Cliff diving is probably the least complicated extreme sport. There’s no equipment, no special clothing, no services provider and of course no fear of heights involved. All a diver needs is a bathing suit and a lot of courage in order to perform the ultimate plunge. July in Agios Nikolaos begins dynamically with the 2nd Cliff Diving event!
Blast from the past!
Last year, on August 26-27, the 1st Agios Nikolaos Cliff Diving was organized with great success at lake Voulismeni in the center of the city, by the Municipality of Agios Nikolaos and the World High Diving Federation (WHDF). It was the first time a cliff diving event with an international impact was ever held in Greece. Due to its unique morphology, the lake is ideal for cliff diving events. Last year ten international cliff divers took part in the event and put up a breathtaking show, wowing the spectators.
Cliff Diving 2017
This year, Cliff Diving evolved into a real competition under the supervision of WHDF. The important detail for this year’s show, as announced on the official Facebook page of the event, is that the athletes will actually compete and not just demonstrate their athletic competence. The event is going to take place again in our beautiful city during the first weekend of July (01.07-02.07). A free training is scheduled for those interested in knowing the secrets of the daring sport just a day before (Friday the 30th of June). Below you can see the 20 athletes from 10 countries who will participate in the competition.
| ATHLETES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Anna Bader (GER) | Matthias Appenzeller (SWI) | Andreas Hulliger (SWI) |
| Rhiannan Iffland (AUS) | Liam Atkins (AUS) | Todor Spasov (BUL) |
| Owen Weymouth (GB) | Jan Wermelinger (SWI) | Ilia Shchurov (RU) |
| Antonina Vyshyvanova (UKR) | Antonina Vyshyvanova (UKR) | Eleanor Smart (USA) |
| Vadim Babeshkin (RU) | Genevieve Bradley (USA) | Helena Merten (AUS) |
| Lazaro Schaller (SWI) | Martin Bollier (SWI) | Robin Georges (FR) |
| Jan Heinzel (GER) | Kris Kolanus (POL) | Christian Wurst (GER) |
Did you know?
Competition cliff diving is an outgrowth of Olympic high diving. But the daredevil act dates back to 1770, when King Kahekili, the last king of Maui, leapt from Kaunolu, a 63-foot (19-meter) cliff and entered the water below without causing a splash. For his regular feats of flying from the cliffs, the king earned the nickname “birdman.” Later, he made his warriors jump from cliffs to prove their courage and loyalty.
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