For so many of us, the cliff's edge spells danger. It is a place to be feared and shied away from…
But for a select group of athletes it's their land of opportunity, it’s the place they have worked their whole lives to reach and somewhere their sporting dreams can come true.
Steven LoBue is one of these people. As a three-time Red Bull Cliff Diving champion, he knows what it takes to reach the pinnacle of a sport fraught with danger. He said: "Every athlete knows the inherent dangers of their sport and cliff diving is no exception. We are fully aware that a bad landing into the water could be catastrophic, but every diver learns to respect their fears.
“I always say you need to maintain a healthy level of fear to cliff dive. Absence of fear or too little fear will get you hurt because the moment you don’t respect the height, bad things can happen. Likewise, too much fear clouds your judgment and thought process so it’s easy to make a mistake. A healthy level of fear heightens your senses and allows you to perform at a high level."
LoBue is a unique athlete. He's known not only as the 'turbo spinner’ – for his ability to perform five summersaults in under three seconds – but as the ‘miracle man’ who once hit his head on the platform at take-off but survived with only a scratch.
He’s aware of what he’s risking every time he steps on the cliff’s edge. "Extreme athletes have an increased risk for injury and so I think the mental ability to cope with and respect your fear has to be at a higher level," he said.
“For example, if you mess up in a traditional sport maybe you miss a basket or drop a pass and your team loses, whereas a mistake in cliff diving would mean a very high chance for injury.”
The possibility for serious injury hasn't diminished the sport’s popularity, though. Quite the opposite. Red Bull, as they so often do, jumped on board in 2009 with their aforementioned Cliff Diving world series. The competition takes place at six different locations, ranging from Lago Ranco, Chile to Inis Mór, Ireland. Dives can be up to 27 m (70 ft.) in height and are graded out of 10 by five cliffside judges.
It’s easy to see why fans looking for that missing ingredient in standard diving are drawn towards cliff diving, and those involved in the sport are eager to see it continue to grow. Britain’s Gary Hunt, widely regarded as the best cliff diver in the world, is among them. He said: "I love that unorthodox sports are gaining attention. The YouTube generation has changed everything, people see what is possible and it makes it easier to learn and improve. Sponsors are helping out sports like cliff diving as they use our sport to promote their brand. It’s a win-win situation."
Stefanie Linder of the World High Diving Federation has a theory on how cliff diving can continue to move forwards, saying: “We think that the key to make the sport more popular is to make it more visible to everyone. This means more events, more videos, more photos. But it is important to show that the high divers are normal athletes who train hard for their success, not just a bunch of crazy guys.”
For many fans, however, it's a struggle to comprehend the mind-set of athletes who willingly fling themselves off cliffs. Laso Schaller, who has completed dives of up to 58.8 m (192.9 ft.) was able to shed some light on the mentality of cliff divers. He said: "I feel nothing special before I jump, only when I’m already in the air. I feel free and feel only the air on my ears. Sure I consider the danger before every jump, without this I wouldn’t live anymore."
LoBue offered an alternative point of view: "The moments leading up to a cliff dive are definitely mentally straining. Since we do such complicated manoeuvres, it's important to think about what you need to do for your dive. I usually give myself one or two cues that will help me be successful for the dive and I picture the dive in my head both in 1st and 3rd person. Then, before take-off, it is a very zen-like moment where I think and feel everything and nothing at the same time as the mind is totally focused," he said.
Hunt sides with LoBue, here: “For me I have to think about the dive that I am going to perform. I remind myself of the movements and certain pointers, mistakes that I have made previously. Sometimes I have negative thoughts and doubts but I manage to block them out of my head and stay positive.”
The danger of the sport, something which contributes to its popularity, still needs to be hammered home to anyone thinking of getting involved. Obviously when jumping off a cliff, death is a possibility, as are concussions, broken bones and spinal cord damage. It is of paramount importance that all participants enter the sport with their eyes wide open.
Linder is adamant that safety procedures must always be followed, saying: "A strong technical education and many years of experience in diving or a similar acrobatic sport are the main prerequisites for a high diver.
“We recommend not to dive if the high diver doesn't feel convinced to perform a safe dive. Of course the dive spot has to be safe, which has to be checked. The high diver has to do a warm up first. And because there is in every sport a chance of an accident, we recommend to never dive alone."
Despite the danger, LoBue has high hopes for the future of cliff diving: “I think cliff diving is unique and exciting, but still definitely a niche sport. I think as the sport continues to grow and be televised more, people have their eyes opened to what it could be. Also, now that the sport has made a transition to a more standard type of 'high diving’ it will hopefully gain recognition as an Olympic sport,” he said.
Without doubt there is no sport like cliff diving, but it remains to be seen whether its uniqueness ends up preventing it from becoming an Olympic event. For the sake of LoBue and others, let’s hope not.
