Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series 2013 – Event Clip – France, La Rochelle

More than 70,000 spectators flooded La Rochelle’s old port this Saturday afternoon for the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series 2013 kick-off in France. In a sunny La Rochelle the 29-year-old Russian Artem Silchenko achieved his premiere goal – a victory ahead of reigning World Series champion Gary Hunt and former Olympic diver Blake Aldridge, both from England. The fifth season of the sport’s most prestigious series of competitions got underway at possibly the scariest location of them all a...

In the next five months, and during eight competitions, the cliff diving elite will launch from almost three times the Olympic diving height in venues all over the globe, showing their most spectacular and difficult tricks, and overcoming rational fear to impress the judges and spectators alike. And to spice it all up, the 2013 World Series comes to its scariest location first: La Rochelle, France. © Red Bull Media House

Despite all of the their professionalism, which is typical for the attitude and demeanor of the ten official divers taking part in the 2013 season the final decision – to dive or not to dive – always remains the big question right up to the very last second. Fear plays a significant role in this highly thrilling game. Only the appropriate awareness of the danger can ensure the desired happy ending: a great and safe dive. © Red Bull Media House

In a seven-day period the divers will have to deal with a modern opera house in Denmark’s historic capital and return to the impressive volcanic rocks of the Azores archipelago in the middle of the Atlantic. Without any time to recover, the athletes will face one of their biggest challenges of the whole season: in the first all-natural competition of the current season an imposing monolith and the outside crater walls of the circular-shaped Vila Franca do Campo islet offshore from São Miguel...

Artem Silchenko’s outstanding performance left the huge crowd of people that had gathered below, around and opposite the opera speechless. The Russian had just nailed his back armstand with two and a half somersaults and two and a half twists for 10s from the judges. The dive has a Degree of Difficulty of 6.1 and, with its blind entry, it's one of the most exhilarating and jaw-dropping manoeuvres. The view across the water through royal Amalienborg, from which spectators were spotted, impress...

Red Bull Cliff Diving has its first female winner – Anna Bader from Germany. It was the eagerly-awaited competition and this Saturday afternoon four athletes proved why they were chosen to compete in the first-ever Red Bull Cliff Diving women’s competition. In a close fight, 29-yearold Anna Bader (214.70pts) took victory ahead of America’s Ginger Huber (207.90) with Tara Hyer-Tira (184.55) from San Francisco completing the podium and Canadian diver Stephanie De Lima (158.10) finishing fourth....

Fitness is an absolutely important part for cliff divers not to get injured. One competition after the other within seven days – that’s hard for a cliff diver’s body. What’s the perfect training for bones and muscles to deal with a challenge like this? Is it an advantage to be a rookie diver in a young body or does experience play a role as well? © Red Bull Media House

85kph, aesthetic gravity-defying freefall – cliff diving is the purest extreme sport on earth. The world’s best cliff divers launch from 27 meters with no protection at all, except their concentration, skill and physical control. Let’s dive into the science of what the body endures upon a monumental 85kmph impact. The impact on the body is enormous and a cliff diver has to handle it over and over. What the divers need to do in the air in order to find a vertical position when they hit the wat...