The this year beginning March 12 in Rapa Nui. It will continue through September and move from the small island nation in the Pacific to places more renowned for the tight speedos that are now the dress norm—places recognized from classic television coverage of dramatic drops from gnarly cliffs—the Yucatan, La Rochelle, France, and Athens, Greece. The beginnings of cliff diving actually come from the island of Maui in the Pacific. In the 18th century, King Kahekili of Maui would train his warriors to jump feet first into the water without splashing as a form of initiation. The sport —divers leaping in unison, turning their jumps into back quadruple somersault twisting triples before entering the water, and jumping off of the edge of caves.
This year's full event schedule can be found on .
Do you want to learn how to jump like the pros? Check out this tutorial from champion cliff diver Dustin Webster.
–Joe Spring