Cliff Diving
Cliff diving: From bold beginnings to an epic sporting evolution
Explore the ways in which the world's oldest extreme sport has continued to evolve and push the boundaries of skill and courage in the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series.
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Picture this: divers launching themselves off jaw-droppingly high cliffs and platforms, soaring through the air amid a series of breathtaking twists and somersaults, then slicing into the water with pinpoint precision. That's the energy that kicked-off the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series back in 2009.
15 seasons later and at its core, the World Series is still all about striking the perfect balance between power, artistry and athleticism. Divers are competing against not just each other, but the insane heights, the wind and the unpredictability of nature itself.
It's still a test of physical skill and strength of mind across multiple rounds of diving, with each dive ramping up in difficulty. Add in a massive variety of stunning global locations into the mix and you've got a sport that’s as much about grit as it is about grace.
Jonathan Paredes shows what cliff diving is all about
© Dean Treml/Red Bull Content Pool
But here's the kicker – cliff diving has seriously leveled up since its early days, becoming even more adrenaline-packed as the athletes have pushed the boundaries of what's physically possible. Let's dive in and explore the different ways that cliff diving has undergone an epic evolution…
01
Women stepping up and diving down
One of the biggest game-changing moments in cliff diving was the introduction of a dedicated women's championship. Until 2013, only men stood on the diving platform to compete for the King Kahekili trophy.
But in 2014, the competition opened up to a brand new pool of incredible talent, with the women competing from a 21-metre platform. The slightly lower platform is a necessity for the women’s lineup, since when you’re flying at speeds of up to 85kph and hitting the water with up to 10G of force, the impact is almost like hitting concrete. Women's muscle mass and physiology mean a slightly lower height helps keep the sport equally intense while reducing the risk of major injuries like fractures, torn cartilage and concussions.
Rhiannan Iffland has dominated the women's category since 2016
© Romina Amato/Red Bull Cliff Diving
More on the forces of cliff diving
Since her debut in 2016, Australia’s Rhiannan Iffland has dominated the women's series with eight King Kahekili trophies under her belt, most recently with her record-breaking win at the 2024 season finale on home soil in Sydney.
However, with a rising wave of talent coming through the ranks and Canadian rival Molly Carlson hot on her heels, Iffland's winning streak is anything but guaranteed next season when she returns to defend her title in the women's category.
02
Taking difficulty to a whole new level
In its short history, the world of Red Bull Cliff Diving has seen an extraordinary level of progression of the sport. Where nine-time champion Gary Hunt pioneered the competition in its formative years, a new generation of divers – with 2024's King Kahekili trophy winner Aidan Heslop leading the charge – are rewriting what's possible.
Heslop's jaw-dropping dives, like his incredible Forward 4 Somersaults 3 1/2 Twists Pike, alongside epic sequences like U.S. diver James Lichtenstein’s signature Back Quad have set a new bar for skill and creativity – and word on the platform is that Heslop is cooking up something even wilder for next season, so watch this space.
Constantin Popovici is one of the divers testing the limits of the sport
© Romina Amato/Red Bull Content Pool
The result of this gradual elevation of skill is that the Degree of Difficulty (DD) - the system of scoring used to grade each dive based on the complexity of the manoeuvers and how the dive components are joined together – has also had to evolve and recalibrate, as diving has become more intricate and daring.
Recalibration of the DD means that the cliff divers are given the credit they deserve for pulling off moves that are as technically mind-bending as they are heart-stopping, with the last revision taking place just before the 2024 World Series calendar kicked-off.
"We will implement a new Degree of Difficulty table," series Sports Director Orlando Duque announced before the season opener. "This is done every few years to keep up with the evolution of the sport, the new and more difficult dives. We need to make the necessary adjustments to ensure fair competition."
03
Training at new heights
When Gary Hunt and Orlando Duque were making waves in the earliest days of Red Bull Cliff Diving, training on anything higher than a 10m platform was virtually unheard of. Back then, dive sequences were borrowed straight from Olympic high diving competitions and anything extra ambitious had to be pieced together mid-air from the 27m platform.
Until 2018 the only permanent regulation-size high diving platform in the world could be found outdoors at AREA 47 in the alpine Tirol region of Austria, where training was understandably off limits during the winter months.
In the early days, pioneers had to train for dives like this on 10m boards
© Romina Amato/Red Bull Content Pool
Now divers have facilities like Fort Lauderdale's Aquatic Center to train
© Robert Snow/Red Bull Content Pool
Fast forward to today and more purpose-built facilities are springing up. The 27m and 20m platforms at the Zhaoqing Yingxiong High Diving Training Center in Zhaoqing, China, Montreal's Olympic 20m platform and Fort Lauderdale’s imposing 27me tower have completely changed the game, elevating cliff diving to previously unthinkable new heights – literally.
The world-class Montreal centre is where seasoned athletes like Molly Carlson, Simone Leathead and Aidan Heslop hone their skills, practicing technical dives in a safe and consistent environment, before taking on the unpredictable elements of the World Series’ locations. Then there's the Fort Lauderdale 27mplatform, a project spearheaded by former cliff diver Steven LoBue that's helped to revolutionise the sport. Not only does it give every World Series athlete the chance to visit a truly year-round spot to push their limits, but it's also become a gateway for new talent to emerge.
With facilities like these, cliff diving has continued to evolve into both a daredevil spectacle and a precision-driven art form, where both men and women are rewriting what’s possible in every competition.
04
Finding fresh talent
For years, 10m diving was the main hotbed of talent feeding into the cliff diving world, but in 2012 even World Aquatics (formerly FINA) had to respond to the growth in popularity of high diving up to 27m and the federation added the discipline into their official programme. In 2013, the first ever High Diving World Championships were held in Barcelona, Spain, featuring the 27m and 20m categories.
Since then, improved facilities and initiatives like the Red Bull Under My Wiiings training camp hosted by Orlando Duque have opened the gates for young divers to enter the sport earlier. As a result, the wildcard lineup and World Series roster are seeing a fresh wave of pure cliff divers coming in, shaking up the order and shaping the future of the sport with their fearless energy and next-level skills.
21-year-old Yolotl Martinez divd to a podium finish in Montreal during 2024
© Dean Treml/Red Bull Content Pool
Teenage sensation Nelli Chukanivska scored third in Sydney this autumn
© Romina Amato/Red Bull Content Pool
The Red Bull Under My Wiiings and Red Bull High School training camps are the ultimate launchpad for aspiring divers. Newcomers get the chance to experience the sport at the highest level, from mastering complex routines to learning how to handle the insane forces of diving in the open-air, rugged locations that the World series is famed for. This setup is helping to accelerate the skillset of individual athletes and the advancement of the entire sport.
05
Coaching and a competitive edge
When you're an athlete dealing with moving through space and time at speeds of 85kph and hitting the water at forces up to 10G, there’s categorically no winging it. Pulling off such complex dives in under three seconds takes months of preparation that's built on years of training.
As the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series competition has levelled up over the years, so too has the divers' training. When the World Series launched way back in 2009, many of the athletes were flying completely solo, with no training facilities around to come close to matching the dizzying heights of the 27m platform. Training was almost experimental and competition was a proof of concept.
Now, with so many athletes pushing their limits with high-DD dives, it’s a whole new world of skill and courage that can require relentless hours of poolside and dry land training just to keep pace with the world's best. That’s why more and more athletes on the circuit are turning to professional coaching.
Aidan, Simone & Molly celebrate triumph in Sydney with coach Stephane
© Dean Treml/Red Bull Content Pool
Take Stéphane Lapointe, a Canadian coach who trains Molly Carlson and Simone Leathead, and accompanies the Canadian divers to the competitions. His approach isn’t just about perfecting their twists and entries, he's also big on mental health.
"High diving is always different. Sometimes you land in a river, sometimes you land in a creek. Dives go from a bridge, from a cliff, from a platform. It's unbelievable the different types of environments we have to adapt to. That's why the dives they're doing need to be solid, mentally, physically and technically, so we can adapt to the different conditions," Lapointe has said, emphasising how staying sharp mentally is just as crucial as physical training.
There's no margin for error in cliff diving, mental readiness is essential
© Dean Treml/Red Bull Content Pool
The mental aspect of the sport is really, really important. It's important to talk about it and important to plan it
"The mental aspect of the sport is really, really important. It's important to talk about it and important to plan it. That’s the biggest difference for me [compared to other sports], with high diving the margin of error is tiny, you know? You can't belly-flop from that height, so we have to make sure we get it right from the first repetition."
A great coach is like a secret weapon, bringing strategy, precision and a ton of motivation to an athlete’s routine. As the dives get more complex and the stakes get higher, that extra edge can make all the difference.
Eleanor Smart leaping into the sacred Gokase River in Takachiho, Japan
© Dean Treml/Red Bull Content Pool
From its OG roots to today’s next-level spectacle, the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series is proof that the only way is up… or in this case, down. Whether you’re watching from a cliffside or from the comfort of home, one thing’s for sure – the adrenaline will be pumping in 2025.
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