In search of thrills, a man came up with many sports that are actively developed and practiced today. One of these “inventions” is cliff diving. Jumping into the water from a height is truly extreme entertainment, which not everyone dares. Just imagine yourself standing on a steep rock, without any safety features, and in front of you is an uncharted water abyss. Already breathtaking!
How did it all begin and where is it better to jump from a height?
History
In the 18th century, the Hawaiian king of Maui made the first extreme jump from the high cliff of one of his islands. Soon this act became widely known, and the ruler decided thus to test the courage of his soldiers. Diving from a height into the water has become a kind of dedication. The brave warriors with enthusiasm accepted this proposal and even began to compete, who will enter the water smoothly, with a minimum number of splashes.
The change of power in Hawaii gave diving even greater scope. They have become a real sporting event. Professional judges appeared who evaluated the style and quality of the jumps.
At the beginning of the 20th century, cliff diving left the sports podium. However, in 1968 in Mexico, in the city of Acapulco, unexpectedly held competitions of international level, which caused a new wave of interest in this sport. Young people in many countries, where natural conditions allowed, began to unite in groups of divers, held competitions. For some athletes, this sport has become not just entertainment and a way to get a thrill, but also a serious hobby.
True professionals of that time won fame. In the 80s, the American Lucky Wardle, who jumped from a height of almost 37 meters, became the record holder. A little later, this figure was exceeded by the Swiss Oliver Favre, whose record was 53.9 meters.
Competitions
Despite this youth enthusiasm, cliff diving in most cases remained an entertaining attraction in sea resorts. Everything changed in 2009, when the famous company Red Bull brought this sport to the World Series. Athletes in such competitions go through 8 stages, jumping from a height of about 27 meters.
Desperate professionals, gracefully flying into the water from picturesque rocks and performing acrobatic elements at the same time, immediately attracted the attention of curious viewers and the media. The original technique, mesmerizing body plastic and fortitude have now become a sporty fashion and have turned many young people into extreme cliff diving.
rules
It would seem that talking about the rules? Jump, group, dive ... But everything is much more complicated. To begin with, you should divide cliff divers into beginners and virtuosos, amateurs and professionals. From the side they are easy to distinguish from each other. The former make a jump from a cliff in the pose of a soldier, that is, with their feet in the water and without performing tricks. Of course, the height indicators for them are determined separately. For men, the standard height is 23-28 meters, for women - 20-23 meters.
Experienced athletes during the jump perform more than one acrobatic stunt and dive, as a rule, with their heads into the water. Maximum height is determined by the courage and training of athletes. Usually it is more than 30 meters.
Preparation
Before moving on to extreme jumps, diver athletes carefully prepare themselves. The training system includes visiting the pool with a tower, mastering acrobatic elements (somersaults, twisting), increasing endurance, strengthening body muscles. After all, the most dangerous moment in cliff diving is the entrance to the water. In a matter of seconds, a person in flight picks up speed up to 100 km / h, and then abruptly drops it to zero. This drop requires the athlete maximum concentration: the muscles must be tensed so that the body maintains an even position. The slightest mistake can cost a life, because jumping from a height does not provide for any insurance elements.
High diving
Not all countries have suitable environmental conditions for cliff diving. And many have the desire to test their willpower. How to be? In 1996, high diving was invented for this case. These are the same dives, only not from the rocks, but from artificial platforms. The advantage of this sport is its practice regardless of geographic location and independent choice of height. After all, the designs are built taking into account the preparation of a group of athletes.
Every two years, the World High Diving Championships are held. The first was held in 2013 in Barcelona. It was held in the format of the World Championship in water sports. Among men, Orlando Duque, a Colombian high diver, won gold; among women, American Cecilia Carlton. The second championship was held in Kazan (2015). Russian athlete Artem Silchenko, who won bronze, was positively greeted there.
Also in 2014 and 2015, competitions for the World Cup took place. On the second rally, held on about. Cozumel, Artem Silchenko took first place, beating champion Orlando Duque. High diving along with previous jumps from the cliffs has become one of the most popular extreme sports.
Top places
To become a spectator of exciting flights and feel the severity of emotions, it is not enough to stay at home and watch a couple of thematic videos. It is better to go to a seaside resort and combine business with pleasure. There are several places on the planet where truly virtuoso sports divers gather. You can not only look at them, but also take part in such a difficult matter yourself, having received personally a couple of valuable tips from professionals.
- In the south of Thailand, the city of Krabi is comfortably located. It has all the necessary reliefs and resources for cliff divers. In addition to extreme jumps, here you can simply enjoy the picturesque scenery of caves, carved rocks and waterfalls.
- The Australian town of Kimberley also boasts steep slopes and gorges, waterfalls and rivers, which are ideal for jumping from different heights.
- To diversify the meditative rustle of sea waves, intoxicating sangria and the gentle sun in Santorini (Greece), only virtuoso flights of cliff divers can. This is an ideal place for beginners and extreme sports lovers, as the height of local rocks does not exceed 10 meters. Professionals are extremely rare here, only those who came here to relax and hone their skills.