Where William Tell once jumped
The Red Bull Cliff Diving Series 2009 is stopping at a very legendary site on its Swiss tour. On 5 September, the world’s best cliff divers, including a brave compatriot, will twist and rotate their way into Lake Lucerne from a 26-metre cliff. Brave hobby jumpers can qualify for a course in Lucerne with world champion Orlando Duque.
William Tell, with his legendary leap onto a rock ledge, and the world’s best cliff divers have something in common: the shores of Lake Lucerne in the canton of Uri provide the setting for their brief but daring flights. The legendary hero once jumped from the boat of his captors to safety onto the rock ledge, now called “Tellsplatte“. From this ledge is where the cliff divers will perform aerial acrobatics 26 metres through the air. They will rotate for three seconds before plunging through the water’s surface at 90 km/h. On 5 September, Red Bull will host its Cliff Diving Series in Central Switzerland.
Next stop: Sisikon
For the first time, the German-speaking region of Switzerland will host the world’s best cliff divers. The platform from which they will jump is mounted to a rock cliff which belongs to the community of Sisikon. The village, with 370 residents, eagerly awaits thousands of visitors who, from their boats, inflatable air mattresses, from surfboards or from the shores, will watch the bodies diving their way through the air into the depths. With a relaxed atmosphere and cool drinks, Saturday’s Cliff Party will be the place to chill out after all the excitement.
The flying Swiss
The undisputed champion of cliff diving is the nine-time world champion, Orlando Duque from Columbia. It is only recently that the Swiss have joined the ranks of the world elite. Markus "Mäge" Frei, a 43-year-old fitness instructor from Winterthur, landed in the top 10 during the 1990s and will jump in the competition with some former colleagues thanks to a wild card position. “The simplest dives are the prettiest,” he explained, and then more precisely, “for example, the double somersault with a half twist.”
“Retired” Swiss world-class athletes
Daniel Locher (25) could still be a world-class diver had he not “retired’’ at the tender age of 23. For the last two years now, the runner-up at the 2004 European Cliff Diving Championship has even higher goals; at the end of this year he will complete his studies in theology and will become a preacher. In Sisikon he will be on air as co-moderator.
A pioneer of Swiss high diving is a jury member: Peter Rüedi is, at 64, still diving, but ‘only’ from 22 metres he admits modestly. Jacqueline Schneider flew through the air with no less flair, but perhaps over a shorter distance. A finalist at the Sydney Olympics in the 3-metre dive, Jacqueline will also be aboard the jury boat.
Brave amateur divers sought
It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for those who wish to taste what free-fall feels like. On 3 September, nine-time world champion Orlando Duque and his colleagues will show 10 brave divers what is possible in the few metres between the dive from land and plunge into the water. Participants must qualify by performing two daring, but safely landed, dives from the 6.4 metre platform at Lucerne’s “Seebad”. The qualification round for the workshop will take place on 23 August. Participants are competing for their big break and a breath of Acapulco. More information can be found at: www.redbull.ch/workshop.
Cliff Diving Switzerland