Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series 2023

CLIFF DIVING IS PURE , SIMPLE AND FASCINATING . IT IS THE OLDEST EXTREME SPORT IN THE WORLD AND IN 2023 IT WILL SOAR TO NEW HEIGHTS .

SIX BUSTLING, BREATHTAKING VENUES AROUND THE GLOBE AWAIT THE DAREDEVIL CLIFF DIVING ELITE IN A YEAR THAT WILL CULMINATE WITH THE 98TH STOP OF THE RED BULL CLIFF DIVING WORLD SERIES IN AUCKLAND , NEW ZEALAND – ONE OF TWO BRAND NEW LOCATIONS . LAST SEASON, THE SPORT’S EMERGING TALENTS CLEARLY STATED THEIR CLAIM TO THE TITLE , AND IN 2023 THE CARDS ARE BEING RESHUFFLED. THIS YEAR THE WORLD’S 24 BEST HIGH DIVERS WILL TRY TO MAXIMISE THEIR PERFORMANCES ACROSS A CALENDAR THAT COMBINES THE TRIED AND TESTED WITH THE NOVEL AND ORIGINAL, AND HOLDS ALL THE TRUMP CARDS FOR SURPRISES .

WILL THE RISING GENERATION OF ATHLETES KNOCK THE LONG-TIME DOMINATORS OFF THEIR THRONES IN THE 14TH SEASON OF THE WORLD SERIES? WHERE WILL THE COMPETITIONS BE HELD CLOSEST TO ITS FANS AND MOST REMOTELY?

WHAT ELSE IS NEW AND WORTH KNOWING ABOUT THIS SPORT THAT COMBINES ACROBATIC FREE FALLS FROM HEIGHTS OF UP TO 27 METRES AND SPEEDS OF OVER 85KM/H ?

FIND ALL THE FACTS ON THE FOLLOWING PAGES .

THE RED BULL CLIFF DIVING

WELCOME BY THE SPORTS DIRECTOR

We’re going into the new season of the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series: we have six locations in total, two of those are new locations; we have a few new faces for the male and female divers. Some very exciting changes are coming to the rules, which will bring many new dives and also new opportunities to score points for the overall standings.

To meet these new requirements, some divers will have to modify their list and adapt to what will work best for them. Some may have to change their favourite required dive to favour a better take off for the optional dives. But I’ll let our competition director elaborate more on that. p. 15 That said, I can tell you that it’s going to be exciting. Let’s see who manages to adapt best to the changes.

The Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series has been running for 14 years and we now have different age groups of cliff divers. They will bring experience and a certain strategy, and the young athletes, of course, a lot of new energy.

Four very familiar locations that could give experienced divers an edge, and two new sites that are certainly going to put everyone to the test.

Overall, this is probably the biggest change we have seen since Red Bull Cliff Diving was created. I can’t wait to start the season and I wish all cliff divers all the best!

Cliff diving is a very competitive sport, but it will always retain its adventurous side, for which the athletes don’t

need much more than a cliff with a stretch of water underneath… and sometimes a sunset

OVERALL RANKINGS 2022

WOMEN

1- Rhiannan Iffland AUS – 1560pts.

2- Molly Carlson CAN – 1270

3- Eleanor Smart USA – 820

4- Xantheia Pennisi AUS – 798

5- Jessica Macaulay CAN – 794

6- Meili Carpenter (W) USA – 546

7- Adriana Jimenez MEX – 445

8- Yana Nestsiarava IAT – 356

MEN

1- Gary Hunt FRA – 1240pts.

2- Aidan Heslop GBR – 1116

3- Catalin Preda ROU – 1130

4- Nikita Fedotov IAT – 651

5- Constantin Popovici ROU – 609

6- Alessandro De Rose ITA – 493

7- Oleksiy Prygorov UKR – 447

8- Jonathan Paredes MEX – 409

The launch of the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series in 2009 marked the beginning of a new era for this pure and captivating sport. The world’s best cliff divers have been part of this extraordinary journey taking the sport to new levels of performance and perfection, creativity

and courage, adrenaline and adventure. As the most recognised series of cliff diving competitions, the 2023 World Series once again features the sport’s top athletes. Through the world ranking the top eight women and men have secured a permanent ticket.

THE WORLD’S BEST HIGH DIVERS

Equalised athletes’ roster from 18 nationalities – At every single stop in 2023, 12 women and 12 men will showcase their aesthetic abilities during a two-day event to impress the international judges and make the spectators’ jaws drop in not just the two brand new loca-

tions. Each single dive is up to 27 meters high, 85kmh fast and hardly three seconds long –three irrevocable facts that the athletes counter with physical and mental mastery in their quest for the glorious King Kahekili Trophy.

CLIFF DIVING SCIENCE

A DIVE IN NUMBERS

DIVE HEIGHT

27 M | 90 FT FOR MEN

21 M | 70 FT FOR WOMEN

TAKE-OFF JUMP UP TO 0.8M

ROTATION SPEED

VERTICAL VELOCITY

TIME IN THE AIR

2.4 PER SECOND

22.5 M | 73.8 FT PER SECOND

2.6 SECONDS

WATER ENTRY UP TO 85 KPH | 53MPH

IMPACT DECELERATION 10G

8 Risks – The highest risk of injury is in the landing phase, when parts of the body are already exposed to absolute deceleration and others, above the surface, are still travelling at full speed. At this point, maximum body tension is absolutely crucial. Immediately after hitting the water, the athlete must actively dive away to avoid squeezing or twisting parts of the body caused by the hardness of the water. However,

due to the technical training and experience of the divers, major mistakes can be prevented. In general, high diving over 28 metres does not bring a great time advantage due to the rapid acceleration, while at the same time the risk of injury increases disproportionately.

Cliff diving is an elite extreme sport. So far, 85 male and female athletes from 22 countries have competed in the World Series.

IMPACT UP TO 9 TIMES HARDER THAN FROM 10M PLATFORM

Saftey divers/paramedics

Three safety divers at landing point, paramedics next to the diving point, ambulance on standby.

Water spray

The water spray breaks the surface and provides an important reference point for the divers.

SCAN ME TO FIND OUT MORE!

HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED WHERE FRESH CLIFF DIVING TALENT IS SOURCED , SHAPED AND SEALED? AS ALWAYS, THERE ARE MANY PATHS TO THE TOP, BUT THIS ONE COULD BE ONE OF THE MOST EXCITING , UNIQUE AND GOAL-ORIENTED – RED BULL UNDER MY WIIINGS WITH ORLANDO DUQUE.

The World Series’ sports director and cliff diving legend brought this initiative to life in order to find and mould the next World Series wildcard. So far, 25 young divers aged 16 to 20 from seven countries have participated in two camps. A third has just been confirmed for Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina, in early September.

You have started to literally take the youth under your wings. What’s your intention?

Orlando Duque: The intention is to create a pathway for the young talent to develop and hopefully join the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series as a wildcard. It is still very difficult to find a facility and to actually develop some of the skills. So we’re providing a good platform where the young talent in different countries can actually have access to great coaching. So for example, we have our physiotherapist Angi Passenbrunner; she’s great at guiding them with the personal fitness training needed to handle a season of Red Bull Cliff Diving. They also get a few days of personal coaching with me. Normally, we identify some mistakes, what they’re lacking and we try to make the corrections.

What did you discover during the camps in Mostar and Fort Lauderdale?

I’ve seen really good talent, I see them develop. In fact, in a short period – a camp only takes three days – I can see that they’re growing. In Fort Lauderdale we had the first male participant go off the 27 metre platform; and actually

CURIOS?

we had a few of the women finalise their lists of dives on 20 metres. So basically, with a little bit more training, and maybe once they get to increase their difficulty, they should be ready.

Will we see first ‘homegrown’ wildcard any time soon?

Honestly, I’m hoping to see the first homegrown wildcard this season already. At the last camp in Fort Lauderdale, I spoke to the competition director Hassan Mouti and there is some potential. We are analysing the developments, will follow them up and hope that we can appoint one of the participants as a wild card. I think it will be a great accomplishment in such a short period of time.

What does the future hold for cliff diving?

I think there’s a lot of new energy coming in, a lot of new divers, very ambitious, they train very difficult dives. The World Series keeps growing, and that makes it even better, because the divers have a goal in mind. I see no reason to worry as I strongly believe that Red Bull Under My Wiiings is really contributing to developing the sport in the right way!

The mood in the camp is at least as good as the dives are high!

Australian Helena Merten dives into a pool of colourful kayaks at the Blue Lagoon in Pembrokeshire, Wales on September 10, 2016

REVIEW

2009

The inaugural Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series kicks-off in La Rochelle, France.

Orlando Duque (COL) is crowned 1st World Series champion

2010

Gary Hunt (GBR) becomes the ‘brilliant Brit’ with 4 wins and 2 podiums in 6 competitions. At 26, he is the youngest champion ever. The final is held in Hawaii, the sport’s birthplace.

2011

The World Series takes place at one of its most remote venues in Rapa Nui, Chile, 3,700 km from the mainland.

2012

The title is decided during the hottest finale in Oman’s Wadi Shab at temperatures over 40°C. In the final dive, Gary Hunt wins by just 1.85 points over Orlando Duque.

The Fédération Internationale de Natation (FINA) recognises high diving as a professional sport and includes it in its calendar of aquatic sports.

2013

Four different locations in Thailand’s Krabi Province make for a pure cliff diving adventure. After 8 competition dives Artem Silchenko (RUS) wins the stop and the overall title.

2014

A new era starts when the Women’s World Series is introduced.

Rachelle Simpson (USA) has a perfect year, winning all 3 competitions to become the 1st female champion.

2015

The homecoming of a legend: Orlando Duque competes in Colombia for the first time. He finishes 3rd.

Steven LoBue (USA) hits the platform with his head, finishes his dive and comes out with only a small scratch on his forehead. Since then, he’s called the ‘miracle man’.

2016

The biggest World Series ever, with nine stops around the globe, culminates with the first night event in Dubai.

An intermediate dive for the men is introduced and leads to a greater variety of dives. Gary Hunt performs the hardest dive to date: front 3 somersaults with 4½ twists free, DD 5.6.

Gary Hunt during the inaugural competition of the World Series in La Rochelle, France, on May 7, 2009

A wildcard, Australian cliff diving sensation

Rhiannan Iffland, is crowned Women’s World Series champion.

2017

The Degree of Difficulty table is adjusted according to the sport’s evolution and includes new dives. The new table is also adopted by FINA.

Greg Louganis follows Niki Stajkovic as sports director.

With a failed dive at the season finale in Chile, Gary Hunt opens a door for ‘style master’ Jonathan Paredes (MEX) to his first overall win.

2018

The World Series celebrates its 10th anniversary with seven competitions in classic venues.

On June 2, the hottest event to date is recorded in Texas: it’s 47°C when the divers hit the flat waters at Hell’s Gate.

All divers perform 4 competition dives as the cut after the 3rd round gets waived.

2019

For the first time an athlete wins every stop: Rhiannan Iffland makes the perfect season.

Gary Hunt scores the perfect dive in his 77th appearance, becoming the first person in World Series history to get all 10s from the judges.

Colombia’s Orlando Duque bows out from an illustrious career during the final in Bilbao.

2020

The World Series is cancelled due to the worldwide health situation.

2021

After a 21-month hiatus, a record season was marked with 54 tens awarded by the judges in 5 competitions.

Rhiannan Iffland continues her winning streak with two perfect seasons.

2022

Orlando Duque follows Greg Louganis as sports director.

Molly Carlson (CAN) and Aidan Heslop (GBR) win their first competitions as permanent divers and open the season with a bang.

Sydney sees a triple title fight with Gary Hunt extending his reign with his 10th title in the final dive of the season.

The 2018 season opener in Texas was a hot one.

When a legend comes home to Colombia, no one wants to miss the show.

NEW IN 2023

2 NEW LOCATIONS

TAKACHIHO (JPN), AUCKLAND (NZL).

3 NEW PERMANENT DIVERS MIGUEL GARCIA (COL), JAMES LICHTENSTEIN AND MEILI CARPENTER (BOTH USA).

BEST DIVE AWARD - THE DIVE WITH THE HIGHEST SCORE GETS AN ADDITIONAL 10 POINTS IN THE OVERALL RANKING.

EACH COMPETITION DIVE MUST BE PERFORMED FROM A DIFFERENT TAKE-OFF DIRECTION.

No one has collected more 10s than Gary Hunt. 69 times in 92 events - the “flying Frenchman” is a favourite for the newly introduced Best Dive Award.

Do you have questions about safety requirements, rules and format as well as judges and scoring? Then Hassan Mouti, the competition director of the World Series, is the right person for you. The Frenchman, an athlete of the first hour, has occupied and shaped this position since 2015.

What’s new in 2023 in terms of rules?

The most important change is the take off directions. From this season onwards, divers will have to do four out of five different take off positions. So there are forward, back, reverse, inward and armstand; and from these they have to do four different take-offs; this will be a big change for probably 50% of the divers, as many of them have only done two different take-offs.

What do you expect from this rule change?

This year we’ll see a lot of different dives from the divers. I expect most of them to change the Required and Intermediate Dive and to keep the Optionals that they had before.

You’re introducing the ‘best dive award’ in 2023 – what’s the intention behind? Can that decide the championship?

In each competition, the dive with the highest score from the judges will be awarded an extra 10 points for the overall ranking. This extra won’t necessarily decide the championship, but it is a motivation and rewards quality. That is something we are looking for, because at the moment the focus is on difficulty. So we are also looking for quality to motivate people to dive better technically.

We’ll see three new judges – what’s the main challenge for a new judge on tour?

The biggest challenge for the new judges on the tour is definitely experience. Two of them, Ginger and Egill, are former high divers who used to compete with us. So they have a lot of experience in high diving, and now it’s just a matter of transferring all this knowledge of the athletes to judging. It’s probably a bit easier than a diver switching to high diving because they already know the rules. Valerio already has some experience as a judge in high diving, so he will be fine.

How would you describe a well judged competition?

Basically, judges have to judge what they see and not the Degree of Difficulty; nor do they have to judge the name. It is human to make some mistakes and get excited about the high DD. So we are always there to remind them that they have to judge only the dive, no DD and no name. So staying objective is the main difficulty in judged sports. Which one will be your most challenging competition from a competition and safety perspective?

In terms of safety, Mostar is the most difficult competition at this moment. We have a strong current there and in case of a bad landing, the injured diver will be pushed forward from the landing zone. That’s why we have a special arrangement in that place, which is to have two apnoea divers 15 to 20 metres downstream. But also the new location in Japan will be a bit more difficult because it’s a new team for safety and we’ll have to start working from scratch with them.

THE COMPETITION DIRECTOR EXPLAINS …

The judges award points between 0 and 10 in half point increments for take-off, execution in the air and water entry.

RULES AND REGULATIONS

COMPETITION FORMAT

Ahead of each competition a draw determines the diving order for the 1st round.

ROUND 1

maximum DD MEN 2.8

WOMEN 2.6

ROUND 2

maximum DD MEN 3.6

WOMEN 3.4

ROUND 3

Reverse starting order based on the previous round’s cumulative score.

FINAL ROUND

Reverse starting order based on the previous round’s cumulative score.

Competition format can change due to local dive condition difficulties.

MEN

WOMEN

OPTIONAL DIVE ROUNDS No capped Degree of Difficulty (DD). Every element of the dive counts as per DD table in the rule book.

12 DIVERS

12 Divers

8 permanent + 4 wildcards

8 permanent + 4 wildca rds

DAY 1 DAY 2

The winner of any individual stop is the diver with the highest point total from this competition after 4 dives.

A PANEL OF FIVE INTERNATIONAL JUDGES

EVALUATE EACH DIVE ON THE FOLLOWING CRITERIA:

ˇ TAKE OFF

ˇ POSITION IN THE AIR

ˇ ENTRY IN THE WATER

DEGREE OF DIFFICULTY

The degree of difficulty of each dive – also known as DD – is calculated based on the difficulty of the execution of each manoeuvre and the junction of each dive component.

ˇ Type of take off

ˇ Number of somersaults

ˇ Number of twists

ˇ Position during the somersaults

ˇ Type of entry

The DD table was adjusted for the 2017 World Series in alignment with FINA and since then ranges from 2.6 (women) and 2.8 (men) for the Required Dives to up to 5.6 for the sport’s currently hardest dives.

According to the official Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series rulebook, the judges must evaluate 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.

POINTS

Points are awarded from 1st to last place, including wildcards.

SCORES

from 0 to 10 in half point increments.

5 scores by 5 judges.

Judges score the dives without assistance.

HIGHEST & LOWEST

score are discarded. The remaining three scores are added together.

THE SUM

is multiplied by the degree of difficulty for each dive.

SCORES

from all 4 rounds are cumulated to produce the final competition result.

POINTS PER COMPETITION

The points from each competition are tallied towards the total score and standings of the World Series. All individual competition results count for the World Series overall ranking.

JUDGES

FIVE JUDGES

For each competition, 1 head judge & 4 judges will be selected from a pool of 12 World Aquatics

judges. They will be assigned based on the event’s geographical location and availability.

Antonio Martinez (MEX)

Former diver and high diver, head judge

Anke Piper (GER)

Three-time European champion 10m, head judge

Ginger Huber (USA) 25-time competitor in the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series between 2014 and 2019, new judge in 2023

Simon Latimer (NZL)

Former New Zealand Diving Team Member, three-time Olympic judge

Egill Ormasson (DEN)

Competed and performed in high diving between 1995 and 2009, new judge in 2023

Valerio Polazzo (ITA) New judge in 2023

Olivier Morneau-Ricard (CAN)

Former Canadian diving team member, head judge

Jeff Arbon (AUS)

Participant Olympic Games Seoul 1988

Ildiko Kelemen (HUN)

Participant Olympic Games Moscow 1980 and Seoul 1988

Julian Llinas (ESP) Judge at three Olympic Games

Cyrille Oumedjkane (FRA) World Series diver between 2009 and 2016

Marion Reiff (AUT)

Participant Olympic Games Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004

Take Off

ˇ The diver does not show a steady balance and control in an armstand dive. The body should come to rest in a vertical and straight alignment for no less than two full seconds before initiating the dive action.

Execution

ˇ An intermediate break of position, a break in position at or just before the entry occurs and if a dive is done in a completely different position than announced.

ˇ The straight position upon take-off is not shown for at least one quarter of a somersault in all flying dives.

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

Entry

ˇ The arms at the entry are away from the body and either below or above the shoulders.

ˇ A dive is over- or under-twisted by more than 90° the Head Judge declares a failed dive.

THE JUDGES DEDUCT POINTS FROM THEIR SCORES WHEN…

Powerless take-offs, incorrect distance to the platform.

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

Short and non-vertical entries, under- or over-rotated entries.

WHAT THE JUDGES REGARD AS MISTAKES:

3 POSITONS ALL THREE POSITIONS (STRAIGHT, PIKE, TUCK) MUST BE SHOWN.

DIVE POSITIONS

PIKE

With knees straight but a tight bend at the hips.

STRAIGHT

With no bend at the knees or hips.

Tuck

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

FREE Body position is optional but the legs shall be together and the toes pointed.

BARANI

One somersault forward rotation with a ½ twist. The entry manoeuvre gives the diver the best view of the water.

BLIND ENTRY

The last time the diver sees the water is at least half a somersault before entry and so they line up “blind”.

DIVE COMPONENTS

Sommersault

The diver rotates head over end, forwards or backwards. The record number of somersaults is currently 5.

FLYING

Dives consisting of at least one complete somersault performed in the straight position at no less than 90°. The straight position must be followed by either tuck or pike.

TWIST

The body twists on axis whilst rotating. The record number of twists is currently 5.

DIVE DIRECTIONS

Each one of the five directions can also incorporate an axial twisting movement.

FORWARD

The diver takes off facing the water and rotates forwards.

BACK

The diver takes off with their back to the water and rotates backwards..

ARMSTAND

The armstand can be executed forward, back, reverse and inward.

REVERSE

The diver takes off facing the water and rotates backwards towards the platform.

INWARD

The diver takes off with their back to the water and rotates forward towards the platform.

HOW TO WATCH

WATCH ALL STOPS OF THE 2023 RED BULL CLIFF DIVING WORLD SERIES LIVE AND ON DEMAND ON REDBULLCLIFFDIVING.COM , RED BULL TV , YOUTUBE , AND FACEBOOK

PLEASE, CHECK REDBULLCLIFFDIVING.COM FOR YOUR LOCAL TIMES.

Peek behind the scenes of Red Bull Cliff Diving with the show ‘More than a Dive’ on Red Bull TV.

Diving in paradise! The 2019 season started in Palawan, Philippines. On the photo we see

Adriana Jimenez of Mexico dive from a rock pinnacle at the Small Lagoon on Miniloc Island

KING KAHEKILI TROPHY

THE RED BULL CLIFF DIVING WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONS’ AWARD OF VIRTUE & EXCELLENCE

It’s the silk ribbon of cliff diving and reserved for the cream of the crop - the King Kahekili Trophy for the overall title is awarded in honour of the great Hawaiian chief. As the last independent ruler of Maui, Kahekili first leaped from the holy lava cliffs of Kaunolu, the birthplace of this majestic sport in the late 1700s.

The old Hawaiian principles of mana and pono, power and balance, were crucial when lele kawa, which loosely translates as ‘leaping feetfirst from a high cliff into the water without making a splash’, was born on the islands in the middle of the Pacific. These are principles that have been in place since the 18th century and are a prerequisite for the sport of cliff diving today.

The King Kahekili Trophy was created by the Hawaiian artist Kuaho Zane. The overall form references the shape and stance of ki’i or wooden images, traditionally carved as three-dimensional representations of gods and protective ancestors called aumakua. The trophy with its asymmetrical, cliff-like top is completely printed on the right side - similar to the tattoo that completely covered the right side of Kahekili’s body. The base is made of Koa wood and symbolizes the feet of both the ki’i and the diver who must hit the water feet first.

The World Series takes on the challenge of finding out which athlete has enough mana and pono to perform the best lele kawa and win the overall title in 2022.

NAMES ON THE KING KAHEKILI TROPHY TO DATE

They did it again in 2022 - will they also excel this year?

MEN

Orlando Duque, COL 2009

Gary Hunt, GBR 2010

Gary Hunt, GBR 2011

Gary Hunt, GBR 2012

Artem Silchenko, RUS 2013

Gary Hunt, GBR 2014

Gary Hunt, GBR 2015

Gary Hunt, GBR 2016

Jonathan Paredes, MEX 2017

Gary Hunt, GBR 2018

Gary Hunt, GBR 2019

Gary Hunt, FRA 2021

Gary Hunt, FRA 2022

WOMEN

Rachelle Simpson, USA 2014

Rachelle Simpson, USA 2015

Rhiannan Iffland, AUS 2016

Rhiannan Iffland, AUS 2017

Rhiannan Iffland, AUS 2018

Rhiannan Iffland, AUS 2019

Rhiannan Iffland, AUS 2021

Rhiannan Iffland, AUS 2022

2x Rachelle Simpson

6x Rhiannan Iffland

1x Jonathan Paredes

1x Artem Silchenko

1x Orlando Duque

10x Gary Hunt

PERMANENT DIVERS WOMEN 2023

CAN MOLLY CARLSON

USA MEILI CARPENTER

AUS RHIANNAN IFFLAND

CAN JESSICA MACAULAY

IAT YANA NESTSIARAVA

AUS XANTHEIA PENNISI

GER IRIS SCHMIDBAUER

USA ELEANOR SMART

For the eight permanent athletes from five nations and up to four female wildcard divers, it’s all about top marks for form and composure combined with increasing acrobatic complexity from 21 metres

PERMANENT DIVERS WOMEN

In her first appearance as a permanent diver, the Montreal-based athlete, added her name to the list of World Series competition winners with an impressive victory at the 2022 season opener in Boston. A personal best score to start with and six more second places until the end of the year made Molly Carlson the second most successful diver of the previous season.

Having based her decision to compete as a cliff diver on the results of a social media poll, where “99% of the responses were ‘yes’, other than my mother”, the Canadian made her memorable debut on the French Riviera in 2021. Three exceptional dives helped secure a second-place finish, with only the champion Rhiannan Iffland ahead of her.

What’s to come in 2023? “My goals for the 2023 World Series are to perfect the high degree difficulty dives I currently have and finally learn a world’s first. I would love to introduce the highest DD dive in the world for females in 2023!” Excitement guaranteed!

Representing Canada

Date of birth

September 23, 1998

Height/Weight 1.75m/65kg

City of residence

Montreal

Profession

Full Time Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology Student / Team Canada

High Diver / Tiktkok Specialist

Secret passion … is to continue to grow strong mental health in young athletes especially as it relates to body positivity.

Started cliff diving in 2020

Favourite cliff diving spot

Saint-Raphael, France

Favourite dive

Front double half tuck

1st World Series appearance 2021

Best result in a World Series competition 1st place

Date of birth

December 8, 1987 Height/Weight 1.60m/60kg

Started cliff diving

Favourite dive 5264b

Favourite dive

Back triple one

Series

NEVER HAVING TO WORRY ABOUT SURVIVAL NECESSITIES.

Seizing opportunities is a talent of the vagabond who has not had a permanent place of residence for almost two years by now. It was during the 2022 curtain raiser in Boston, when Meili Carpenter raised her best World Series result from a 7th to a 3rd place. “The icing on the cake” for the Colorado-born athlete to a perfect weekend.

This podium finished qualified her for a so-called permanent wildcard ticket for the rest of the season and the summa cum laude graduate proved herself more than worthy of this chance. Another top three finish and a solid season overall secured her a permanent spot on the 2023 tour.

Keeping herself busy during the off season, the professional performer signed up for an acrobatics show in which she did aerial acrobatics, tumbling, trampwall, Russian swing, Chinese poles, and sword fighting. “I really love performing, but it’s hard to find a balance between that and training and actually getting some rest,” explains Carpenter ahead of her fully fledged season.

2010 ‘12 ‘14 ‘16 ‘18 ‘20 ‘22

RHIANNAN IFFLAND

Date of birth

September 9, 1991

Height/Weight

1.67m/60kg

City of residence

Newcastle

Profession

Athlete

Secret passion

Scuba diving and traveling

Started cliff diving in 2015

Favourite cliff diving spot

Italy; Ik kil cenote, Mexico

Favourite dive Back triple two twists

1st World Series appearance 2016

It was Canada’s Molly Carlson in her first event as a permanent diver who ended the Australian’s winning streak at the season opener in Boston. For the ‘awesome Aussie’ this 2nd place after 13 consecutive wins between 2018 and 2021 was a wake-up call.

Rhiannan Iffland found her resilience, winning the following seven stops in style and receiving the trophy for the overall title in front of her family. ‘Cliffland’, whose other passions include skiing, rock climbing, bouldering and surfing, talks about this as the best moment of her career.

In 2016, the 31-year-old diver exploded onto the scene with a sensational wildcard victory at her very first World Series competition in Texas. Since then, Australia’s ‘dominator from down under’ has gone from strength to strength, racking up an unparalleled list of achievements in just a few short years. With six World Series titles, 30 wins in 37 stops, two FINA High Diving gold medals and two full seasons unbeaten, Iffland is the most decorated female athlete in the history of cliff diving.

Best result in a World Series competition 1st place

I COULD TELL YOU JUST ONE THING …

THERE’S NO DRESS REHEARSALS.

Representing

Date of birth

November 10, 1992

Height/Weight

1.78m/63kg

City of residence

Montreal

Profession

High Diver

Secret passion

Cooking

Started cliff diving in 2015

Favourite cliff diving spot

Azores, Portugal

Favourite dive Back triple

1st World Series appearance

2017

Best result in a World Series competition

2nd place

Coming from her most successful season in 2021 with four appearances on the women’s World Series podium, Jessica Macaulay topped her 2022 up with three third place finishes.

Born in England, Macaulay moved to her father’s country of origin, Canada, when she was six weeks old to live there for two years before family life took her to different areas of the world. From Texas, where she was based until the end of 2020, the 2019 FINA High Diving World Championships bronze medallist has moved north to continue her journey to the top of the sport. With a top-three rate of 0.46, Jess has finished on the podium for almost half of her 26 World Series starts since her first appearance in 2017.

SOMETHING YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO DO BUT NEVER

Achievements 2018 Three podiums

DARED TO SO FAR? WRITE A BOOK.

as a wildcard to qualify for a permanent ticket

YANA NESTSIARAVA

Representing

Independent Athlete

Date of birth

June 14, 1992

Height/Weight

1.68m/60kg

City of residence

Strasbourg

Profession

Diving and swimming coach

Secret passion

Playing drums

Started cliff diving in 2012

Favourite cliff diving spot

Mexico

Favourite dive

5244 B

1st World Series

appearance

2014

Best result in a World Series competition

2nd place

“I was seven years old when I did my first straight dive from 10 meters. I hit my hands because they were spread apart and my face because I landed over.”

Since this first welcome to diving, the Independent Athlete has progressed into a multiple FINA High Diving World Championships medalist and podium finisher in the World Series.

Yana Nestsiarava credits her successes to her parents, who decided to channel their daughter’s energy into sports after objects in the household suffered from the excess. Regular trainings calmed down family life again. “My friends at the pool became my second family and although there was no plan to make a brilliant career, diving became my life.”

Despite one competition less in 2022 and a fifth place as her best result, the Frenchbased athlete secured a spot for the 9th year of the Women’s World Series. This season, Yana is the longest-serving diver on the women’s squad, and while focusing on the path itself, a podium after two seasons without would certainly be to her liking.

HOW HIGH DOES A CLIFF HAVE TO BE FOR YOU TO

SAY NO? I NEED TO HAVE CONVERSATION WITH MY BODY,

FROM WHICH HEIGHT WE CAN SURVIVE.

Date of birth

November 26, 1998

Height/Weight

1.64m/62kg

City of residence

Brisbane

Profession

Show diver, diving coach

Secret passion

Fashion and makeup

Started cliff diving in 2017

Favourite cliff diving spot

El Nido, Philippines

Favourite dive

Inward triple half pike

1st World Series appearance

2018

Best result in a World Series competition

2nd place

XANTHEIA PENNISI

AMBITIOUS, DETERMINED, EASY GOING.

DESCRIBE YOURSELF IN 3 WORDS:

At 24, her sportive career has already taken a few turns from gymnast to traditional diving, but it was cliff diving that sparked something in Xantheia Pennisi. A show in Australia was the beginning of it all; from 10m to 15m and 17m in 2017 and the first 20m dive in June 2018.

Pennisi’s strong performances in 2021 paved the way to her first permanent World Series ticket, which she more than confirmed by achieving two more podiums in 2022, the most competitive season yet for the women, repeating her 4th overall.

She didn’t reach her overall goal of third place by a mere 22 points, but that did not dampen her joy about the previous season’s showdown in Sydney and being able to show her jaw-dropping sport to her whole family and friends.

Postponed is no abandoned, and so the Brisbane-based diver focused on learning new harder dives during the off season that should hopefully get her a podium easier in the 2023 season to finally achieve the top three overall finish.

DANCE MONKEY, DETERMINED, ADVENTUROUS.

DESCRIBE

YOURSELF IN 3 WORDS:

IRIS SCHMIDBAUER

Representing Germany

Date of birth

April 11, 1995

Height/Weight

1.67m/59kg

City of residence

Pähl

Profession Student

Secret passion

Painting and drawing

Started cliff diving in 2014

Favourite cliff diving spot

Azores, Portugal

Favourite dive Flying somersaults

1st World Series appearance

2016

While the 28-year-old’s main achievement of last year was certainly winning the first ever European High Diving Championship in Rome, Iris Schmidbauer athlete became only the third woman in history and the sixth athlete overall, to requalify for a permanent place on the tour.

The self-taught high diver spent time in Plymouth, England, to hone her skills before she returned to Germany to train with the Olympic diving team in Dresden. It wasn’t a lot later that the Bavarian converted to the surprise wildcard, to become one of just three women who can do a back triple somersault with a double twist from twice the Olympic platform height in 2019. With a Degree of Difficulty of 4.3, this is one of the world’s hardest dives in the women’s category. In the end it was the tiny margin of 0.10 points that decided against her first ever World Series podium.

Knowing her strong will and stubbornness – in the word’s most positive sense – the World Series has just been enriched by a strong competitor for 2023.

Best result in a World Series competition 4th place

Date of birth

October 21, 1995

Height/Weight

1.65m/57kg

City of residence

Minneapolis, MN

Profession

Professional High Diver, Founder of “The Clean Cliffs Project,” Sport Psychology MA Student

Secret passion Clean Cliffs Project

Started cliff diving in 2016

Favourite cliff diving spot Agios Nikolas, Greece.

Favourite dive Back double triple

ELEANOR SMART

An ambitious personality with high goals, Eleanor Smart would want to be Oprah Winfrey for a day: “She’s such an amazing woman and philanthropist. I love all the work she is doing around the globe and hope that one day I can make such an impact! It would be awesome to be in her shoes for a day!”

She set a first step towards making a point as well as a difference when she founded ‘The Clean Cliffs Project’. From beach clean ups at the places the World Series travels to for competition, to educational get-togethers with the local communities, the former Olympic diver is always first when it’s time to act for the planet.

A new dive, two podium finishes, four PBs and third place overall - with the most successful season in her books, the 27-year-old seems to have turned her focus in the right direction. High diving is her ‘thing’, not only as a competitor but also as a coach, and so part of her ‘offspring’ is taking first steps towards a World Series ticket.

WILD CARDS

Germany

December 12, 1983

Denmark

September 20, 1991

MOMENTUM

USA

December 19, 2001

Canada

August 24, 1994

SUSANNA FISH

ANNA BADER

AT EACH STOP, FOUR OF THESE WOMEN WILL INJECT

INTO THE WOMEN’S DIVISION IN ITS 9TH SEASON.

USA

June 12, 1992

Italy

July 24, 2002

Spain

November 25, 1988

Colombia

June 23, 2001

Netherlands

March 5, 1985

MARIA PAULA QUINTERO

GENEVIEVE BRADLEY

ELISA COSETTI

GINNI VAN KATWIJK

Before becoming the first Italian to win a World Series competition, Alessandro De Rose took the adventurous road from home to Polignano a Mare in 2017

PERMANENT DIVERS MEN 2023

IAT NIKITA FEDOTOV

COL MIGUEL GARCIA

GBR AIDAN HESLOP

FRA GARY HUNT

USA JAMES LICHTENSTEIN

ROU CONSTANTIN POPOVICI

ROU CATALIN PREDA

UKR OLEKSIY PRYOGOROV

Eight divers from seven nationalities between the age of 21 and 39 will battle for the coveted King Kahekili Trophy during seven demanding competitions in 2023.

PERMANENT DIVERS MEN

WHAT’S THE MOST IMPORTANT ASSET IN CLIFF DIVING?

In 2017, Nikita Fedotov announced himself to the World Series in style, becoming the first ever male wildcard to make it onto the podium in his debut.

It wasn’t until four years later that the 28-year-old diver landed back on the podium, scoring a repeat of his third-place finish in the same location, a result which helped him secure his first ever permanent invite for the 2022 World Series.

As all good things come in three, the Montreal-based diver made it onto his third career podium in Copenhagen, Denmark, in the previous season. However, Mostar was once again a highlight when the score board displayed a personal best of 412.40pts.

In a season that was dominated by three men – Hunt, Helsop and Preda -, Fedotov proved he’s right there in case someone misses out. A 4th overall place in his first fully-fledged World Series, makes him a candidate for the enlarged circle of favorites for the season ahead.

Representing

Independent Athlete

Date of birth

May 27, 1995

Height/Weight

1.75m/75kg

City of residence

Montreal, Canada

Profession

Athlete

Secret passion

Playing games

Started cliff diving

2016

Favourite cliff diving spot

Portugal, Azores

Favourite dive

5165

1st World Series

appearance

2017

Best result in a World Series competition

3rd place

MIGUEL GARCIA

I HATE WORKING OUT!! MY BIGGEST WEAKNESS IS MY DISCIPLINE.

YOUR BIGGEST WEAKNESS?

After three years away from the World Series platform, Miguel Garcia returned in 2022 like a brand new diver in what he now refers to as his ‘miracle season’.

Right off the bat he equalled his best-ever result with a seventh-place finish in Oslo, before a stunning opening dive at the next stop in Mostar earned the Colombian his first ever 10 from the judges. This exceptional and unexpected form continued with a new career-high sixth place in Sisikon, a feat he immediately repeated in Italy. Another eighth place at the season finale rounded off a remarkable year, earning him a permanent ticket to the 2023 World Series.

The 32-year-old, who was born and bred in the same place as Orlando Duque, admits that he owes his career to the cliff diving legend. “Every year Orlando came to the fair in December in our country, and built a tower to train and do a show. I helped him to take down the tower and he let me jump from it before.”

This season, for the first time, Garcia will appear at every stop. What will 2023 hold for this revitalized diver?

His first showing in 2022 was a cracker – victory in Boston! The Welshman became the youngest diver to ever win a competition at the age of 20, ousting the reigning champion Gary Hunt with the hardest dive in the world of cliff diving. From day one, Aidan Heslop was mixing it with the big boys in the ranks of excellent high divers, adding another win in Switzerland and fighting for the title until the last dive.

At the age of 16, he became the youngest diver ever to compete in the World Series at the 2018 season finale in Polignano a Mare. A year later in his second appearance, the Brit delivered a taste of what’s to come when he landed on the podium at the final stop in Bilbao.

A first victory followed in December 2021 at the FINA qualifier, thrusting him up the rankings and into permanent diver status for the 2022 World Series.

Second place behind his all-time hero Hunt in his debut year is more than just a promise for the coming season!

Representing

Great Britain

Date of birth

April 18, 2002

Height/Weight

1.83m/80kg

City of residence

Plymouth

Profession

Cliff Diver

Secret passion

F1

Started cliff diving

2010

Favourite cliff diving spot

Polignano a Mare Favourite dive

5187B

1st World Series appearance

2018

Best result in a World Series competition

1st place

ONLY ON OPTIONALS, REQUIREDS I NEED MORE CONCENTRATION. 2018 Debut in Italy 2021 1st FINA High Diving qualifier in Abu Dhabi

AIDAN HESLOP 2022 2nd overall Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series 23 13 8 2 2010 ‘12 ‘14 ‘16 ‘18 ‘20 ‘22

Wildcard Rankings Year

Date of birth

June 11, 1984

Height/Weight

1.75m/68kg

City of residence

Paris

Profession

Cliff diver

Secret passion

I dream of performing on stage as a clown

Started cliff diving

2006

Favourite cliff diving spot Yucatan, Mexico

Favourite dive

Back 1 ½ somersault piked from 10m

1st World Series appearance

2009

Best result in a World Series competition 1st place

GARY HUNT

COMBINATION OF BODY CONTROL AND PROBLEM SOLVING.

I’M REALLY INTERESTED TO TRY BRAZILIAN JIU-JITSU. I LOVE THE

WHAT WOULD YOU WANT TO TRY OUT ONCE IN YOUR LIFE?

Despite being in his late 30s, Gary Hunt continues to collect records and superlatives. While the ‘flying Frenchman’ had to settle for a supporting role in the first competitions of 2022, he proved that even at 38 he is the man to beat from the 27-metre platform during the final in front of the Sydney Opera House. Facing a strong challenge from his two title rivals he summoned up every ounce of his vast experience of 92 World Series events to prevail.

As usual Hunt took his 10th World Series title in style and added four more 10 from the judges to his name with this nerve-wrecking last dive. Throughout the year, he had collected 18 of these top notes – more than in any other year before.

The multi-talented Frenchman is also a keen juggler, a skilled piano and guitar player, and loves learning new languages. But his biggest hobby is still collecting medals and world titles. With the World Series returning to Paris, the ‘Lionel Messi of cliff diving’ as The Guardian calls him, can settle a score, and win on home soil.

If you ask James Lichtenstein for a short sports CV, you will get it: “I started competing in gymnastics when I was eight. I found out trampoline was a separate sport watching the 2004 Olympics. I competed in trampoline for eight years, and it took me all over the world. I switched to diving in college because I was offered a scholarship. Once I graduated, I knew I wanted to continue doing flips in some form, so I pursued high diving.”

While indulging into all the above sports, the 28-year-old found time to major in finance and math. When he stood on top of the 27m platform in Mostar last summer, he officially majored in the sport of cliff diving.

He came with a dive that had never been done in the sport – a back quint. Lichtenstein proved that not only can he spin like no other, but he can also mix up the result at the next stop when he finished third in only his second appearance. After two more top ten finishes, the man who says he’s done more than 70 different high dives, secured a ticket for 2023.

Date of birth

October 26, 1994

Height/Weight

1.75m/75kg

City of residence

Chicago, Illinois Profession

Math tutor, trampoline coach, diving coach

Secret passion

Looking up flights and planning trips

Started cliff diving

2015

Favourite cliff diving spot

Polignano a Mare

Favourite dive

204C

1st World Series appearance

2022

Best result in a World Series competition

3rd place

DARED TO SO FAR? STAND-UP COMEDY. I WOULD LOVE TO BE ON Achievements 2012 National Champion double mini trampoline

STAGE AND MAKE PEOPLE LAUGH. 2012 Competed in 2012 Olympic Trials for trampolining

JAMES LICHTENSTEIN 2022 Debut in Mostar 2022 3rd Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series in Switzerland 11 2010 ‘12 ‘14 ‘16 ‘18 ‘20 ‘22

Wildcard Rankings Year

CONSTANTIN POPOVICI

Constantin Popovici began doing high dives for fun before realising he had a real talent for it, credits his father for instilling such a strong sporting drive in him. “I remember we were about 4-5 years old, and we were doing abs and pushups. When I was 5, we ran 4km every Sunday and he was always very supportive mentally throughout my running career.”

2022 was supposed to become the year for the man with the hardest dive list on tour. Victory in Copenhagen and Mostar were more than prove that when the Romanian training machine hits his dives, he’s hardly beatable. A 10th and an 8th place in stop one and four showed that consistency was the key ingredient for success that needed to be balanced.

The negative peak of this roller-coaster season was the Swiss-leg, when the 34-yearold suffered a pulmonary contusion in training and was ruled out for the rest of the season. After his recovery, he will undoubtedly demonstrate his incredible drive and commitment again this year.

WHO WOULD YOU WANT TO BE FOR A DAY?

IF I COULD BE GOD FOR A DAY, I WOULD WANT TO MAKE THE WORLD A

BETTER PLACE FOR PEOPLE IN NEED.

HMM, COULD I SEE IT FIRST AND THEN MAKE MY MIND UP? 2021 2nd FINA High Diving qualifier in Abu Dhabi

After a 21-month break, wildcard Catalin Preda returned in sensational style with victory at the French opening stop in Saint-Raphaël in 2021. It was France again that made the charismatic character shine as well as speechless last season. In front of Paris’ most prominent landmark, the Eiffel Tower, Preda powered to a record-breaking victory and into the overall lead, which he would hold until the penultimate stop in Italy.

Together with the legendary Gary Hunt and newcomer Aidan Heslop, the Romanian fought for the title until the last dive in Sydney. Only a few points decided the championship in favour of Hunt over Heslop and the second third place for Preda.

CATALIN PREDA 2021 1st Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series in Saint-Raphaël

Representing

Date of birth

June 29, 1991

Height/Weight

1.72m/67kg

City of residence

Bucharest

Profession

Cliff Diver

Secret passion

Percussion

Started cliff diving

2013

Favourite cliff diving spot

Mostar & Paris

Favourite dive

Flying Inward

1st World Series appearance

2018

Best result in a World Series competition

1st place

Ever since little Catalin tried handstands from the 3m springboard as a sevenyear-old, the passionate skier and scuba diver has gravitated towards a life on the adventurous side. Needless to say, “missing out” on the title in 2022, means unsettled business for the ‘predator’ and promises another sensational season from the 27-metre platform.

Wildcard Rankings Year

2022 3rd overall Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series 11 4 2 5 2010 ‘12 ‘14 ‘16 ‘18 ‘20 ‘22

OLEKSIY PRYOGOROV

RIES? I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO WIN THE RIGHT TO STAND ON A PODIUM.

Oleksiy Prygorov is a unique species in the World Series. He is the only athlete to wear an Olympic medal around his neck. It’s been a long way from the 3m springboard to the 9-time higher cliff diving platform, but the Ukrainian was reeled in by the extreme sport during a show contract. “I met Yana Nestsiarava and Viktar Maslouski in 2016 and they were already pretty advanced in their high diving. I admired how bold it looked and had no choice but needed to try mastering the altitude.” Since his debut in 2017, it has been an up and down ride for Prygorov.

In 2022, a slow start was followed by four top-7 finishes, including two sensational showings in Mostar and Polignano a Mare, both of which would normally have been enough to earn a first podium. The sheer brilliance of other divers, meant the 35-yearold former synchro diver had to settle for fifth and fourth place respectively.

Following Alessandro De Rose’s withdrawal, the Montreal-based athlete has been elevated to permanent status and now has seven chances to finally stand on the podium.

WHAT’S YOUR PERSONAL GOAL FOR THE 2023 WORLD SE -

WILD CARDS

August 4, 1982

THE COMPETITIONSWE PROUDLY PRESENT THE WILDCARD DIVERS FOR THE 2023 SEASON.

AS A WILDCARD YOU CAN PROVE YOUR TALENT, IMPROVE YOUR DIVING AND SPICE UP

Spain

October 24, 1989

Switzerland

June 21, 1994

Mexico

February 26, 1991

December 1, 2000

February 3, 1984

Great Britain

BLAKE ALDRIDGE

New Zealand

CARLOS GIMENO

BRADEN RUMPIT

SERGIO GUZMAN

Independent Athlete

ARTEM SILCHENKO

June 4, 2004

USA

April 30, 1989

USA

March 4, 1989

USA

April 21, 1987

June 5, 1985

Mexico

August 14, 1989

December 24, 1998

NATHAN JIMERSON

ITALY

ANDREA BARNABA

DAVID COLTURI

Czech Republic

MICHAL NAVRATIL

Great Britain

OWEN WEYMOUTH

The moments before a dive are intense and calm at the same time. Find focus, channel all thoughts,

trust in your own abilities, overcome fear and let go of everything

MUST HAVES

1 Goggles ensure an unobstructed view of the water below the landing spot during a check out dive or during the daily swimming routine.

2 + 2 Shammy or ‘chamois’ is a multipurpose towel that keeps the diver’s body dry before the dive. Not too dry, however, but it absorbs just the right amount of water to keep the skin slightly moist and sticky. This is important because hands and legs need to be dry, so they don’t slip in the air. In low temperatures, divers also use the shammy to dry their bodies and keep warm. It dries as soon as you wring it out!

3 Clean Cliffs rubbish bag to collect your own rubbish and rubbish left on the beaches and dive sites.

4 Drinking bottle to stay hydrated on hot summer days, reusable and refillable.

5 Power band to warm up and keep the muscles in the right tension for dives from up to 27m.

A cliff diver doesn’t need much more than the obvious: a skilled body, a lot of courage and, of course, a cliff with a stretch of water underneath to boil it down to the essentials. However, the attunement, finding the right state of mind and fine-tuning the body to the

task at hand are usually what separates a good dive from a bad one. What a diver really needs is anything that helps them focus, or that provides ease and comfort. Well, and maybe a swimsuit or trunks is worth mentioning....

1 Sunglasses are a typical gadget for people who live the desirable life of a “sunny boy or girl”. However, high quality sunglasses are a necessity to give the eyes a welcome break from the bright sunshine so that they can see their competitor’s actual dive in the sunlight, hide emotions or just look even cooler!

3 Smartphone to stay connected, keep up to date and share the latest high diving achievements and gossip.

4 Watch for precise timing – one of the most vital factors in cliff diving.

5 The swimsuit in its female and male version is the only really important piece of clothing for a cliff diver.

6 Beach slippers to save the soles of the feet from spiky stones on the way to the platform.

CLIFF DIVING IS SO SPECIAL, AS THERE ARE NOT MANY OTHER SPORTS AS EXTREME WHERE YOU DON’T NEED ANY OTHER MACHINERY OR EQUIPMENT. THE FEELING WHEN YOU ARE IN THE AIR IS REALLY LIKE YOU ARE FREE AND IN THE WILD. GARY HUNT

ICONIC PLACES AROUND THE WORLD

USA BOSTON FRA PARIS

ITA POLIGNANO A MARE JPN TAKACHIHO

BIH MOSTAR NZL AUCKLAND

From remote places to urban spots, rivers, calm and wild waters, the uniqueness of each dive site adds to the magic of these unparalleled sporting competitions watched by thousands of spectators on site or on screen. Between June and November, the 14th season of the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series will determine the overall winners

ICONIC PLACES AROUND THE WORLD

INSTITUTE OF CONTEMPORARY ART

A GLAMOROUS ICE CUBE.

THE ICA IS OFTEN COMPARED TO

For the second season running, Boston will once again provide the opening launchpad for this year’s World Series, when the finest cliff divers on the planet return to the Institute of Contemporary Art to put on a unique and jaw-dropping display of their own.

The waterfront museum, set against the skyline of one of America’s oldest cities, bore witness to a very special first chapter in last year’s fight for the coveted King Kahekili trophies. A maiden victory for two of the sport’s young guns – Aidan Heslop of the UK and Canada’s Molly Carlson – set the tone for one of the most exciting seasons in cliff diving history.

This year, thousands of spectators from the sports-mad city and beyond will once again convene at various vantage points on land and on water, cheering on the divers as they leap aesthetically from the 27m | 90 feet and 21m | 70 feet platforms stretching out from the museum’s cantilever rooftop. For the men, this will mark a fifth visit to Boston since their first showing here back in 2011, while for the women it will be a first return following their debut in this spot last season.a

STOP 1 JUNE 3

Location ICA – waterfront museum and exhibition space

Coordinates

42.3528824,-71.043011

Platform heights

27,5m | 21m

Water depth 7m

Water temperature in June 17°C

Air temperature in June 22°C

Boston | USA

STOP 2

JUNE 18

Location

Marina in Paris’ 16th arrondissement

Coordinates

48.863062, 2.296507

Platform heights

27m | 21m

Water depth

6m

Water temperature in June 18°C

Air temperature in October 16°C

Water The Seine, freshwater

In a case of cliff diving déjà vu, Paris will once again welcome the athletes for this season’s second stop two weeks after a Boston opener, just as it did in 2022. Back then, a scorching heatwave set the scene for some Seine-sational drama against the backdrop of the iconic Eiffel Tower.

While France had already played host to the World Series on eight previous occasions, last year’s ninth edition provided a first-ever opportunity for the divers to show off their skills right in the heart of the nation’s capital city. In what was perhaps the sport’s most prominent setting yet, awestruck tourists and spectators could be forgiven for shifting their cameras away from the majestic wrought-iron monument and towards the flying figures swooping acrobatically into the Seine River. With the platforms mounted along the 890m long Port Debilly in the 16th arrondissement, one of the many vantage points for fans will be the nearby Debilly Footbridge, a through arch bridge connecting the quai de New York to the quai Branly, built for the 1900 World Fair.

For dedicated spectators or simply tourists passing by boat, in a city littered with landmarks, this June the cliff diving elite will provide a very unique sightseeing opportunity.

PORT DEBILLY Paris | FRANCE

STOP 3 JULY 2

This year the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series will mark a special anniversary when it returns to the beautiful Puglia town of Polignano a Mare – the home of European cliff diving - for the 10th year since 2009.

Since those first leaps back in the sport’s inaugural season, a visit from the cliff diving elite has become something of a tradition here. The awesome sight of athletes leaping acrobatically through the air before crisply piercing the Adriatic Sea is now as familiar a spectacle in these parts during the summer as the age-old staples of mozzarella, delicious raw fish and ice cream.

An extremely pleasant climate makes this region the ideal setting for sports and nature activities all year round: trekking trails, cycling routes, horse riding, golf greens, diving centers, beaches equipped for windsurfing, sailing and kite surfing are Puglia’s sports tourism highlights. Discover how to easily reach Puglia at www.weareinpuglia.it.

In the birthplace of Domenico Modugno, writer and interpreter of the world-famous song ‘Volare’, which fittingly means ‘to fly’, the world’s best cliff divers will once again spread their wings and take flight this summer at the World Series’ 95th overall stop.

Previous Winners

2018-2022 Rhiannan Iffland | Gary Hunt

2017 Rhiannan Iffland | Alessandro De Rose

2016 Lysanne Richard | Artem Silchenko

Location Bastione di Santo Stefano

Coordinates

40.99720, 17.21860

Platform heights 27m | 21m

Water depth + 5m

Water temperature in July 23°C

Air temperature in July 28°C

Water Adriatic Sea, seawater

2015 Rachelle Simpson | Gary Hunt

2010 Artem Silchenko

2009 Orlando Duque

BASTIONE DI SANTO STEFANO Polignano a Mare | ITALY

Location

Japan’s most sacred site

Coordinates

32.716667, 131.3

Platform heights

27m | 21m

Water depth

7m

Water temperature in August 20°C

Air temperature in August 25°C

Water Gokase river, freshwater

The 2023 World Series reaches its midway point in Japan, where the stunning Takachiho Gorge will provide the first of two brand new locations this season.

It’s been seven years since the cliff diving elite made their one and only visit to the Land of the Rising Sun. In 2016, the cliffs of Shirahama witnessed a crucial victory for Rhiannan Iffland, as the Australian all but wrapped up her first of six overall titles, while Mexico’s Sergio Guzman scored a surprise win in the men’s competition.

For this year’s highly anticipated return, the action moves 250 miles south-west, deep into the mountains of Miyazaki prefecture in Kyushu, where the dramatic basalt walls of Takachiho Gorge will set a truly spectacular scene for the season’s fourth instalment.

Formed over 100,000 years ago after eruptions from the nearby Mount Aso, the 7km gorge is carved by the Gokase river, and is the birthplace of Japanese mythology, history, culture, Shintoism and the Imperial bloodline.

This August, in what is the highest honour given to any production and sport in the location’s history, the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series will be granted unprecedented access to this most sacred spot.

TAKACHIHO GORGE Takachiho | JAPAN

STOP 5

SEPTEMBER 9

The special relationship between cliff diving and the historic city of Mostar will be rekindled once again this year when the sport’s elite athletes return for an eighth visit to beautiful Stari Most. An ever-present on the World Series calendar since 2015, this location has without doubt witnessed more than its fair share of cliff diving drama over the years.

Perhaps heightening the drama is the fact that Mostar has on three occasions played host to the season’s penultimate stop, a potentially pivotal point where one great dive or poor mistake can decide titles. This year, that interesting stat will be added to when the divers battle it out at the fifth of six stops here.

Diving off Stari Most dates back to the 17th century when, utilizing a very traditional technique, young men started to leap from the country’s most recognizable landmark in a sort of maturity test. The fine art of cliff diving is now equally respected, a fact most recently endorsed by the installation of a permanent training platform last year.

Location

Old bridge in Mostar

Coordinates

43.33730, 17.81496

Platform heights 27m | 21m

Water depth 5m to 5.5m

Water temperature in September 13°C

Air temperature in September 27°C

Water Neretva river, freshwater

Previous Winners

2016

2015 Jonathan Paredes

2017 Cesilie Carlton | Gary Hunt

Lysanne Richard | Michal Navratil

STARI MOST Mostar | BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA

STOP 6

NOVEMBER 19

Location

Wynyard Quarter

Coordinates

36.84116, 174.75573

Platform heights

27m | 21m

Water depth + 5m

Water temperature in November

16°C

Air temperature in November 20°C

Water

Waitemata Harbour, seawater

WYNYARD QUARTER

Auckland | NEW ZEALAND

Grand finale! Auckland’s Wynyard Quarter, set right at the heart of the City of Sails, will not only serve as a brand new location for the cliff diving elite but will also witness the crowning of this year’s two champions.

The 36-hectare area connects the country’s biggest city to the harbour and is packed with trendy restaurants and bars, buzzing with activity, and this season’s final freefalls will be set against the iconic city scape backdrop.

While New Zealand is known for its stunning landscapes and scenery, the 2023 World Series showdown in the centre of the city brings this global sporting spectacle to the people.

Since 2011, Wynyard Quarter has played host to many a major sporting event, such as the Rugby World Cup, the Volvo Ocean Race, the 36th America’s Cup – and more recently, Red Bull Flugtag which attracted over 20,000 spectators last December.

In an area that has won several national and international design and architecture awards, including the top honour at The Waterfront Centre (USA) for excellence on the Waterfront, the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series will award the King Kahekili Trophy to the best female and male high divers of the year.

The mental commitment on the platfom, the impeccable movements in the air, and the precise body alignment on

entry – the determination of the high diving athletes helps photographers produce such incredible images

CLIFF DIVING AROUND THE WORLD

BUCKLE UP AND IMMERSE YOURSELF IN THE ADVENTURES OF THE ATHLETES.

Cliff diving is more than just a competition - it’s adventure, exploration and travel while doing what you love.

Cliff diving awakens the wanderlust in all of us!

Cliff diving has literally travelled the world, with divers launching from icebergs in Antarctica, Indian step wells, sacred cenotes in Mexico and the world’s largest waterfall in Zambia. They have gone cliff-searching from Puerto Rico to Ibiza to Arizona, discovered shipwrecks in the Atlantic and dived in Croatia’s blue cave, while delving deep into Australian Aboriginal culture...

The World Series athletes are not dry competitors, but have an adventurous spirit, a curious nature and constantly embark on exotic trips and travels to some of the remotest and most ravishing places in the world. They take us to unique locations around the world, but also explore local culture, traditions and history, always offering cliff diving wisdom along the way.

The protagonists of these journeys come in all shapes and forms - multiple champions and young talents, male and female, debutants and experienced explorers - united by their love of free-falling from great heights in some of the most unexpected environments.

Follow the divers on their exciting ventures as they explore spectacular sites in lush and wild areas on our YouTube channel.

The moment before a force of 10G is directed at the divers’ body is the physically most powerful part of cliff diving. Orlando Duque is almost covered by the spray of the Rininahue waterfall in Chile’s Lago Ranco in 2017. The water was only 8° Celsius.

Cliff diving is a captivating sport that offers extraordinary performances, images and stories

Each single dive is up to 27 meters high, 85kmh fast and three seconds long – these three irrevocable facts provide material for features about focus, physical and mental mastery as well as provoke ‘how can you’ and ‘how dare you’ conversations. The uniqueness of each dive site adds to the magic of these unparalleled sporting competitions watched by thousands of spectators on site or on screen.

MEDIA INFO & ASSETS

MEDIA INFO

Cliff diving is pure and fascinating. The oldest extreme sport in the world continues to spread its unique spirit around the globe in 2023.

OUTCOME NUMBERS 2022

1.5 billion impressions across print, TV and online channels

3,917 TV news airings across international networks

1,135 pictures in news agencies

19 live or/and highlight TV takers

It’s not just all about dry interviews - media representatives can also get wet during their trip to World Series, as most venues offer a diving workshop.

10,802 media items in 2,203 outlets in 86 countries

400 million impressions across owned social media channels

> 275 million video views

Discover the editorial world of cliff diving!

The Red Bull Cliff Diving Newsroom is your central hub to stay up to date with the latest editorial products.

HD video and high quality images are captured and immediately made available for all media channels including television, film, print, mobile, social and digital. The content is available free of charge for editorial purposes after successfully registering.

Red Bull Cliff Diving Newsroom

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EDITORIAL ASSETS

ˇ Clips Announcement, winning dives best moments, chasing perfection, raw clip, editorial

ˇ Live (HD) on redbullcliffdiving.com, Red Bull TV, Facebook and YouTube

ˇ News cuts (pre news, ‘ready to air’ news, national & international news, regional selects)

ˇ Athletes’ profiles

ˇ Highlight programme (52min, HD)

profiles

Extras throughout the year

ˇ Generic sports clips

ˇ Social media clips

ˇ Pre- and off-season content

ˇ Special activations and athletes’ projects

Media Service – Moving and still images, editorial texts and special requests – during the entire season the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series’ editorial service provides the media with a variety of rich and distinct contents and formats. A skilled team of photographers, TV crews and news, digital and social editors produce editorial content and distributes news, pictures, stories, and TV-footage to the international media, providing background and inside information and bringing the sport closer to a wider audience.

S’Ullal de na Coloms, as the Cave of Light is called in its Balearic name, turns Rhiannan Iffland into a silhouette during an athlete project in Ibiza in the summer of 2021

ENCYCLOPEDIA

A Acapulco

In Acapulco, Mexico, pearl divers began to dive from the cliffs of La Quebrada in the 1930s 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 dives in excess of 40 metres. The highest level on site is actually 25.90 metres above the sea.

BBlind Entry

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

Braking distance

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

C Chamois

The chamois or ‘shammy’ is a small towel that serves a few purposes. It keeps the divers’ body dry before a dive. This is important because the hands and legs need to be dry to not 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 keep warm by drying their bodies with the chamois. It’s dry again as soon as you squeeze the water out of the towel.

Champions

Between 2009 and 2021 the World Series has crowned six different champions: Orlando Duque (1), Gary Hunt (10), Artem Silchenko (1) and Jonathan Paredes (1) in the men’s, Rachelle Simpson (2) and Rhiannan Iffland (6) in the women’s.

Chilly windy

A weather condition sometimes experienced at World Series events: chilly temperatures and windy weather. The term was coined by Michal Navratil and has turned into regular World Series lingo.

Clean Cliffs Project

Founded by cliff divers

Eleanor Smart and Owen Weymouth, the project’s mission is to prevent plastic pollution in our world’s bodies of water and inspire others to take action through cliff diving and other outdoor activities! Find out more: www.cleancliffsproject.org

DDegree of Difficulty

The Degree of Difficulty of a dive is evaluated based on the following: take-off, number of somersaults and twists, position during the somersaults and entry into the

water. As of 2017 the World Series follows a new Degree of Difficulty table as an adjustment to the sport’s recent evolutions and includes - amongst other changes implemented by the sports committee and aligned with World Aquatics - new dives.

EEquipment

There is no need for equipment. Falling free from great heights combined with the most appealing acrobatics –that’s the simple essence of cliff diving. It’s pure. It’s fast and it takes your breath away - the main reasons why so many people are intrigued by the sport.

Evolution

Improvement and evolution are crucial aspects of the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series. Besides offering mesmerising diving action, the World Series also intends to push the limits of the sport. 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 – was the first dive conceived exclusively for cliff diving. The evolution of the sport, which began in 2009, continued in the past years following intense off-season preparation and with the introduction of a Women’s World Series in 2014. More spellbinding action from up to 27m is guaranteed for 2023.

FFemale competition

The first female competition in the history of Red Bull Cliff Diving was held in Malcesine, Italy, in July 2013 and won by Germany’s Anna Bader. The Women’s World Series was introduced in 2014.

Free fall

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

GG-force

At the highest point, the G-force value increases to around 10, which means that the diver experiences a force equal to ten times his own weight.

HHeight

High diving competitions are generally 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 for a men’s competition – is the equivalent of an eight-storey building.

High Scores

All tens from the judges to score 156.00 points - Gary Hunt and Constantin Popovici accomplish the first ever perfect dives in the history of the World Series in 2019. Three more athletes added their names to this elite group in 2021: Rhiannan Iffland, Carlos Gimeno and Catalin Preda.

Heroes

Outstanding achievements, broken records, and unforgettable moments – cliff diving has its heroes, like King Kahekili, Enrique Apac Rios, Lucy Wardle, Olivier Favre, Orlando Duque or Gary Hunt. Also Rhiannan Iffland, the Australian wildcard who won 5 of 7 competitions

in her debut season to become the women’s champion in 2016; in 2022 she secured her sixth overall title.

IImpact

The force of the impact is nine times harder than from the 10-metre platform and can be compared with running full speed into a wall.

J Judges

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

KKahekili

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

KAMEHAMEHA

In 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.

Kaunolu

The holy cliffs of Kaunolu, on the southwestern part of the Hawaiian island of Lanai, are considered the birthplace of this majestic sport.

Lele Kawa

Lele Kawa is a Hawaiian expression, meaning ‘leaping feet-first from a high cliff into water without making a splash’ and was used by Kahekili as an initiation rite for his warriors.

Live

In 2023, all stops of the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series will be live on redbullcliffdiving.com, Red Bull TV, Facebook and YouTube. The first competition day will be live on TikTok.

Locations

Boston (USA), Paris (FRA), Polignano a Mare (ITA), Takachiho (JPN), Mostar (BIH), and Auckland (NZL) are the six spellbinding locations in 2023.

M Maximum height

The maximum height for competitions in the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series is 22m | 72ft for the women and 28m | 92ft for the men. Due to the rapid acceleration, almost no time benefit occurs from higher dives and the risk of injury increases disproportionately.

Mind

A 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.

NEW

In 2023, there are two brand new venues in Japan and New Zealand, the latter also being a new country for the World Series. Meili Carpenter, James Lichtenstein (both USA) and Miguel Garcia (COL) are the three new permanent divers.

OOrigin

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

PPerformance

Cliff diving is a performance-based sport and everything that happens from take-off to landing requires absolute precision to score high. Precise and athletic, MIDO’s Ocean Star 600 Chronometer with its outstanding watchmaking performances perfectly reflects the qualities required in cliff diving. An exceptional autonomy up to 80 hour of power reserve and an extraordinary accuracy, the sporty automatic timepiece is water-resistant up to a pressure of 20 bar (200m / 660 ft).  midowatches.com

Platform

The platform must be a stable takeoff board constructed with a minimum length of 1.5m, a minimum width of 0.75m and a rim at least 2m beyond the vertical line.

Pressure

The fact that the mere thought of a cliff 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, stresses the mental and physical pressure the athletes are exposed to.

RRequirements

The main requirements for cliff 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.

T Training

A balanced training programme includes springboard diving, flexibility, and power training, as well as mental conditioning.

Triple Quad

Gary Hunt’s triple somersault with four twists – the Triple Quad – was the first dive conceived exclusively for cliff diving.

Twist

The body twists on axis whilst rotating. The record number of twists is currently 5.

SSafety

Regulations for safety are a maximum height, a minimum water depth, a stable platform; a water spray at the entry area, rescue divers, paramedics as well as an ambulance.

Skill

Most athletes reach their maximum technical skill and mental maturity at around 30 years of age. Besides a technical education, the main prerequisite for all cliff divers is at least 10 to 15 years of training in diving or a similar acrobatic sport.

Somersault

A somersault is an acrobatic exercise in which the diver rotates head over end, forwards or backwards. The record number of somersaults is currently 5.

Speed

From 27m, the speed at which you enter the water is approximately 85km/h | 53mph; an acceleration that compares to a Lamborghini Murciélago.

UUnder water

As soon as the athletes land, they start their braking process under water. In less than a second the divers’ bodies decelerate from 85km/h | 53mph to zero.

VVertical position

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

surface perfectly vertical, it still hurts. With their bodies under tremendous pressure, the water is like a wall.

Web redbullcliffdiving.com is the official website of the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series. It contains latest news, divers’ profiles, picture galleries, videos and the most recent information about the stops and results.

Wind

Probably the most important factor if a competition is safe, is the wind. Getting hit by a gust of wind in mid-air is one of the sports director’s main concerns. The international weather service Ubimet provides the best weather information everywhere the World Series goes to.

Women’s World Series

In 2014, Red Bull Cliff Diving introduced the Women’s World Series and Rachelle Simpson (USA) was crowned the first-ever female champion and defended her title in 2015. Ever since her wildcard title in 2016 Rhiannan Iffland (AUS) has dominated the sport.

World Aquatics

WWater

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

Water entry

The most precarious part in cliff diving is the water entry. Even if the divers have a good line and break the water’s

In April 2012 World Aquatics, formerly known as FINA, included high diving as a professional sport.

ZZero protection

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

Photography

Red Bull Contentpool (Romina Amato, Jadran Cilic, Jesper Gronnemark, Jason Halayko, Oscar Keys, Andy Green, Craig Kolesky, Ricardo Nascimento, Rutger Pauw, Mauro Puccini, Robert Snow, Dean Treml, Andreas Vigl), MIDO Inc., private, Daniel Tengs, Skycam Wales.