Red Bull Gives you the World’s Oldest Extreme Sport
Certain sporting events garner attention and acclaim for reasons other than the sporting endeavour on show. That’s not to say that the skill and commitment displayed by the athletes is not of world-class quality, but instead that there is also a myth and culture surrounding these events that are rarely replicated.
Over recent weeks, we’ve been looking at some of these eye-catching and iconic sporting events and this week we’re rounding off the series with one of the most jaw-droppingly extreme and tantalizingly alluring shows on earth, the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series.
Over the last decade or so, it’s become more and more common to see footage of divers, clad simply in basic swimming costumes, hurling themselves off Red Bull marketed diving boards that are built into extreme cliff faces, stunning waterfalls and historical bridges and buildings. The target location for these divers is usually the ocean, complete with its swirling tides, choppy waters and mysterious unknown.
As if the element of bravery on show is not enough, competitors perform seemingly Olympic-class diving routines before gracefully entering the depths below. It goes without saying that this form of aquatics is life-threatening, forcing divers to enter a state of focus and calm whereby emotions are somehow controlled and precise, intricate and dangerous routines are executed, from heights of up to 27 meters, travelling at speeds of up to 50mph.
It’s this element of danger that helped the sport emerge and grow. A counter-culture, defined by rebellion and thrill, was established and expanded – attracting more and more people along the way. The World Series began in 2009, however, it’s thought that the sport itself actually originated in Hawaii hundreds of years before, based on the principles of ‘mana’ and ‘pono’ – power and balance.
Following the sport also represents an amazing opportunity for travel, as World Series locations have included some of the most idyllic spots on the planet, as well as some of the most famous and culturally-significant cities. The 2022 season, which begins in June, kicks off in Boston before embarking on a European capital leg of Paris, Copenhagen and Oslo. From there, it’s on to three of the sport’s classic destinations – Mostar, Sisikon and the stunning, pebbled town of Polignano a Mare in Italy’s southern region of Puglia. The tour concludes in September in Sydney’s iconic harbour.
If you like what you’ve heard and want to learn more about how you can experience this unique and dramatic extreme sport, whilst staying in luxury accommodation in some of the world’s most incredible places, we would love to hear from you. Please get in touch with us here, so we can put together a luxury and bespoke package for you.