For the first time in its history, St. Petersburg will host the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series on Friday and Saturday — bringing acrobatics, athleticism and high-risk dives to the St. Pete Pier.
The international competition, which debuted in 1997 in La Rochelle, France, has grown into one of the world’s premier extreme sports events. Combining technical precision with artistic execution, the series attracts athletes and spectators from around the globe who are drawn to the sport’s unique blend of diving and acrobatics.
Orlando Duque, sports director and former athlete for the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series, explained during an interview on “Florida Matters Live & Local” that competitors are required to perform four dives throughout the event, each carrying its own degree of difficulty.
“It's 90 feet for the men, 70 feet for the women,” Duque said. “You go from about zero to 60 miles an hour in that time and then underwater, you actually only submerge yourself maybe like 12 feet.”
According to Red Bull Cliff Diving’s official website, judges score each dive on a scale from 0 to 10 based on execution. At the end of the competition, the athlete with the highest cumulative score is declared the winner.
For athlete Lisa Faulkner, the transition from gymnastics to cliff diving felt more natural than many might expect. She said the skills she developed as a gymnast helped prepare her for the demands of the sport.
“As a gymnast, you were trained your whole life to land on your feet, so then going back to landing on my feet was nice,” Faulkner said.
Beyond physical training, Faulkner said mental preparation plays a critical role in competition. A combination of muscle memory, focus and quick decision-making allows divers to make adjustments while falling toward the water.
“I'm thinking about the dive that I'm doing and usually I have about three or four cues for each dive,” Faulkner said. “There's a certain point where you see the water and then you adjust depending on how fast you're falling or how far you are from the water.”
While the sport may appear effortless to spectators, Faulkner said fear remains a constant companion, even for experienced athletes.
“Every time I go up there, I am a little nervous,” Faulkner said. “That's actually part of the fun, you know, you getting over your fear and actually doing the dive, even though the fear is present.”
She described the experience of cliff diving as something difficult to put into words, combining adrenaline, concentration and trust in years of training.
The event will take place on June 5 at 12:30 p.m. at the St. Pete Pier. Public viewing areas will be available for spectators at no cost, and the competition will also be broadcast on Red Bull TV.
You can learn more information, such as where to park and the full schedule on Red Bull's website.
This story was compiled from interviews conducted by Matthew Peddie for "Florida Matters Live & Local." You can listen to the full interview with Lisa Faulkner and Orlando Duque here.
