Dive into a new era

For the kick-off event, the Red Bull Cliff Diving Series 2009 picked a French venue and there was no better location than La Rochelle. The beautiful French city has the honor to welcome the twelve best athletes of this outstanding sport on May 8.

Having its origin on the island of Maui back in the 18th century, cliff diving is nowadays performed all over the world and famous for well-trained athletes performing aesthetic moves from breathtaking heights and picturesque rocks. Only the very best will be able to be part of the unique Red Bull Cliff Diving Series 2009. Never before have divers jumped from 26 meter cliffs eight times in a row – this series and its protagonists will set a real standard for cliff diving – and will push the sport to its limits.

‘Perfect control of body and mind are absolutely essential because of the extreme height of the takeoff and the tremendous force of the impact, which is nine times stronger than when we dive from a ten-meter tower,’ explains Orlando Duque, nine-time cliff diving World Champion. ‘Gravity makes us accelerate from zero to 100 km/h in three seconds and the water brings us back to zero within four meters.’ Orlando is one of a limited number of top divers whose physical constitution and acrobatic ability allows performing the sport on that top level.

Divers from nine different nations – among them World and National Champions or record holders – as far as Australia (Steve Black) and the United States (Kent De Mond), Columbia (Orlando Duque and Eber Pava), Russia (Artem Silchenko), Ukraine (Andrej Ignatenko, Vyacheslav Polyeshchuk), Luxemburg (Alain Kohl), UK (Gary Hunt), France (Hassan Mouti and Cyrille Oumedjkane) and Czech Republic (Mikhal Navratil) will participate in the forthcoming series and fight for being the number one.

Famous and well known diving spots as well as extraordinary natural and challenging urban venues have been selected as locations. Starting on May 8 in La Rochelle, France, the series will cross the Netherlands (Rotterdam), Croatia (Dubrovnik), Italy (Polignano a Mare), Turkey (Antalya), Germany and Switzerland (Vierwaldstättersee) before reaching Greece (Athens) for the finals on September 20.

Orlando Duque is already looking forward to the start. ‘Red Bull Cliff Diving Series will challenge the divers in a way that no other event has in the past,’ he says. ‘Diving from 26 meters up gives us enough space to do very difficult dives, and with eight tour stops, our bodies and minds will be put to the test. At the end only the best diver will succeed.’

ATHLETES:

Orlando Duque (COL) – nine-time cliff diving World Champion

Steve Black (AUS) – World Cliff Diving Champion 2008

Kent De Mond (USA) – 6th Marmeeting 2008

Gary Hunt (GBR) – 3rd Commonwealth Games 10m Synchro 2006

Andrey Ignatenko (UKR) – 3rd and 5th at the Red Bull Cliff Diving Wolfgangsee 2005 and 2008

Alain Kohl (LUX) – 5th in the Cliff Diving World Championship 2006

Hassan Mouti (FRA) – 7th at the High Diving World Cup

Cyrille Oumedjkane (FRA) – 2nd at the cliff diving in Acapulco 2006

Eber Pava (COL) – South American champion, winner Acapulco Xtreme Diving 2007

Vyacheslav Polyeshchuk (UKR)

Mikhal Navratil (CZE)

Artem Silchenko (RUS) – record holder in participations at the World Cup, World Cliff Diving Champion 2006

DATES:

May 8 – La Rochelle (FRA)

June 20 – Rotterdam (NED)

July 11 – Dubrovnik (CRO)

July 26 – Polignano a Mare (ITA)

August 8 – Antalya (TUR)

August 29 – tbc (GER)

September 5 – Vierwaldstättersee (SUI)

September 20 – Athens (GRE)