PURE ADRENALINE AND STRONG heritage
Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series has been the most elite global competition in cliff diving since 2009 and in 2014 a Woman’s World Series was also introduced. It involves three seconds of acrobatic free fall from heights of 27m (men) and 21m (women) at venues ranging from natural wonders of the world and visual feasts to historic sites and lesser known terrains. Reaching speeds of up to 85km/h, elite athletes such as Orlando Duque, as well as young up-and-coming talents, offer exhilarating action and dives of ever-growing complexity. The series follows the traditional high diving format and is a mix of rules from the Red Bull Cliff Diving Sportive Committee, FINA and HDA. Red Bull Cliff Diving is pure – no protection and only concentration, skill and physical control. It is both breathtaking and packed full of pure adrenaline.
Special Features
The only Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series event where competitors leap from a UNESCO World Heritage site, Mostar holds a special place in the divers’ hearts. The action is centred on the 16th-century Stari Most bridge, which has a diving tradition stretching back almost 450 years. In a city with such a strong diving heritage, everyone wants to serve up the winning effort, so expect some big performances as divers fight for every last championship point.
Challenges
In Mostar, the city where bridge jumps are an important part of the culture, it is the locals who are participating in most of them, but on this occasion Red Bull took things a step higher. An additional diving board built on the bride was seven metres high, so altogether making the 27-metre height required for cliff diving jumps. One of the first key challenges is the Neretva River, with its strong current and cold water giving it a rating as one of the most difficult locations in the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Championship. The performance of each competitor therefore requires perfect body control and complete concentration – and this is also the only protection that jumpers have when performing, since the sport is incredibly technically complex and also dangerous if not done properly.
After the event – overview, effectiveness
17,000 spectators gathered around the city’s Old Bridge and fearless cliff divers from all over the world plunged 27 metres into the Neretva River. It was a stunning event – to see, to experience and to be a part of.