Boston Takes the Plunge (Again) for the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series Opener

BOSTON—The highly anticipated 2023 Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series season opener took place June 3 in Boston, where 12 women and 12 men leaped off platforms up to nearly 90 feet high atop the Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) and plunged into the Boston Harbor. This is the world series' 14th season, kicking off another bout of competitions where spectators can witness aesthetic free falls and dives of ever-growing complexity. This year, the world series will hit seven international locations—and Boston was the only North American stop.

"It's a beautiful location," said Orlando Duque, former professional diver and sports director for the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series. "It's a really good feeling for the divers. And Boston is, traditionally, a sports city with big teams and big traditions. We wanted to tap into that. In the past [in Boston], we've had good experiences with a lot of people showing up and getting into the celebration together with us."

Susanna Fish of the U.S. dives from the 69-foot platform during the final competition day.Photo: Dean Treml/Red Bull Content Pool

Taking first place in the men's division in Boston was Constantin Popovici of Romania, and Rhiannan Iffland of Australia placed first in the women's division. 

Orlando Duque climbs the ladder from the 69-foot platform.Photo: Dean Treml/Red Bull Content PoolDuque said that changes for the 2023 world series include showing more variety of dives to up the difficulty level for the divers. There are also new divers joining the circuit, along with the slate of permanent divers. "We have four wild cards at each stop," he explained. Those stops include Paris; Polignano a Mare, Italy; Takachiho, Japan; Stockholm; Mostar, Bosnia; and Auckland, New Zealand.

In Boston, Duque said one of the biggest challenges in producing the event was stabilizing the platforms jutting out from the ICA. "This is something that's built from the ground up," he said. "Divers need a very stable platform. These are very difficult dives. It has to have really good grip as well, since some of the divers do dives with a running takeoff. So all those little details—we have to make sure that it's perfectly prepared for them."

On the ground, spectators were encouraged to arrive early to secure the best outdoor viewing experience possible. Red Bull teamed up with T-Mobile to integrate 5G-powered camera feeds into the live show, bringing viewers at home closer to the action. T-Mobile also powered high-quality drone and hand-held broadcast cameras for cool aerial footage and first-person views of divers as they completed their acrobatics, exited the water, and awaited their scores. 

Iris Schmidbauer of Germany dives from the 69-foot platform. The two platforms were attached to Boston's Institute of Contemporary Art.Photo: Romina Amato/Red Bull Content Pool

Although the event was free and open to the public, VIP tickets were available to watch the action from Red Bull's hospitality yacht. There, spectators could enjoy the action live from the water or via streaming with the TVs on board, as well as outdoor deck access and food and beverage.

"Red Bull knows how to put on a show," Duque quipped, adding: "This is the best event that exists in our sport. This is where the biggest talent, the best divers in the world, are going to compete. It's the beginning of the season, so everybody always comes [here] very excited. It makes for a really good show."

Keep scrolling to see more from inside the 2023 Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series in Boston...

Rhiannan Iffland of Australia—who went on to take first place in the women's division—dives from the 69-foot platform during training day on June 1.Photo: Dean Treml/Red Bull Content Pool

David Colturi of the U.S. dives from the 88.5-foot platform during the first competition day.Photo: Dean Treml/Red Bull Content Pool

Independent athlete Yana Nestsiarava dives from the 69-foot platform during the final competition day.Photo: Dean Treml/Red Bull Content Pool

Two platforms—one at 88.5 feet for the men's competition and one at 69 feet for the women's competition—were stabilized onto the Institute of Contemporary Art, which looks out onto the Boston Harbor.Photo: Dean Treml/Red Bull Content Pool

Rhiannan Iffland of Australia and Constantin Popovici of Romania celebrate their first-place wins on the podium.Photo: Romina Amato/Red Bull Content Pool