Cliff Diving
Meet Orlando Duque, the legendary pioneer of cliff diving
He defines the term ‘icon’. Learn the story of the trailblazing Colombian who's left an indelible mark on the world of action sports and still works tirelessly to elevate cliff diving to new heights.
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You can’t mention the sport of cliff diving without the name Orlando Duque being mentioned, probably several times. The legendary cliff diver is so intertwined with his sport that he simultaneously holds a place in its past, present and future.
With a sporting career spanning numerous decades, 48-year-old Duque is more than just the face of modern cliff diving and the current sports director of the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series. A passionate pioneer with an undeniably charismatic presence on and off the platform, he's carved out a new path for the sport, pushed its limits and opened doors for new generations of athletes. And he’s not done yet. Meet the legendary cliff diver with an awe-inspiring career of standout achievements…
Orlando Duque has built a career on firsts and new frontiers
© Dean Treml/Red Bull Content Pool
01
Cali dreaming
If it’s high, chances are Duque has probably dived off it. His drive to discover new frontiers for cliff diving has seen him adventure across all corners of the globe in a bid to seek out new and uncharted diving locations. But his place as a sporting icon wasn’t always written in the stars…
Orlando Duque's cliff diving achievements are yet to be eclipsed
© Dustin Snipes/Red Bull Content Pool
Born in 1974, Duque grew up in Cali, a city located in south-western Colombia, famous as being the 'salsa capital of the world'. Although known for its vibrant culture, music and dance scene, throughout Duque’s life the bustling city he calls home has also played host to a hotbed of sporting talent, including F1 and NASCAR racing driver Juan Pablo Montoya, one of soccer’s best midfielders of his era, Carlos 'El Pibe' Valderrama, and Colombian national team goalkeeper Faryd Mondragón.
Like much of Colombia in the 1980s, city life was tainted by organised crime and an undercurrent of violence. But a young Duque remained focused on sport, balancing an early aptitude for dedication and a hard work ethic, something he believes he learned from his mother.
“My mom always was that example of hard work. She always did everything,” Duque explains. “Anything that she wanted to do, she always did it. How difficult it was, she made sure she worked and made it happen for me, for my brother, for my sister. So, it was always that example, don't take things for granted. You have to work for it, you have to make sure you're doing the work.”
02
Finding his platform
As a Colombian national, it’s no surprise that football featured heavily in Duque’s childhood. But it wasn’t long until he found himself in the pool, inspired by the swimmers and divers at his local club. For Duque, though, it was the last 15 minutes of free time at the end of his lessons – that little bit of letting loose and a little bit of “crazy” - that excited him the most.
Duque has always been at home in the water
© Samo Vidic/Red Bull Content Pool
He discovered the thrill of cliff diving at a popular local spot called 'La Quebrada' in Cali. This experience ignited a passion for high diving, and Duque transitioned from his competitive swimming career to pursue a new journey as a diver.
There are two things I really liked when I started diving, and one was that feeling I had in the air of falling, of doing flips and stuff
“When I started competing, I loved competitions and I wanted to win, and I wanted to be better. I think that's what always kept me motivated, to grow, to go beyond,” he explains. Ever the overachiever, Duque rapidly began picking up podiums and medals.
03
Engineering a new profession
Despite his quick success and natural talent in the pool, Duque didn’t originally have designs on a career in diving. The world of cliff diving nearly missed out on one of its most decorated champions. Duque, encouraged by his mother, was on track to pursue a career in engineering, something he enjoyed, but also needed to fund – something, it turns out, diving could help with.
“I didn't have money to put myself through school and I had to make some decisions of what I was going to do. I got a job doing some high diving shows… to save some money and go back to school because that was the plan. That was what I was working so hard for. Diving, high diving, cliff diving was just a fun thing to do, but it was not a job back then,” Duque admits.
More on Orlando Duque's Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series career
Duque was then offered the opportunity to travel to Europe to join a diving show at an amusement park on a three-year contract, which he accepted. After a few seasons on the exhibition and competition circuits building his profile and skills, in 2009 the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series came knocking. “I got an invitation to an event. I went to the first event where I placed second. After that, I went like, ‘Okay, hold on a second, I think this could be something different in my plans, let's see how this works.’ And then I dedicated all my time to that.”
04
First gold
Duque added the accolade of history-maker to his list of achievements when he won the inaugural Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series in 2009. That same year, Duque began smashing through the ceiling of cliff diving; he became the first person to ever complete a triple somersault with one and a half twists from the 27-metre platform, setting a new standard for difficulty and execution in cliff diving.
One of the most recognisable faces in the Red Bull Cliff Diving
© Romina Amato/Red Bull Content Pool
It was the start of a long, dominating and pioneering career within the competition. Duque was a frequent visitor to the podium, with the Colombian taking home two World Champion titles. His success on the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series together with his curious nature and ability to overcome fear underpinned his ambition to explore new frontiers and ‘boldly go’ where no other high diver had been before.
05
Adventure in the Amazon
Through his success and unwavering passion for the sport, Duque was a natural global ambassador for cliff diving, leading him to work on new projects in brand-new locations. In 2011, one of his greatest projects came to fruition, when he dived into the world-famous Amazon River. Launching from a platform at 29 metres [95 feet] into the river’s waters, Duque’s breathtaking feat not only highlighted his incredible skill, fearless precision and bravery, but drew attention to the beauty and ecological importance of the Amazon, something very close to his heart.
1 min
Orlando Duque Amazon
Orlando Duque Amazon
06
Career comeback
Later that same year, Duque’s pursuit of thrill and adrenaline came back to haunt him. Having experienced a stellar season with back-to-back wins in the first two competitions of the year, just under three weeks after standing on the winner’s platform, Duque was undergoing emergency surgery. A skydiving accident left the charismatic Colombian with a shattered ankle and broken leg, resulting in a year of psychologically demanding rehab and a very real threat to his diving career.
27 min
On Top Again
A prolific champion is determined to return stronger than ever after suffering a career-threatening injury.
For a while, 10 screws in his right leg and a metal plate to stabilise his ankle held Duque together. These were eventually removed and his journey back to the diving platform was a test of both mental and physical health, endurance and resilience. But a year of doubt and fear was wiped away in the three seconds that it took Duque to perform his first post-surgery dive, laying the foundation for a new path to success. He returned triumphantly the following year to the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series, ultimately taking another outstanding career win, as well as earning a historic first-ever gold medal for high diving in the 2013 World Aquatics Championships.
07
High jinx
Despite his brush with a potentially career-ending injury, Duque didn’t shy away from risk and challenge, always taking a holistic approach to his diving project. “A lot of the projects that I do involve a lot of risks. I think that's one big part of the excitement, to know that you have to be on point on everything you're going to do because the risks are very high,” Duque says. “You’ve just got to take all your experience into account to make sure that it's going to work out to your advantage.”
1 min
Orlando Duque helicopter jump clip
Watch Cliff Diver Orlando Duque jump from a helicopter from around 25m at the Statue of Liberty.
Always one to say ‘yes’ to a challenge, ahead of the 2013 Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series’ fifth stop in Boston, Duque offered East Coast audiences a taster of the skill, courage and artistry in the competition’s line-up by taking a ride on a helicopter out over the Hudson River and diving from around 25 metres into the air, against a backdrop of none other than the iconic Statue of Liberty.
08
Ever the explorer
When most people think of cliff diving, they’ll imagine towering cliffs in balmy, sand-strewn coastal locations with crystal-clear azure waters below. But when the opportunity to take cliff diving to a completely new environment arose, Duque was more than ready to be the first in line.
9 min
Orlando Duque's Antarctic dive
Orlando Duque travels to Antarctica on a mission to accomplish one of his biggest dreams.
In 2018, Duque joined a weeks-long expedition with a group of scientists on the hunt for the perfect glacial platform. After days of searching, they finally located the perfect iceberg with a natural escarpment 20m [66 feet] above the freezing Antarctic waters. Diving in the remote and wild location was a career highlight for Duque, not least as it allowed him to highlight the fragility and beauty of the icy paradise of Antarctica.
Duque's icy Antarctic adventure
© Andreas Vigl/Red Bull Content Pool
09
King of chill
Despite the risks associated with his brand of action sports, away from the sheer cliffs, wild locations and terrifyingly high platforms, Duque is actually a master of chill. “When I'm away from the platform, from the cliff, from the bridge, I'm kind of a slow guy. I'm an easy guy,” he explains. “People think I'm always driving fast on a motorcycle and going crazy because I'm a crazy guy. I'm like, "no, you'd be surprised." You'll find me sitting here reading a book, listening to some music and enjoying time. I don't need that 100 percent crazy thing.”
What lies beneath the water in Portugal
© Predrag Vuckovic/Red Bull Content Pool
As one of cliff diving’s most prominent figures, as you’d expect Duque is never really that far from the water. But the Colombian legend leans into a more free and easy pastime when he’s in need of some R&R, out on the waves. “All the people I tell about body surfing, they go like, "oh, with the board and you're lying on it?" I'm like, "no, no, no. Just your body and then you paddle into a wave, and you ride the waves."
10
Blessed
Duque retired from competitive cliff diving in 2019, but in his current position as sports director for the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series, diving remains front and centre, and Duque is now contributing to his sport in fresh, new ways, and always scouting for new diving adventures. ”Now that I'm not competing, it's not that I want to win, but there's a motivation to make things better for myself, for the sport, for the athletes. I'm doing it because I like it, but I want to do the work,” he stresses. “It pushes me to go and do things, to go and research... because I want to help, I want to contribute.”
More from Orlando Duque's World of Diving podcast
As much as he has given to the world of cliff diving, Duque feels nothing short of blessed from what he’s been able to take away from the sport.
You never think a sport is going to give you so much
“I don't think any athlete is doing sports because of that. I think they do it for the love of the sport. You're just lucky enough that it takes you places where you never thought, but yeah, you just try to get back a little bit,” he explains.
42 min
Cliff Hunter
Three Red Bull Cliff Diving World Champions take a road trip across Guatemala to find remote diving spots.
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