Antalya is the place to be. That is what almost nine million tourists thought when they spent their holidays in the Turkish city by the Mediterranean Sea last year. Coming up this weekend Antalya is the place to be for high diving. Touching Asia slightly, the twelve participants of the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series 2009 will show their spectacular diving skills from a 26m platform right in front of the Ataturk Park.
Numerous hotels, restaurants and bars along the streets. Countless towels, flip flops and different languages on the beaches. Antalya in August is at its touristic peak. However, the goings-on at the Ataturk Park these days are well noticed and watched by passing people and boats as well. On top of the natural cliff range that defends the city from the sea a massive platform of steel and wood has been fixed. It thrones 26 metres above the water and will be the take-off point for a dozen of the world’s best cliff divers on Saturday afternoon.
Amidst the masses of recreation seekers those twelve seek their way to the series’ most southern location even in hand stands. This sign of physical fitness is not only necessary to stand the hot temperatures – days with more than 40°C are most common in Turkish Augusts – but also to cope with the immense impact of high diving, which moves up to two to three G-forces while diving from a eight storey building. With the statistics in favour of the Colombian Orlando Duque, who has proved unbeatable in the last three stops, the Turkish bout could prove decisive in the struggle for the title. However, 34-year-old Duque prefers not to get carried away: “I think everything is still in the balance and at least Gary Hunt still has every chance of being the champion. We have four legs ahead of us and anything can happen!”
Entering the second half of the eight part competition means also to leave Europe and move on to Asia. Mosques and minarets are part of the game here, but those who the divers thank after surfacing safely stay the same no matter where the series is hosted.
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