPhysical forces

1sec.

2 sec.

Free Fall

Impact nine times harder than from a 10m platform

3 sec.Entering speed

85-90kph

heIGhtsRed Bull Cliff Diving World Series maximum height:

28mRed Bull Cliff Diving World Series minimum height:

26.5m

General male competitions:

20-28m

General female competitions:

18-23m

Olympic diving:

10m

platFormstable take-off board construction minimum length: 1.5 metres; minimum width: 0.75 metres; platform rim at least 2 metres beyond the vertical fall line; water spray

RisksThe highest risk of injury occurs during the landing phase, when parts of the body are already exposed to absolute deceleration and others, above the surface, are still at full speed. At this point, maximum physical tension is absolutely necessary. Immediately after hitting the water, the athlete has to actively dive away to avoid compression or contortion of parts of the body due to the hardness of the water.However, major mistakes can be ruled out because of the divers’ technical training and experience. A pancake landing from such heights can be compared with a hard landing from 13 metres on concrete. That is why only about three to four dozen athletes worldwide pursue this exclusive extreme sport. Generally speaking, high diving over 28 metres does not bring a lot of time benefit due to the rapid acceleration; however, the risk of injuries increases disproportionately.

Rescue diveRs/paRamedicsOn standby next to the diving point, three scuba divers at landing point. Ambulance on standby.

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body & mind

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Physical fitness is a basic requirement, mental readiness means you’re able to make that step to the edge and fear is a life-saver – besides perfect diving technique, cliff diving requires these three truths to overcome the tangible barrier of the platform and enjoy the ride.

Entering the athletes’ area during a World Series stop is like an exotic world for some of us. Toned and tanned bodies, six-packs aplenty, and all wearing nothing but a pair of speedos. These men are fit and strong, that’s more than obvious, and some are really relaxed while others appear slightly more nervous. It’s less than one hour to go until the competition and most of them start moving around, stretching their legs, doing crunches, jumping up and down with swinging arms. Nice to look at, but it’s a place where visitors will never truly belong – it’s a microcosm for cliff divers only. Headphones on, music at full blast and a focused look; it’s an atmosphere of maximum concentration. Their mind is not where their bodies are, it’s busy with something that’s been creeping up their spine, clenching their stomach and is now hammering inside their head – fear.

Many years of training, days at the pool and in the gym, and hundreds of diving competitions lie behind these athletes. Their brain is used to exceptional circumstances, has an above-average ability to concentrate and focus, to block things out. “Cliff diving is a ridiculous extreme sport that requires a huge amount of mental strength and fortitude. I’m sure there are thousands of talented and extremely physically qualified platform divers out there who could be really, really good in cliff diving but it’s a whole other game when you step up 28m in the air; then you have to know that you have the confidence

and that you can handle the environment of being a cliff diver,” says David Colturi, the 2012 rookie. The 24-year-old American soaked it all up like a sponge in his first full season and watched carefully when the sport’s heavyweights performed. “No matter how fit your body is, you cannot dive from 27 metres with a mind that’s not ready,” Artem Silchenko’s statement is short and to the point and when nine-time world champion Orlando Duque takes the same line, it’s clear to everybody: “The main thing of being a really good cliff diver obviously you have to know the diving technique; so you have to dedicate a lot of time to diving, learn the proper technique and then eventually make the height and dive from 27m. But mentally it’s very important; to me it’s more important mentally, because you have to recognize what you need to do to do a good dive and diving technique is not enough. Just being crazy is not enough. You have to be strong mentally.” Consequently, we learn that physical fitness is a basic requirement in cliff diving but worthless if the mind does not contribute to the dive. Only those whose minds allow it are able to enjoy the ride.

How well a regular diver can adapt to being a cliff diver, someone who deals successfully with whatever the environment throws at them, is shown by Steven LoBue. The American was a rookie in 2011, forced into qualification after his first year only to finish the 2012 season as 3rd overall: “When it comes to overcoming your fear, I’m never not scared when I’m on the platform. I’ll always have a little bit of fear and it’s very important that you keep that fear in check; too much fear is dangerous, too little fear is dangerous. So you really have to adjust and that was part of my inconsistency in my rookie year. I really did not have a good grip of where my fear level was. Last

NO GUTS, NO GettinG your body

and mind ready

17

season I think I did a really good job of mentally training and keeping that fear where it needs to be, training a lot better and just having fun.”

It’s a given that these men are in really good physical shape, have done their homework regarding diving technique, but when it comes to actually taking off from the platform mounted in dizzying heights, it will only happen when you show a lot of guts and the right mindset. French diver Cyrille Oumedjkane, who has been in the sport for 12 years, has found the right formula: “The preparation for your body has to be done long before, but to be a very good cliff diver you need to be a mentally strong person. Not 99 or 99.5%,

you have to be sure 100% before you dive. 70% is decided in the head, the rest comes from the body. The head is the decisive part.”

Fear is overcome in the head, explains reigning World Series champion Gary Hunt: “My way to overcome the fear is just imagining the feeling after a good dive. It’s that “over-the-moon” feeling that causes me to keep diving.” Fear is an omnipresent factor in this ancient extreme sport. A result of total respect. Respect for the height, risk and impact. Every single athlete is well aware that this is a sport which demands full concentration and full physical control. And they have to master these feelings each time anew.

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athletes

AnAtoliy Shabotenko UkRArtem Silchenko RUSBlAke aldRidge UkDAviD coltURi USaGAry hUnt UkJonAthAn PaRedeS MeXmAtt cowen UkmichAl navRatil cZeorlAnDo dUqUe colSteven lobUe USa

the

the 2013 World series features ten top athletes during eight competitions and up to four Wildcard divers per stop.

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“It’s an amazIng feelIng! I was prepared for thIs moment. now I’ll have to fIght wIth the super guys. I’ll defInItely try to Increase my dd, because In the serIes the dIvers have dds of 6.0 and If you want to fIght for the champIonshIp you have to Increase the dIffIculty.”

Representing Ukraine DOB May 10, 1989Height/Weight 1.73m/75kgCity of residence Shenzhen, ChinaProfession Artist, showmanStarted cliff diving in 2011Favourite cliff diving spot Azores, Portugal; Marmeeting, Italy Favourite dive Front flip

Achievements•20134thqualificationcompetitionRedBullCliffDivingWorldSeriesinCattai(AUS)

•20127thoverallRedBullCliffDivingWorldSeries(Wildcard)

•20112ndEuropeanCliffDivingChampionship,Switzerland

Hehadfivetriesandheusedallofthem.AnatoliyShabotenkowasthewildcardoftheyearinthe2012season.Invitedtofiveoutofsevenstops,theUkrainianfinishedallfivecompetitionsamongstthefinalistsandthelasttwoinfourthplace.Overtheseason,the24-year-oldcollectedmorepointsthansomeofthepermanentWorldSeriesdiversandfinishedtheyearinseventhpositionoverall.

Heheldhisnerveduringthenerve-shreddingqualificationcompetitioninAustraliaandconfidentlymadethecutforhisfirstfull-timeseasonamongsttheworld’sbestcliffdivers.

An

Ato

liy

Shab

oten

ko

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athletes

Art

em

Silc

henk

o

“IalwayswanttowinbecauseI’maprofessionalRussiansportsman.”ArtemSilchenkoiswellknownforhisgreatdivingtechniqueandhiscontinuingmotivation.In2012,however,hedidn’tquiteachievehisall-timegoalandbesidestwovictoriesdidn’tmakeitontothepodiumatall.Intheoverallresults,the29-year-olddroppedoutofthetopthree;inpartduetohistwoeighthplacesatthebeginningoftheseasonwherehelearnedandperfectedhisnewblindentrydive.BeingtheonlyoneintheWorldSeriesperforminganarmstandandablindentrydiveraisesthequestionwhetheritisindeedtruethatRussiansareafraidofnothing.Legendssaythattheykillbearswiththeirbarehandsandputhungrywolvestoflight,butwhoknows...moretraceableisArtemSilchenko’sstory.

BorninRussia’ssouthwest,hehaslivedinChinaforsixyearstostarthishighdivingcareer.Overtheyears,thetight-lippedRussianhasbecomeoneoftheheavyweightsofcliffdiving,winningtheworldchampionshipsattheageofonly22.Whennottravellingtheworldcliffdiving,hecaresforhiswife,aformersynchro-swimmer,andhiscutelittledaughter.

“one or two seconds before I dIve, my body Is stIll on the platform but my braIn Is already flyIng.”

RepresentingRussiaDOBFebruary3,1984Height/Weight 1.81m/80kgCity of residence VoronezhProfession TrainerStarted cliff diving in2004Favourite location Yucatan(MEX)Favourite dive Flying front

Achievements•2012WinnerRedBullCliffDivingWorldSeriesinAzores(POR)&InisMor(IRL)

•2011WinnerRealDiving,Chiapas(MEX)

•2006WorldChampionFinal rankings Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series•20124thoverall•20112ndoverall•2010&20093rdoverall

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“I’m so excIted. I am so happy. I am In for another year! I knew I had to do well otherwIse I wouldn’t get my spot. so I was obvIously nervous for that but agaIn I had to compose myself and I managed to do that pretty well and jump up a place Into thIrd and qualIfy for the world serIes. I am just happy It’s all over and now I am lookIng forward to the fIrst competItIon.”

RepresentingGreatBritainNicknameBlakeyBoyDOBAugust4,1982Height/Weight1.70m/65kgCity of residenceLondonProfessionOlympicdiverStarted cliff diving in 2009Favourite cliff diving spot Locarno,SwitzerlandFavourite diveBackarmstand2½ ss with 3 twists

Achievements•3timesworldmedallist•Formerworldchampion•20122ndqualificationcompetitionRedBullCliffDivingWorldSeriesinCattai(AUS)

•20116thRedBullCliffDivingWorldSeriesinLaRochelle(FRA,wildcard)

•2009&2010Europeanchampion

•2008OlympicfinalistFinal rankings Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series•20129thoverall

Afteraccomplishingqualificationforthe2012WorldSeries–thefinalistatthe2008OlympicGamesinBeijingcamesecond–BlakeAldridgelearnedanewdiveequallyashardasGaryHunt’striplequad,withaDDof6.3,andaddedittohisdivingprogrammeinBoston,USA.Takingthisriskystepbroughthimmaybenotthepointsnecessarytoqualifyautomaticallyforthenextseason,butforsurethereputationofahigh-divingdaredevil.

Averycompetitiveathlete,theformerBritishdivingworldchampiondidhisfirstdivefrom27metresinJune2011attheRedBullCliffDivingWorldSeriescompetitioninLaRochelle,France,andhaswantedmoreeversince.Inhisrookieyear,however,the30-year-oldinjuredhisadductormusclesbadlyduringthefirststopandhadasixthplaceintheAzoresashisbestresult.Makingthecutforthe2013WorldSeriesmeansanotherbigchancefortheEnglishmantofinallyrealizehisdesireforatleastapodium.

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Hefirstcaughtthecliffdivingscene’sattentioninBoston2011,whenheenteredthecompetitionatveryshortnotice;asanextstephewasselectedforthequalificationcompetitionandDavidColturicametoAustraliatoearna10fromthejudgesforhisfavouritedive,thereversetwosomersaultswithfourtwists,andwinthecompetition.

Astheyoungestpermanentdiverinthesport’smostrespectedseriesofcompetitions,the24-year-olddidnotstopgrabbingpeople’sattentionwithhisperformancesfrom27mduringhisfirstfullcliffdivingseason.Afteramoderatestarttothe2012season,theformerUS10mchampionfoundhisplaceinthetopgroupquicklyandclaimedhisfirstpodiumathishomeevent:„BeinginBostonwithmyfamilywassupercoolandtogetmyfirstpodiumitcouldn’thavegoneanybetter.I’malwaysgoingtohavegreatmemoriesofBoston.ThenfollowingitupwithanotherpodiuminthefinalinOmanwasdefinitelytherightwaytogo!“

Onlythreeyearsinthesportandalreadyapotentialwinner–DavidColturiknowshowtoremainthefocusofattention.

“the world serIes Is more than just a clIff dIvIng event. you have to be able to handle all the clImbIng up rocks, traversIng through forests, goIng through rIvers; you’ve got to do all kInds of crazy stuff you’d never expect when you are In a normal dIvIng envIronment lIke at a pool and you are used to doIng as a regular dIver.”

Representing USADOB April 30, 1989 Height/Weight 1.73m/70kgCity of residence AnnArbor,MichiganProfession Labtechnician,divingcoachStarted cliff diving in 2010Favourite cliff diving spot WadiShab(OMN)Favourite dive Reversedoublewithfour twists

Achievements•20123rdRedBullCliffDivingWorldSeriesinBoston(USA)&WadiShab(OMN)

•2012WinnerRedBullCliffDivingWorldSeriesqualificationcompetition inCattai(AUS)

•201114thRedBullCliffDivingWorldSeriesinBoston(USA,wildcard)

•2011WinnerInternationalHighDivingCompetitioninLiuzhou,China

•20093rdWorldUniversityGames10msynchronizedandTeamAward

•2009USNationalChampion10mindividualandsynchronized

Final rankings Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series•20125thoverall

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„wInnIng the world serIes In oman was defInItely my season hIghlIght. I was nervous before the last dIve but I’ve been In that sItuatIon before needIng a good dIve – I just trIed to tell myself to do what you normally do In traInIng. It was an IncredIble feelIng to wIn the tItle agaIn especIally when you’re competIng agaInst some of the best dIvers In the world.“

RepresentingGreatBritainDOBJune11,1984Height/Weight1.75m/68kgCity of residence ParisProfessionCliffdiverStarted cliff diving in2006Favourite cliff diving spot Yucatan(MEX)Favourite diveBack1.5pikedfrom 10m

Achievements•WinnerRedBullCliffDivingWorldSeries2010,2011&2012

•Winnerof13RedBullCliffDivingWorldSeriescompetitionstodate

•2009WinnerHighDivingWorldCup

•20063rdCommonwealthGames10mSynchro

Final rankings Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series•2010,2011&2012World

Series Champion•20092ndoverall

Thehardestdiveinthewholesport,averyhighscoreof173.25pointsand,well,alittlebitofluck,crownedGaryHunttheWorldSerieschampionforthethirdtimeinarow.Afteraseasoninwhichhewasstruckbychickenpox,missedoutonthepodiumtwiceforthefirsttimesincethekick-offoftheRedBullCliffDivingWorldSeriesin2009andinwhichOrlandoDuquehadledtheoverallstandingsforthemajorityoftheyear.

SincehewashandedthecrownbyhisColombianpredecessor,afteranimpressivecliffdivingseasonin2010–therewasnolet-upin2011eitherasGarywonfoursuccessivecompetitionstowrapupasecondWorldSerieswinevenbeforethefinalstopinUkraine–the28-year-old–hasleftnodoubtthatheheadsthelistof top athletes in the sport.

TheParisresidentisthemostprogressivediverwithintheSeries.Healwayshasanewandinnovativediveinmind,inordertostayaheadofhisrivals.HepremieredtheTripleQuadin2009andwithin12monthsattemptedadivewitharunningtake-off.It’sanotherlinkinthechainthatconnectsOlympicandhighdiving.In2013,wewilldefinitelyseesomethingnewfromthe“brilliantBrit”!

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Hewasthebiggestsurpriseinthe2011editionoftheRedBullCliffDivingWorldSeries:afewdaysbeforehis22ndbirthday,theMexicanwildcardalmostmadeitontothepodiuminMalcesine,Italy.Thedaybeforehelandedonhistailbonebutprovedhiswillpowerandtalentthedayafter.Hedidalmostthesameduringhisonlyappearanceinthe2012WorldSerieswhenhefinishedsixthinBoston.

ComingbacktoAustraliawherehelostitallin2012wasnottheeasiesttaskforMexicandiverJonathanParedes.However,havinggrowninexperienceandconfidence,theyoungestofthequalifiersachievedthecompetition’shighestscoreanddidnotevenneedthehighestdegreeofdifficultytodoso.Judges,expertsandfellowcompetitorsallagreethatJonathanParedesisoneofhighdiving’sbiggesttalentsofrecentyears.

“I feel great, awesome! I never expected that to happen. I thought, ‘okay I’ll make the cut’ but not wIn. I am ready for the whole serIes; and not just for fIfth or sIxth place, I want to fIght for more!”

Representing MexicoDOB August14,1989Height/Weight 1.66m/64kgCity of residence MexicoCityProfessionProfessionalcliffdiverStarted cliff diving in 2011Favourite cliff diving spot Salitre mágicoinBogotá,ColombiaFavourite dive Doubletwistanda half

Achievements•2013winnerqualificationcompetitionRedBullCliffDivingWorldSeriesinCattai(AUS)

•20126thRedBullCliffDivingWorldSeriesinBoston(USA,wildcard)

•20114thRedBullCliffDivingWorldSeriesinMalcesine(ITA,wildcard)

•20117thRedBullCliffDivingWorldSeriesinYucatán(MEX)andBoston(USA,bothaswildcard)

•20115thRealDivingAcapulco,Mexico

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“I came here to gaIn experIence and that’s It. It’s unreal! I never thought any of thIs would happen. but It was so tIght at the top and It was just those last dIves and I managed to naIl It. the rest Is hIstory. I am the happIest man In the world rIght now.”

RepresentingGreatBritainDOB June10,1988Height/Weight 180cm/71kgCity of residence LeedsProfession Divingcoachandhighdive/stuntperformerStarted cliff diving in 2005Favourite cliff diving spot Palm Mar Tenerife, SpainFavourite dive 5342breversedoublefulltwistpike

Achievements•20135thqualificationcompetitionRedBullCliffDivingWorldSeriesinCattai(AUS)

•201214thRedBullCliffDivingWorldSeriesinPembrokeshire,Wales(Wildcard)

•Juniorinternationalmedallistandseniornationalmedalliststandardbyage16

•Firsthighdivefrom27matage17

LastSeptemberhecametotheWelshcountyofPembrokeshiretowatchthesixthstopoftheRedBullCliffDivingWorldSeriesandtocatchupwithsomeofhisformerdivingmates.Afterashortintroductiontothesportsdirectorandtheheadjudge,MattCowengotthechancetoshowhisabilityfrom27m.The25-year-oldwasimmediatelyinvitedasawildcardtothefollowingday’scompetitionandsubsequentlyselectedforthe2013qualificationcompetition.

Allhewantedtogaindownunderwasexperience,andwhathegotwasonehellofanexperience!–frombeingranked10thaftersevendivestojumpingtofifthpositioninthefinalround,havinglearntnewdivesonadailybasis.ThemanfromLeedshadshownnervesofsteel!

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FromtheclosestchallengertoGaryHuntandArtemSilchenkoandfourpodiumsinseasonthree,toathirdplacein2012’skick-offcompetitioninFrance,tojustmissingoutonautomaticqualificationbyfinishingsixthoverallin2012;MichalNavratildefinitelydidnothavehisbestseasonlastyear.

Consequently,the28-year-oldwasforcedintoqualifyingonceagain,afterthefirsttimein2011,showingastrongperformancebyleadingtheboarduntilthefinalround.Aftereightdives,just1.05pointsdecidedfirstplaceinfavourofrisingstarJonathanParedes,fromMexico,theCzechwasneverthelessmorethanhappytohavingqualifiedforhisfifthseasonintheWorldSeries.

Famousforhisextrovertedcharacter,“Supratil”islookingforwardverymuchtothekick-offinLaRochelleandanexpected70,000spectators,whohelphimpushhislimits.It’sverylikelythathe’llperformhisSuperman-diveinexchangefortheenergy-boosthegetsfromabigcrowd!

“the qualIfIcatIon was a pressure competItIon because one mIstake could cost you your place In the top fIve. I got some nIce scores and made no fatal mIstakes. It was only In the last dIve that jonathan beat me by one poInt. I can’t waIt for the season to begIn!”

Representing CzechRepublicNickname SupratilDOB June5,1985Height/Weight 1.84m/85kgCity of residence Prague,CzechRepublicProfession Stuntman,highdiveronthecruiseship“RoyalCaribbean”Started cliff diving in 2003Favourite cliff diving spot Polignano a Mare, ItalyFavourite dive Backfliptoswandiveandthe‘Superman’,reverse2ss

Achievements•20123rdRedBullCliffDivingWorldSeriesinCorsica(FRA)

•2011WinnerMarmeeting•2011&2012WinnerHighDivingWorldCup

•20093rdRedBullCliffDivingWorldSeriesinHamburg(GER)

Final rankings Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series•20126thoverall•20113rdoverall•20109thoverall•20097thoverall

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“consIstency Is very Important and the only way you are goIng to be consIstent Is by traInIng very hard. If you see any dIvers who have Improved they are the ones who do a lot of practIce. they take every chance they have to practIce. of course It’s dIffIcult because every dIve you do from 27 metres wIll hurt more and more. but you have to put your body through that. there Is no way around It. there Is no magIc formula.”

RepresentingColombiaDOB September11,1974Height/Weight 1.75m/68kgCity of residence Honolulu, HawaiiProfession CliffdiverStarted cliff diving in 1997Favourite cliff diving spot HawaiiFavourite dive Backtwists

Achievements•Nine-timeworldchampion•WinnerofsevenRedBullCliffDivingWorldSeriescompetitionstodate

•2008,2005WinnerRedBullCliffDiving,LakeWolfgang

•2005WinnerAdriaticHighDivingCup

Final rankings Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series•20122ndoverall•20118thoverall (injuredafterstop2)

•20102ndoverall•2009WorldSeriesChampion

“Honestly,IjustwantedtonotembarrassmyselfandtoseeifIcouldhandleitagain.Towinonmyfirstcompetitionbackwasunbelievable.“OrlandoDuquecamebackafteraseriousankleinjurytowinthe2012kick-offcompetitioninCorsica,France,andtoleadtheoverallstandingsforalmostthewholeseason.HecametothefinalshowdowninOmanastheleaderoftheboardandhadthehonouroftheseason’slastdive.Afteranerve-wreckingcompetition,itwas1.85pointswhichdeniedtheColombian.Onceagain,the38-year-oldmissedoutonthetitle,whichhebecamethefirst winner of in 2009.

Withnineworldchampionshiptitles,oneWorldSeriestitleandtwoGuinnessworldrecordsonhisside,hehasprovenhistremendousability,reachingaspecialpositionwithinthehighdivingsceneoverthelast15years.Theleft-handerisaperfectionistwhosededicationisunswervingandhelefttheplatformlastfallwithapromise:toraisehisdegreeofdifficulty.

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Fromqualifierto3rdoverall–StevenLoBuehasdefinitelymadeahugeprogressduringthe2012season.StartingoffwithasecondplaceinCorsica,gavethe28-year-oldtheconfidenceboostheneeded.TheAmerican’spersonalseasonhighlightcametowardstheendoftheWorldSeries:“ObviouslythewinningdiveinWales,that’safeelingI’llneverforget.I’mlookingforwardtogettingafewmoreofthosethisyearhopefully!“

Beingasmallmanwithbigaims–“IthinkhavetherightbodytypeandtheabilitytoaccomplishthingsthatIdon’tthinkanybodyelseiscapableof.IknowthisisahugegoalIamshootingtowardsandittakestimetogetthere”–he’sdedicatedalotoftimetophysicalandmentalpreparation,gettingreadytomakethenextsteptowardsthetopspot.

“clIff dIvIng Is a very IndIvIdual sport. when you are up there, there Is nothIng but you, your thoughts and the confIdence that you’ve done all the proper traInIng. the opposIte sIde of that Is that all the guys on tour, we look at each other as a famIly and as a team. we are very supportIve of each other. you’ll never see a lot of hatred for one country or one person towards another and I thInk that’s part of what makes clIff dIvIng really an amazIng sport and an awesome group of guys.”

Representing USADOB June17,1985Height/Weight 1.61m/62kgCity of residence Ft.Lauderdale,FloridaProfessionPhysicaleducationteacherStarted cliff diving in 2009Favourite cliff diving spot AustraliaFavourite dive Backtriple, Triple twist

Achievement•2012WinnerRedBullCliffDivingWorldSeriesinWales(UK)

•20123rdqualificationcompetitionRedBullCliffDivingWorldSeriesinCattai(AUS)

•20117thqualificationcompetitionRedBullCliffDivingWorldSeriesinCattai(AUS)

•2004OlympicTrialsfinalistFinal rankings Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series•20123rdoverall•201110thoverall

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AlAin Kohl (30),Luxembourg11th 2013 Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series qualification competition

Final rankings Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series•201210thoverall•20116thoverall•20107thoverall•200911thoverall

Andy Jones (28),USA12th 2013 Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series qualification competition

Wild

Cyrille oumedJKane (37), France6th2013RedBullCliffDivingWorldSeriesqualification competition

Final rankings Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series•201211thoverall•20115thoverall•2010,200910thoverall

eber Pava (36), Colombia

Final rankings Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series•20107thoverall•200912thoverall(injuredafterstop5)

These aThleTes will geT a chance To prove Their TalenT, improve Their diving and cerTainly spice up This year‘s eighT compeTiTions. we proudly presenT The wildcard divers for The 2013 season.

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GennAdiy KutsenKo (30), Ukraine/Itlay2012 12th Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series Ireland

HAssAn mouti (32),France9th2013RedBullCliffDivingWorldSeriesqualification competition

Final rankings Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series•201112thoverall•20105thoverall•20095hoverall

iGor semashKo (37), Russia

JorGe Ferzuli (32), Mexico7th2013RedBullCliffDivingWorldSeriesqualification competition

Final rankings Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series•201216thoverall•201111thoverall

Wilker nascimento (24)Brazil

JuCelino Junior (30), Brazil2011 12th Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series Chile

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kent de mond (30), USA8th 2013 Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series qualification competition

Final rankings Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series•2012,2011,20098thoverall,•20104thoverall

kris Kolanus (26), Poland10th 2013 Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series qualification competition

kyle mitrione (25), USA201214thRedBullCliffDiving World Series France

sAsHA KutsenKo (30), Ukraine201214thRedBullCliffDiving World Series Ireland

todor sPasov (34), Bulgaria201214thRedBullCliffDivingWorldSeries

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battle of champions

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Gary huntWhat‘s the other’s greatest strength? Orlando is definitely the most consistent of all of the series divers. He never seems to miss a dive. He has dived in so many different location that nothing phases him. This is a great aspect to have as a cliff diver as we are always against the elements.Is there a skill you’d like to steal?As well as being really consistent he has a great rip. It‘s the last thing that the judges see so it can be very important and Orlando‘s entry is one of the best.How will you try to defend your title?My plan is to come out all guns blazing right from the start. I had a slow start last year but I‘m going to do everything I can to be on top form from day one.

orlando duqueWhat‘s the other’s greatest strength? It has to be the degree of difficulty; he is the diver with the highest total amount and when he’s diving well it’s very difficult to match his scores.Is there a skill you’d like to steal?I think we both have a good set of skills. What I can identify all the divers have the same talents, excellent technique and the main difference of Gary will be the degree of difficulty. I’ll say I’m happy with what I have - maybe I just need to work harder to beat him.How will you try to get the title back this year?My main focus has always been to try the most difficult dives possible for me but with the emphasis on quality. Last year I lost a couple of events by very small margins so I’d say that my strategy is working.

Age 29 38Started cliff diving in 2006 199710s from the judges in 2012 3 4highest DD in 2012 6.3 5.6Podium finishes 26 20 (missed 5 competitions in 2011 due to injury)Competition victories between 2009 and 2012 13 7 Worst competition result 6 5World Series champion titles 3 1

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They’ve both won the World Series title, bagged 46 podium finishes in four seasons and literally lead cliff diving to new heights. It was a tie in overall points in 2009 and 1.85 points difference in the very last dive of the 2012 season that decided over being or not being crowned World Series champion. Both have undoubtedly extraordinary diving skills, individual ways to collect as many points as possible from the judges and quite some respect for each other.

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a rOOKIE’S STEEP lEarnInG

Ever since the first stop in May 2009 it has been the most respected series of competitions featuring the world’s best high divers. Being part of the chosen ones is tantamount to absolute mental strength, physical ability and a high level of consistency. A qualification competition gives new talent the chance to make the cut to become a permanent athlete of the World Series. One who really seized this opportunity last season was American David Colturi. The top-qualifier took two podiums and finished 5th overall. For us the “Rookie of Year”!

During his preparation for his second full season, the 24-year-old takes stock of his first year, starting in France: “Before leaving for Corsica, I was still a little in shock I had made the World Series in the first place. With so little high diving experience before the qualifier, I wasn‘t sure if it was just beginners luck that I came out on top in Australia. I kept telling myself it was no different from regular diving, that I have been training my entire life for this, and just to relax and enjoy this amazing opportunity. I expected the event to be similar to Boston the year before – my only experience with a real World Series stop – but I had no idea what to expect from Corsica. I was blown away by the beauty of the island, and the energy of the event.”

The 2009 US National 10m Champion came into the Series with an early round of applause from judges and sports director, however, his 11th place

in the kick-off competition proved true what nine-time world champion Orlando Duque points out looking at the young guns: “It’s tough. First of all it’s high, the locations are challenging and the established divers are already the best of the best. And for the new guys to try to beat them and be really comfortable in the middle of everything is challenging and sometimes it shows in their performance.”

Consequently, it took David three competitions to find his place within the divers and with beating both overall winners at least once and sharing the podium with them twice he made it clear that he chose the top group. “The most important thing I learned last season was how to relax and go with the flow at each event. Every location is unique in so many ways, especially with the challenges and environmental factors we face. I have to relax and enjoy myself, otherwise I will get too worked up and perform poorly. It‘s like my university coach would always tell me, „focusing on the things you can‘t control, will adversely effect the things you can control.“ How much one of the fastest twisters in the scene can control the rankings in the new season, is still to be seen, but definitely a personal goal: “I want to be as consistent as possible. I really just want to clean up my entries and minimize big misses and low scores. If I can do that I think I can end up on the podium more frequently, and hopefully place in the top three overall.”

The American’s innovative energy is definitely something everybody will soon have to try and keep up with and the 2013 rookies have an excellent example of how to manage their debut season.

2012 rookie of the year: david colturi

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stops

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rocks, monoliths, iconic landmarks and buildings

this purest extreme sports competition hits new waters in its fifth year and determines a new champion during eight challenging competitions across europe, asia and north and south america.

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Stop 1

FRANCE, LA RoChELLESaint nicolaS towerMay 24-25

Location Saint Nicolas Tower – historic defence buildingDate May 24/25, 2013Coordinates 46°09’20’’N, 01°09’55’’W Platform height 27mWater depth 5.5m to 7mWater temperature in May 16°CAir temperature in May 21°CWater Atlantic Ocean, Bay of Biscay, SeawaterUnusual fact The two-hour timeframe for the competition due to the tides

Results 20111 Gary Hunt UK 401.15 pts2 Michal Navratil CZE 333.45 pts3 Alain Kohl LUX 292.20 pts

The baguette, beret and fromage are three things unmistakably French. A dazzling height, cold water and daring men in speedos are almost as closely connected with the city of La Rochelle as the aforementioned are associated with France. Since 2009, the catacombs of the Saint Nicolas Tower have come alive each year – besides a side-step to Corsica in 2012 – when the world’s best high divers have come to town. 120 steps to the scariest platform in the entire competition, the 27m structure will be the focus of attention for up to 70,000 spectators, the biggest crowd ever for a World Series event.

The city, whose name literally translates as ‚little cliff‘, is host for a fourth time and stages the kick-off competition again after doing likewise in 2009 and 2010. The winner of the first ever World Series stop in May 2009 off the infamous Saint Nicolas Tower, Ukrainian Andrey Ignatenko, has changed careers and will judge his former competitors from down below. Gary Hunt, the three-time champion, is the only still active winner of this always-bracing beginning to the World Series.

People have been passing between the Saint Nicolas Tower and the Tour de la Chaine to enter the city of La Rochelle via the seaway since 1345. On May 25, 2013, this 42-metre-high landmark and former jail with its pentagonal design will again be pivotal. The cliff diving elite – among them national heroes Hassan Mouti and Cyrille Oumedjkane, from Strasbourg, who will compete as wildcard divers – will battle it out for the first time in the new season.

Looking back on a long tradition of fishing and trading, the seaport of La Rochelle was

once the largest on the French Atlantic coast. Nowadays, the city in the Bay of Biscay with its 80,000 inhabitants still maintains strong links with the sea by harbouring the largest marina for pleasure boats in Europe and has also maintained much of its old architecture, making it one of the most picturesque and historically rich cities on the whole Atlantic coast.

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Stop 2

DENMARK, CopENhAgENopera HouSeJune 21-22

Location Copenhagen Opera HouseDate June 21/22, 2013Coordinates 55°40’55”N 12°36’02”EPlatform height 27mWater depth 5.5m to 7mWater temperature in June 18°CAir temperature in June 19°CWater Øresund, SeawaterUnusual fact With construction costs well over 500 million US dollars, the building is one of the most expensive opera houses ever built.

Stop two brings the World Series to new ground and to the most northerly point in the whole season. The Danish capital city of Copenhagen hosts the world elite of cliff diving and provides them with a panoramic view of the royal palace, Amalienborg, and the adjacent domed Marble Church when mounting the 27m platform on the roof of the Opera House.

Located in the heart of Copenhagen just opposite the main castle at Amalienborg and the shore of the harbour, the Opera House is built in alignment with Amalienborg and the marble church, so that if one stands in the main entrance of the opera, one can see the marble church over the water through Amalienborg.

The Opera House was donated to the Danish state by A.P. Møller, the co-founder of Mærsk, the world’s largest container ship and supply vessel operator, and Chastine Mc-Kinney Møller’s foundation in August 2000. Designed by the architect Henning Larsen and engineers Ramboll and Buro Happold and theatre consultant Theatreplan, a lot of time and passion was dedicated to the acoustics and interiors, making the house one of the best equipped in the world. Construction began in June 2001 and was completed on October 1, 2004. It was opened on January 15, 2005.

In April 2006 world famous tenor Plácido Domingo made a gala guest appearance and impressed Queen Margrethe II; in June 2013 cliff divers from across the world will take the plunge from the Opera House’s concrete roof. Inside the opera, 1,703 seats are individually angled in order to provide the best experience for the guests during a stage performance and this summer many more spectators of the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series can choose their own individual spot on the water and underneath the roof to be impressed by the divers’ performances.

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Stop 3

poRTUgAL, AzoREsS. Miguel, Vila Franca do caMpo June 28-29

Location Volcanic nature reserve off the coast Date June 28/29, 2013Coordinates 37° 41’ N, 25° 26’ WPlatform/rock height 27mWater depth over 8mWater temperature in June 22°CAir temperature in June 25°CWater Atlantic Ocean, SeawaterUnusual fact Locals call the islet “Princess Ring”

Results 20121 Artem Silchenko RUS 465.60 pts2 Orlando Duque COL 465.50 pts3 Gary Hunt UK 459.45 pts

0.1 points decided the winner of the World Series event on the volcanic archipelago of the Azores, Portugal, in 2012. It was the closest victory since the kick-off of the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series in 2009 and the first ever ‘back to the roots’ competition. An impressive monolith of volcanic stone and the outside crater walls of the circular-shaped islet less than one kilometre from the coastline of Saõ Miguel are the perfect spots to explore this pure sport and dive straight from the cliffs again in 2013. Only for the more difficult optional dives will the athletes use the platform construction placed above the ocean.

Situated in the middle of the Atlantic – 1,369km west of the European mainland – the Azores archipelago comprises nine islands spread over three groups. This territory symbolizes the beginning of the grand adventure of discovery that began in the fifteenth century and led the Portuguese to have a presence in the four corners of the world. Of volcanic origin, the Azores are undoubtedly one of the last paradises in Europe - appearing often in legends of the lost continent of Atlantis.

The Vila Franca do Campo islet, named after the village just in front on the mainland, is located around one kilometre from the coastline and came about following the collapse of a former volcano. After being used for many purposes over the centuries – from a military fort area to a vineyard – this islet was classified as a nature reserve in 1983. It is almost circular in shape but broken by a sea entrance through one section of its perimeter.

The crater walls are home to much local vegetation. Inside, the crystalline waters of the natural swimming pool have an added beauty and feature their own stunning beach. To the south of the islet stand two volcanic rock peaks used for nesting by the many marine birds that visit the island.

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Stop 4

ITALY, MALCEsINEScaliger caStleJuly 13-14

Location Scaliger Castle on the shore of Lake GardaDate July 13/14, 2013Coordinates 45°46’N, 10°49’EPlatform height 27mWater depth more than 5mWater temperature in July 21°CAir temperature in July 27°CWater Lake Garda, Fresh waterUnusual fact An iconic diving spot where competitions were held in the 1980s and youngsters would regularly dive from the surrounding cliffs

Results 20111 Gary Hunt UK 459.90 pts2 Artem Silchenko RUS 449.35 pts3 Michal Navratil CZE 413.35 pts

The enormous stream of people back in 2011, when the World Series came to Italy’s world famous Lake Garda for the first time, caused the police to close the roads around the charming town of Malcesine. An area, which is widely known for its huge range of sporting activities, welcomed one more jaw-dropping discipline when the world’s best cliff divers took a leap off the Scaliger Castle.

The charming town rises at the feet of the 1,750 metre-high Monte Baldo, on a small hill on the north east side of the country’s largest lake. Just 50km from Verona, the village is built around Scaliger Castle, which has 13th-century fortifications, an even older medieval tower, and the ancient “Palazzo dei Capitani”, built by the Scaliger family between the 13th and 14th centuries. Between April and October many thousands of tourists come to Lake Garda to indulge their sporting passions like windsurfing, sailing, mountain biking, climbing and paragliding.

The first female competition within the World Series will be held in Italy with six athletes diving from 20m in three rounds: Anna Bader (GER), Ginger Huber (USA), Jacqueline Valente (BRA), Lysanne Richard (CAN), Stephanie De Lima (CAN) and Tara Hyer (USA).

Preceding the 10 high divers who will hit town in high season are other notable names. Among them the German writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, who was questioned by the local magistrate on suspicion of being a spy while drawing sketches of the castle, and famous painter Gustav Klimt who painted one of his most famous landscapes, inspired by Malcesine, in the summer of 1913.

A hundred years later, the cliff diving elite will establish its half-time leader in Italy before the World Series takes a six-week summer break.

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Stop 5

UsA, BosToNinStitute oF conteMporary artauguSt 23-24

Location ICA – art museum and exhibition hallDate August 23/24, 2013Coordinates 42°21’28”N, 71°3’42”WPlatform height 27.5mWater depth 7mWater temperature in August 19°CAir temperature in August 23°CWater Boston Harbor, SeawaterUnusual fact The ICA is often compared to a “glamorous ice cube”

Results 20121 Gary Hunt UK 459.00 pts2 Orlando Duque COL 430.20 pts3 David Colturi USA 420.30 pts

Take two trucks and an 85-metres radius crane, two seven-ton struts and a lot of steel – the 27.5m take-off for the venue in Boston is the most complex construction process of the whole World Series. In the second urban venue in 2013 this huge effort is necessary in order to take most of the platform’s weight off the building and stabilize the whole construction, which almost floats above the museum.

Following four stops in Europe, the World Series leaps over the Atlantic into the second half of the season and touches down in one of America’s oldest cities – Boston, Massachusetts. This sports-mad city proved its nickname in 2012 when more than 40,000 spectators came to watch the world’s top athletes climb to the top of the 90-foot-high Institute of Contemporary Art building on Fan Pier to put on an exhibition of their own.

One athlete who bade farewell with a place amongst the finalists in 2012 will watch the competition from the eight-storey platform with a new perspective this year – 47-year-old Slava Polyeshchuk, of Ukraine, is a World Series veteran and will make his first appearance as a judge at the US stop.

After US diver David Colturi took his first ever podium in front of his home crowd last year, he and the high diving elite will once again try to propel their performances towards perfection in the latest ‘exhibit’ at a place of inspiration and imagination.

Founded in 1936, the ICA’s mission is to exhibit contemporary art. Count on the divers to deliver unforgettable impressions.

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stops

Stop 6

UNITED KINgDoM, soUTh wEsT wALEspeMbrokeSHire, St. daVid’SSepteMber 13-14

Location An old slate quarry filled with waterDate September 13/14, 2013Coordinates 51° 52’ 55” N, 5° 16’ 4” WPlatform 27.5mWater depth 25m at its deepest pointWater temperature in September 15°CAir temperature in September 18°CWater Celtic Sea, SeawaterUnusual fact St David’s is officially a ‘city’ only because of its cathedral

Results 20121 Steven LoBue USA 481.90 pts2 Orlando Duque COL 467.80 pts3 Gary Hunt UK 460.75 pts

The Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series returns to the UK in September to the picturesque location of the Blue Lagoon in Pembrokeshire, south west Wales. The competition takes place near St David’s, which is among the smallest cities in Europe with a population of only 1,800 and is built around the ancient cathedral of St David’s.

With three English divers, the United Kingdom is the most-represented nation within the World Series in 2013 and Leeds’ Matt Cowen, who was awarded a last-minute wildcard entry for this stop last season, before making it into the permanent divers’ list via qualification, will try, together with three-time World Series champion Gary Hunt and former Olympic diver Blake Aldridge, to claim a podium in front of a home crowd at the sixth stop on the 2013 calendar of the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series.

Wales is steeped in history and also has its own language, which is spoken by almost a quarter of the population. Pembrokeshire is a spectacular maritime county measuring only 20 miles from north to south, yet has 186 miles of breathtaking coastline. It has a diverse landscape of unspoilt pocket beaches, lakes, woodland and quaint villages, which have been the backdrop to films including the blockbuster, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. The entire coastline around Pembrokeshire forms part of Britain’s only Coastal National Park, which is home to a population of Bottlenose Dolphins and porpoises, which swim with the local surfers in many of the hidden surf spots.

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Stop 7

BRAzIL, NITÉRoI, RIo DE JANEIRoicaraí beacH SepteMber 27-28

Stop 6

UNITED KINgDoM, soUTh wEsT wALEspeMbrokeSHire, St. daVid’SSepteMber 13-14

Location A popular beach in the residential district of NitéroiDate September 27/28, 2013Coordinates 22°54’26’’S, 43°06’36’’W Platform height 27mWater depth more than 5mWater temperature in September 22°CAir temperature in September 25°CWater Atlantic Ocean, SeawaterUnusual fact The word Icarahy, in the ancient Tupi language, is composed of “i” (water) and “carahy” (blessed).

For the first time in the history of the World Series, the world’s best cliff divers touch down on the South American mainland. The place chosen to host the high diving elite is the beach of Icaraí in Niterói, a city in the state of Rio de Janeiro, with which it shares the Guanabara Bay. The name of the beach means “holy river” in the native language and used to be a place where people jumped from a platform during the 1950s.

The altogether bigger platform for the second-to-last stop of the current season brings the 1940 to 1964 story of the “Trampolin of Icaraí Beach” back to life by building a 27m high vintage replica for the best divers in the world. One of the region’s most trendy beaches has the Christ the Redeemer statute and Sugarloaf Mountain as a backdrop on one side and the Oscar Niemeyer-designed Museum of Contemporary Art on the land side. Stand-up paddlers, windsurfers, jet-skiers, swimmers and rowers will be amongst the spectators when 10 daring men perform their breathtaking leaps from the height of an eight-storey building.

With six down and only one more competition to come, the Brazil stop will certainly be hard-fought. In a city whose nickname, amongst others, is “Cidade Sorriso” – Smile City – it’s guaranteed that the cliff divers will bring back times that should never have been forgotten to Icaraí during the last weekend in September.

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stops

Stop 8

ThAILAND, KRABI pRoVINCEoctober 21-26, 2013

Location Limestone cliffs off the coast Date October 21-26, 2013Coordinates Phi Phi Islands 7° 44’ 0” N, 98° 46’ 0” EPlatform/rock height 24-28mWater depth 6m to 10mWater temperature in October 27 - 29°CAir temperature in October 28°CWater Andaman Sea, SeawaterUnusual fact The first time that cliff diving will take place at these sites.

Iconic films like The Man with the Golden Gun in 1974 and The Beach in 2000 have immortalized the islands off the coast of Krabi province in Southern Thailand. Now, tourists flock to Krabi to get a glimpse of the massive monoliths of limestone that dot the translucent turquoise waters. Despite the growing number of “long-tail boats” ferrying people around, most of these limestone cliff summits have yet to be touched by the feet of any humans. The World Series this October is set to change that.

In the World Series’ first visit to Thailand the best high divers in the world will compete across four unique cliffs in Krabi. Arguably the world’s most spectacular climbing site, Krabi’s cliffs are sharp, pocketed walls of rock each presenting unique challenges. Divers face tides, ocean currents and a steep rocky ascent before diving into the warm waters of the Andaman Sea.

The first stop is a 24m dive from Wang Long Bay on Phi Phi Don Island; two opposing cliffs, guarding a narrow inlet of crystal blue water 10m deep. This uninhabited island contains one tiny white sand beach surrounded by

submerged limestone mountains. The next stop is Maya Bay, one of the most popular beaches on Phi Phi Leh Island, where athletes will dive 27m from a special platform allowing them to perform more complicated arrangements of somersaults and twists. Here, spectators will be able to gaze through 6m deep water to the schools of brightly colored tropical fish and coral below.

Hidden inside many limestone cliffs are caves housing beautiful stalactites and stalagmites. At Viking Cave, the third dive site, athletes dive from atop a gigantic stalactite jutting out a dramatic 90° from the cliff. At this site, only accessible by boat, competitors dive 24.5m into the Andaman Sea at a depth of 8m. The final dive site, Lading Bay, is quintessentially Thai. A jagged atoll of cliffs surrounds powdery white sand with a view of more limestone pinnacles jutting out of the sea in the distance. The beach here is ready to welcome spectators and judges with a perfect 90° view of the 28m dives.

Krabi is a geological wonder and an ancient civilization, with the limestone cliffs forming 300 million years ago and human habitation dating back 40,000 years. Now, in 2013, for the first time ever, this unique marine landscape will provide the backdrop for the culmination of the Cliff Diving World Series.

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Claudio de Miro, Head JudgeFormer national diving team member, 25 years of judging experienceNationality: Italianage: 56

He has 25 years of judging experience on his side and has been involved in high diving just as long. The Naples-born former diver is a walking library when it comes to the rules and regulations and heads a pool of 13 judges.

The divers have improved – have the judges also improved between 2009 and today?The judging system does not depend on the Degree Of Difficulty or the height. We have to judge what we see and not the difficulty or the name or nation of a diver, and not if the diver is doing a dive for the first time, nor if he’s really young. We have to be neutral no matter what. How do you explain judging discrepancies?Normally the scores of the judges should be within a half and one point. However, sometimes it happens that one judge – and this happens in Olympic diving as well – sees a mistake and deducts a point for that. The other judges might not see it as well. Another case can be that during the rotation or at the entry the diver crimps his legs a little bit – this means a penalty of 0.5 to 3 points and one judge might be stricter with that than another one. Normally you judge all the different aspects of take-off, performance in the air and entry and only afterwards do you apply your deduction. If the overall impression for me was a 9 and I deduct one point for slightly bent knees at the entry, it makes 8. Another judge might give an 8 overall and deduct one point as well, then it makes a 7. This is also a reason why we discard the highest and the lowest score and multiply the DD with the remaining total score.

What makes a good judge? Everybody in our group of 14 judges was a diver and some even coaches before we started as judges. So we have spent our lives with diving. As a judge you have to bring a certain mentality and a whole lot of experience. It’s really hard to see everything in every dive within three seconds, but we’ve probably got the best chance because we’ve been seeing it for so long. Furthermore, it’s really important to know the rules and the dives.For me personally, it’s my life. I’ve been involved in diving for 45 years. I love this world. As soon as I get tired of it all, I’ll retire because you need to have a lot of enthusiasm for diving and competition.What’s your vision for the sport?I remember 10 years ago we only had very few competitions. Since the World Series kicked off, the sport has got very famous, developed a lot and many people know about it. On top of that, FINA will host the first high diving world championships this year. For the future it will be very important to have more people and organisations working together to increase the possibilities of the sport.

Questioning

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interview

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Niki Stajkovic, Sports Director5-time Olympic competitorNationality: Austrianage: 54

The 54 year-old Austrian is the sports director for the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series and in charge of everything that has to do with sports - athletes, judges, locations and safety.He selected the divers for the first season of the World Series and it is still part of his job to select the athletes for the qualification. All that goes along with the rules for cliff diving, and the 5-time Olympic competitor is the main person in charge. The World Series rulebook covers everything that goes with the sport, from diving specifics to conduct. On a yearly basis these rules are checked and improved. As part of the official sports committee, he also tries to pick the jury from the pool of judges that are best qualified for the job. To ensure the scoring is at the highest level and also fair to the divers, the judges and their scores are evaluated after each competition. The sports director has a tight travel plan: Once the countries interested in participating have sent some suggestions on what places are possible, he checks the location on site from a sporting perspective. A few requirements need to be fulfilled in order to host a competition and meet the safety needs of the divers.tasks in a competition weekI usually get to the locations a bit earlier and I make sure that the platform has the right specifications as was advised to the host countries. It needs to be stable, as it should be a platform and not a springboard. It has to have the right height, which can vary as a lot of times we have to deal with the tides. The water depth is also one of the main security factors; we need to have at least five metres. Another issue is the safety procedure in case anything does happen. Together with the scuba team we go through the whole procedure. Whenever a diver enters the water they have to be there to assist him just in case. We basically explain the types of injuries that can happen, the procedure how an injured diver has to be transported; the whole chain of commands from the scuba divers to paramedics and doctors on site, who would then take him in a boat in a stretcher to

the ambulance or helicopter and from there to the hospital. Once they are at the doctors’ it’s basically out of our hands, as they are the experts in that area. We just make sure we get organised before. During the competition and also during training I am right next to the platform. I am in touch with the event managers to let them know when the divers are ready to go out on the platform; but also the athletes let me know when something doesn’t work for them. I have to see the take-off and the landing of a dive. If one takes off really close to the platform, the landing can be seriously bad or once I see they land in a way that they could be injured I give a so-called “bad landing” call and that sets off the chain of commands immediately. Luckily I don’t have to give the call very often, but if necessary that gets it going a bit quicker.When it comes to weather conditions, like strong winds or lightning, and it has to do with safety – anything that goes over 40kph is usually too dangerous, especially when it’s gusty – I meet with the divers, as it’s their decision ultimately; however, if I see it’s not going to be safe, we’ll not conduct the event. At the athletes’ meeting the divers get all the information about the location, what they have to look out for, the conditions, the weather and what they have to expect.What’s the most interesting development you’ve observed in cliff diving in the past few years?It’s amazing how much better they have gotten in terms of diving performance, physical fitness and increasing the difficulty. When we first started five years ago we had so many times that I was just really afraid. You know that one of them is about to do a new dive or a dive they’re not sure of and there were a lot more of these situations when they didn’t get the landing right. But at this year’s qualification competition we had a few new guys and it was incredible how well they were doing. They had two competitions and a lot of stress on their bodies and yet at the same time it seemed much better from the quality of diving. And for me better in the sense that I am not as scared that something will happen. We are always aware that something can happen and are always there but it’s not as scary as it was before.

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are the young divers today better and safer in their diving than the more experienced ones were when they started?I think it’s something like universal learning – if the whole level gets better that’s all they see. Everything they’ve been watching are the best divers in the world and they’ve been watching them on all kinds of TV channels and platforms like YouTube; and this is where they start, they don’t really know any different. They see the highest measure and that’s what they are aiming for.In addition, there are more guys coming from regular diving and the reason for that could be that Red Bull Cliff Diving has a really good way of creating media attention and getting the words and pictures out into the world. It’s amazing how many people have heard about cliff diving and seen it. The athletes, who are in regular diving see that there is a lot more glory to cliff diving, a lot more attention, and what they bring along is all the technical and physical requirements. The only thing they need is the experience in the height and the feeling of how to control their dives. The ones that have that certain amount of “no fear” in them, they’ll do it. Three examples we have are David Colturi, Blake Aldridge and Gary Hunt. They were pretty good divers in Olympic diving and are now the ones who do some of the hardest dives and their execution is incredibly good.

How much do the new divers influence the sport?The new guys have a little bond as being the rookies they push each other. As much as they push the older ones, the more experienced athletes realize that it’s not always the hardest dive that wins, but it depends on how good you execute them. Let’s take for example Orlando Duque, who’s definitely the most experienced; he knows when he needs to step it up. He lets them push him to a certain point and will only learn a new dive when he can’t win anymore. And when he does, he’s only going to do them when he knows he can do them for 10s as well. When an athlete wants to do a dive in the competition, the head judge and I need to see it before. If we see that the dive is not safe, we don’t let them do it. I’ve been in the situation that I could see a diver’s not ready to do a certain dive, and then I really try to talk him out of it.What’s your vision for the sport?Last April FINA, the official body for world championships in diving, included cliff diving as a professional sport. This can be a way to access a wider audience, the divers find better facilities to train, and young talents have infrastructures to grow. We’ll have the FINA World Championships this summer and then a lot of the regular platform divers will get aware of how much exposure and attention cliff diving creates. Beside that, the recognition by FINA could mean an Olympic medal in the sport’s future. This is what I’d love to see!

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DIVES

Diving from three times the height of olympic Diving requires acrobatic perfection. the athletes choose from 149 Different Dives, 5 take-off positions, 9 groups anD 4 positions.

take off positions & Dive groupsThe divers have to choose from these five take-off positions: front, back, inward, reverse, armstand, front twisting, back twisting, reverse twisting, inward twisting.~ In the front group (group 1), the diver takes

off facing forwards and rotates forwards.~ In the back group (group 2), the diver takes

off with his back to the water and rotates backwards.

~ In the reverse group (group 3), the diver takes off facing forwards and rotates backwards.

~ In the inward group (group 4), the diver takes off with his back to the water and rotates forwards.

~ Each one of the four groups above can also incorporate an axial twisting movement and will therefore be considered among groups 5, 6, 7 and 8.

~ Any dive commencing from a hand stand is in the armstand group (Group 9). The armstand can be executed from either the forward or backward direction and can include twists as well.

acrobatic

Degree of DifficultyThe degree of difficulty is the rating for the dives performed in a competition and is multiplied by the sum of the judges‘ scores, with the highest and lowest scores discarded. The DD of a dive is evaluated on the basis of these figures:

~ Type of take off~ Number of somersaults ~ Number of twists ~ Position during the somersaults ~ Type of entry

The DD in the World Series ranges from 3.8 for the required dives to up to 6.3 for the sport’s currently hardest dives.

According to the official Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series 2013 rulebook, the jury has to judge what is seen and not what wants to be seen. Moreover, each dive has to be judged disregarding any bias toward the diver or dive to ensure an objective result.

WHAT DO THE JUDGES CONSIDER FOR THEIR SCORES? Head judge Claudio De Miro explains: „At the take-off we look at the elevation from the platform, the trajectory and the distance from the platform. The body position – pike, tuck or straight – is important during the execution; they have to be performed correctly. At the entrance, the most important things are the body alignment, the position of the arms and the splash.“

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pikewith knees straight but a tight bend at the hips.

straightwith no bend at the knees or hips.

tuckbody folded up into a tight ball, hands holding the shins and toes pointed.

Dive

freea sequence of the above positions.

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DIVES

baraniOne somersault forward rotation with a 1/2 twist. Used as an entry manoeuvre, it gives the diver the best view of the water.

Dive

flying position“Fly” describes dives consisting of at least one complete somersault performed in the straight position for no less than 90°. The straight position must then be followed by either tuck or pike position.

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tWistA twist is any movement during a dive that occurs when the diver rotates around an imaginary vertical axis that runs from the head to the toes. Up to four revolutions can be performed in competition and can be added to dives in the forward, back, reverse, inward and armstand categories.

blinD entryThe last time the diver sees the water is at least half a somersault before entry and so lines up “blind”.

When Do the JuDges DeDuct points from their scores?~ If the arms at the entry are clearly extended

above the head.~ If the arms at the entry are away from the body

but below the head.~ For incomplete arm stands, as the body should

come to rest in a vertical and straight alignment for no less than two full seconds before initiating the action of the dive.

~ “Flying” dives should display a full 90 degrees of rotation upon take-off before executing the described position.

~ If an obvious break of straight position occurs after at least one complete somersault has been performed in either tuck or pike position.

~ A break in position at or just before entry, an intermediate break of position and if a dive is done in a completely different position than announced.

Dos/Don’ts: What Do the JuDges not Want to see anD What Do they regarD as mistakes

~ Powerless take-offs, incorrect distance to the platform.

~ Unaesthetic execution, open or crossed legs, unpointed toes, legs that are not straight in pike or layout position or entry phase.

~ Short and non-vertical entries, under- or over-twisted entries.

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media outcome

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It’s pure. It’s fascinating & jaw-dropping – cliff diving keeps spreading its unique spirit around the world.

The Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series includes a dedicated international editorial service that integrates a skilled team of photographers, TV-crews and editors who produce editorial content and distribute news, pictures, stories and TV-footage to the international media, opening the sport up to a wider audience.

Millions of people around the globe read about cliff diving in their favourite daily paper, hear about it in the radio station of their choice and watch the competitions on TV or online.

What the media service provides in 2013

contacts

Moving Images10 highlights of 52 minutes (HD), 8 travel, teaser, feature stories, action, event clips, news cuts Additional clips for web and TV

Editorial texts per stopPre-event releaseTeaser textEvent releaseStory textAthletes quotes, profiles

Still Images ProfilesLifestyleActionPreparation SequencesTeaser Locations

media that reported on the event

published print articles

TV reports

web articles on 815 different websites

spectators on site

media on site

1273 10462655

> 1682 69.000337

634.000.000

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52

encyclopedia

DiD you know that?

a-Z

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AcApulcoIn Acapulco, Mexico, pearl divers began to dive from the cliffs of La Quebrada in the 1930s – some with greater skill than others – in order to find the biggest and most valuable pearls. Legends recall the heights from which they jumped. The figure of 36 metres is inscribed into the top of the cliff; however many people talk about jumps in excess of 40 metres. The highest level on site is actually 25.90 metres above the sea.

ArenAArena is the official technical partner of the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series 2013.

Blind entryThe last time the diver sees the water is at least half a somersault before entry as he or she lines up ‘blind’.

BrAking distAnceThe braking distance for a high dive from 27m is approximately 4m after entry into the water.

chAmoisThe chamois or ‘shammy’ is a small towel that serves a few purposes. It keeps the diver’s body dry before a dive. This is important because the hands and legs need to be dry so as not to slip out of position in the air. At the same time, the athletes try to keep their hands wet – in the same way that some people wet the tips of their fingers to turn the pages of a book. In case of low temperatures, the divers try to stay warm by drying their bodies with the chamois. It’s dry again as soon as you squeeze the water out of the towel.

degree of difficultyThe degree of difficulty of a dive is evaluated on the basis of the following: take-off, number of somersaults, number of twists, position during the somersaults and entry into the water.

equipmentThere is no need for equipment. Cliff diving is the athlete versus gravity – which is one of the main reasons why so many people are intrigued by the sport.

evolutionImprovement and evolution are crucial aspects of the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series. Besides offering jaw-dropping diving action, the World Series also intends to push the limits of high diving. Bringing together the best of their kind and providing them with a stable platform height and a set number of competitions broke new boundaries in its very first year of existence. Gary Hunt’s triple somersault with four twists – the Triple Quad – is the first dive conceived exclusively for cliff diving and has a degree of difficulty of 6.3. The evolution of high diving, which began in 2009, continued in the past years following intense off-season preparation. More jaw-dropping action is guaranteed in 2013, with 27-metres dives into unforgiving, concrete-like water.

femAle competitionA female competition will be held for the first time in the history of Red Bull Cliff Diving during the competition in Malcesine (ITA, July 13/14).

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encyclopedia

finAIn April 2012 the Fédération Internationale de Natation, FINA, included high diving as a professional sport.

free fAllDuring a dive from 27m, the athletes have about three seconds of free fall in which to perform their spectacular movements before they plunge into the water.

g-forceAt the highest point, the G-force value increases to three, which means that the diver experiences a force equal to three times his own weight.

guinness world record There are two Guinness world records in cliff diving. Orlando Duque’s perfect dive during the WHDF Cliff Diving World Championship in Kaunolu, Hawaii, in 2000, when he performed a double back somersault with four twists from 24.40m. He earned a perfect 10 from all seven judges and scored 159.00 points; a number which has been noted as the highest scored dive ever. The Colombian has also participated in more world championships than any other cliff diver.

height High diving competitions are held at heights ranging from 18-23 metres for female and 20-28 metres for male divers. 26.5 metres – the minimum height in the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series – is equivalent to an eight-storey building.

heroesOutstanding achievements, broken records and unforgettable moments – cliff diving has its heroes, like King Kahekili, Enrique Apac Rios, Lucy Wardle, Olivier Favre and Orlando Duque.

impAct The force of the impact is nine times harder than from the 10-metre platform and can also be compared with a hard landing from 13m on concrete.

JuryAn international jury of five people jugdge each dive. The judges consider take-off, position in the air and water entry and they award scores from 0 to 10.

kAhekiliIn the 1770s, a no less illustrious personage than Kahekili, the last independent king of Maui, indulged in cliff diving in the 18th century.

kAmehAmehAIn the 19th century, the Hawaiian King, Kamehameha, was the first to allow the organisation of cliff diving contests with defined rules to determine the best and bravest athlete.

kAunoluCliff diving is a very traditional discipline, which has its origin during the 1700s in Kaunolu, on the south western part of the Hawaiian island of Lanai.

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lele kAwALele Kawa is an Hawaiian expression, meaning ‘leaping feet-first from a high cliff into water without making a splash’ and was used by Kahekili, the last independent king of Maui, as an initiation rite for his warriors.

locAtionsLa Rochelle (FRA), Copenhagen (DEN), Azores, S. Miguel (POR), Malcesine (ITA), Boston (USA), Pembrokeshire (UK), Nitéroi, Rio de Janeiro (BRA) and the province of Krabi (THA) are the eight dazzling locations for the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series 2013.

mAximum heightThe maximum height for competitions in the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series is 28m. Due to the rapid acceleration, almost no time benefit occurs from higher dives and the risk of injury increases disproportionately.

mindA lot of things go through a diver’s mind just before a dive: They rehearse the whole process mentally before stepping onto the platform. Some of them mimic the dive, recreate it in their heads and try to feel it. In the last seconds before the dive they are completely focused and the fear is gone.

originCliff diving had its origin during the 1700s in Hawaii.

pAncAke lAndingA pancake landing, or crash landing, from cliff diving heights can be compared with a hard landing from 13 metres on concrete.

plAtformThe platform must be a stable take-off board constructed with a minimum length of 1.5m, a minimum width of 0.75m and a water-sprayed rim at least 2m beyond the vertical line.

pressureThe fact that the mere thought of a high dive in a neutral and relaxed environment sees the heart rate and the body tension rise to the same high level experienced before the actual execution – as proved at the Red Bull Diagnostics and Training Centre in Austria – underlines the mental and physical pressure the athletes are exposed to.

requirementsThe main requirements for high divers are an extensive technical education, many years of experience in diving or a similar acrobatic sport, as well as courage, self-confidence, extraordinary physical control and the ability to make decisions within fractions of a second based on the following impulses: sight, space, time and experience.

riskThe highest risk of injury occurs during the water entry, when parts of the body are already exposed to absolute deceleration and others, above the surface, are still at top speed. Crash landings can be ruled out, however, because of the divers’ technical training and experience.

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encyclopedia

sAfetyRegulations for safety are a maximum height (28 metres), a minimum water depth (5 metres), a stable and water-sprayed platform with a minimum length of 1.5m and width of 0.75m and with a rim at least 2m beyond the vertical fall line, rescue divers, paramedics as well as an ambulance.

skillMost athletes reach their maximum technical skill and mental maturity at around 30 years of age. Besides a technical education, the main prerequisite for all high divers is at least 10 to 15 years of training in diving or a similar acrobatic sport. Another necessary requirement is the ability to make split-second decisions based on impulses such as sight, space, time and experience.

somersAultA somersault is an acrobatic exercise in which a person rotates around the somersault axis, moving the feet over the head. It can be performed forwards, backwards or sideways and is an important part of each high dive.

speed From 27m, the speed at which you enter the water is 85-90kph; an acceleration that compares to a Lamborghini Murciélago.

tAke-offAt the take-off, the diver leaves the platform. After the take-off, the diver has about 10-12 metres in which to do his tricks. A good take-off almost guarantees a good entry.

trAiningA balanced training program includes springboard diving, flexibility and power training, as well as mental conditioning.

triple quAdGary Hunt’s (GBR) triple somersault with four twists – the Triple Quad – is the first dive conceived exclusively for cliff diving and has a degree of difficulty of 6.3.

twistA twist is one of the nine main groups in which dives are classified. Any dive incorporating an axial twisting movement comes under this group. Twists of up to four revolutions are performed in competitions and can be added to dives in the forward, back, reverse, inward and armstand categories.

verticAl positionTo minimise the risk of injuries and the water splash, the water entry should be in a perfectly vertical position.

wAterWater is the central element in high diving. Characteristics like temperature, density and colour play important roles when the diver approaches the entry point.

wAter entryThe most dangerous part in cliff diving is the water entry. Even if the divers have a good line and break the water’s surface perfectly vertical, it still hurts. With their bodies under tremendous pressure, the water is like a wall; with forces nine times harder than those faced by Olympic athletes from a 10-metre tower.

weBwww.redbullcliffdiving.com is the official website of the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series. It contains up-to-date news, divers’ profiles, picture galleries, videos and the latest information about the stops and results.

Zero protectionCliff divers do not have any protection except their own experience. Their diving ability is their only protection against injuries.

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