Extreme event splashes down
Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series jump-starts summer in Boston
Boston’s Seaport District will be an extreme sports viewers nirvana on June 4 when, for the first time since 2013, the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series (redbull.com/inten/event-series/redbullcliffdiving) returns to Boston.
Top divers from around the world — including women for the first time in a Boston stop — will jump from the roof of the Institute of Contemporary Art and plunge into Boston Harbor for the chance to be called the best in the world.
The location and competition make it an ideal reason to head to the city — for the day or overnight.
The event takes place
at 2 p.m. June 4. Spectators can register for a free ticket to view from the ICA Boston. The day also brings many boats to Boston Harbor to enhance the views.
This year, a dozen men and a dozen women will complete in the seasonlong competition. Boston is the kick off, as well as the only North American stop on the tour, which includes the only American with a spot on the full tour, Eleanor Smart.
Smart will be joined by four American wildcards at this event: two male and two female.
For Smart, Boston looks to be a special competition.
“Having the opportunity to dive in the United States in front of a home crowd is so rare,” she explained. “There are very few competitions in the United States.”
This event, in fact, will be the first time she’d been a home diver with her family there to watch.
What is urban cliff diving?
Competitors jump from a platform or building. Men dive 90 feet down and women 70, adding twists, flips and other details to each dive to create acrobatic aerial dives from three times the height of Olympic high dives. From start to finish, dives take about three seconds, with divers going as fast as 50 miles per hour in the air.
Divers are judged on three things: Height at take off, how they look in the air (What is the body doing? How is the form? Are there “pretty lines”?) and entry — with a goal of as little splash as possible for the highest score.
Smart said even spectators who’ve never seen cliff diving before catch on quickly and know what to look for. That’s part of what makes it so fun to watch, she said.
“You don’t need to know anything about cliff diving or even traditional Olympic diving to enjoy this,” she said. “The average person can pick up on it and have it exciting to watch.”
And while you may think diving from actual cliffs is more fun, Smart begs to differ. From the setting (cool cityscapes) to the setup (“Cliffs have more factors; are you jumping out far enough? Can you get a good grip with your feet?” she explained).
“I much prefer urban,” she said. “I love this offthe-platform setting.”
They’re diving for cash and glory, including the King Kahekili Cup, named after Hawaiian chief King Kahekili, a cliff-diving pioneer of the 1700s.
To attend at the ICA Boston, guests must reserve a free ticket. They sold out initially, but more will be released June 1 at eventbrite.com/e/redbull-cliff-diving-worldseries-2022-boston-tickets-308962213297.
Doors open at noon and diving begins at 2 p.m.
While parking is relatively easy to find in the Seaport District, you can take the MBTA from South Station to the Seaport on the Silver line and then have a quick walk to ICA Boston or any other spot in the Seaport.
The Seaport District itself has plenty for you to do before and after. At Wood’s Hill Pier 4 (woodshillpier4.com) you’ll find specials around the event and a great spot to dine waterside.
You can head to King’s Dining and Entertainment (kings-de.com) post event as well.
If you need pampering after a day watching athletes, the Omni at the Seaport now has Breve Spa (omnihotels.com/hotels/ boston-seaport/spa). They also have great dining and a superlative sports bar. Or grab rooftop drinks at the Envoy Hotel.
And while with all the new choices in the Seaport district you’ll have lots of options, it’s an easy walk over a bridge to the Rose Kennedy Greenway, Faneuil Hall, the Boston Public Market, the North End and many other Boston spots.
Smart will be pondering the many great choices in the Seaport and across the city as well. Though her mother attended Wheelock College, this is Smart’s first visit to the city.
“My mom has always talked about it, so I’m excited to actually see it,” she said.