We saw this event by chance while we were driving back from our grocery shopping last few weeks and decided to check it out. As this event's 2nd tour stop was in Rotterdam, my city in Leuvehaven, which is pretty nearby to my place :)A country without mountains, cliffs or ravines, it is the most improbable scenario for a cliff diving competition however the Netherlands warmly welcomed her first international high diving competition with high enthusiasm.
Cliff diving first root origin from Hawaii as early as in the 18th century. Kahekili, the last independent king of Maui indulged in this extreme sport in the 18th century which he was famous for the "Lele Kawa", the 'leaping feet-first from a high cliff into water without making a splash' and used this cliff diving as a prove of loyalty for his warriors. As time progressed, King Kahekili's cliff diving shifted focus. It was no longer just a loyalty test for the Hawaiian warriors, but has evolved to become so popular that people start competing against each other.
The tour of cliff diving series 2009 covers 8 stops in different cities in Europe:
1st stop: La Rochelle, France
2nd stop: Rotterdam, the Netherlands
3rd stop: Dubrovnik, Croatia
4th stop: Polignano a Mare, Italy
5th stop: Antalya, Turkey
6th stop: Hamburg, Germany
7th stop: Sisikon, Switzerland
8th stop: Athens, Greece
The day finally arrived and unfortunately the weather was pretty crappy. 
However, despite the off and on rain and strong, cold wind, there were 15,000 spectators including my Hubs and I out there watching the competition. We stood in the rain in our water-proof jackets and an umbrella waiting for the competition to begin. The rest of the crowd were covered with rain ponchos. We never took our eyes off the platform mounted 26m above water on a historical crane in the old port of Rotterdam. The water temperature today was approximately 18 degrees. I guess it was pretty cold.
However, despite the off and on rain and strong, cold wind, there were 15,000 spectators including my Hubs and I out there watching the competition. We stood in the rain in our water-proof jackets and an umbrella waiting for the competition to begin. The rest of the crowd were covered with rain ponchos. We never took our eyes off the platform mounted 26m above water on a historical crane in the old port of Rotterdam. The water temperature today was approximately 18 degrees. I guess it was pretty cold.There will be 12 divers competing for this championship. The first challenge in Rotterdam would be their first contact with the gigantic yellow crane where the platform is placed. To reach the 26m high platform, divers were secured with a complete climbing gear - helmet, harness, rope and carabiner. It was quite an exhausting 100 steps to climb followed by an aesthetic cooling!
We did not stay until the competition ended at 4pm as we decided to grab a quick bite for our long overdue lunch :P
The victory goes to the dark, handsome good looking, 9th time world champion cliff diver, Orlando Duque from Columbia :)
The victory goes to the dark, handsome good looking, 9th time world champion cliff diver, Orlando Duque from Columbia :)
(Orlando Duque in his warm-up dive)
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