Red Bull Cliff Diving returning to Possum Kingdom

The Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series will be returning to Possum Kingdom Lake on June 27. The announcement was made this week through an official release by Red Bull.

The international competition, now in its 12th year, will be returning after skipping the lake location during its 2019 season. Joining PK on the 2020 RB CDWS calendar will be Bali, Indonesia (May 16); La Rochelle, France (June 6); Polignano a Mare, Italy (July 19); Oslo, Norway (Aug. 15); Sao Miguel, Azores, Portugal (Sept. 6); Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina (Sept. 26) and Sydney, Australia (Nov. 7). The stops at Bali, Oslo and Sydney are on the calendar for the first time in series history. According to a release from Red Bull, the series will visit venues “ranging from natural wonders and visual feasts to historic sites and untouched waters across four continents, this rapidly progressing sport will push the boundaries again in 2020 and produce two new champions during eight tough and testing competitions.”

This year’s contest will mark the series’ sixth visit to Possum Kingdom. According to a release from Red Bull, of the last three competitions held at the lake, there have been three different winners in the men’s division. Record holder Rhiannan Iffland, of Australia, will return after missing out on a podium finish in 2018. Also returning will be the two-time winner and reigning series (and eight-time) champion Gary Hunt. This year’s tour will include the first teenager in series history, Maria Paula Quintero, of Colombia.

When the series makes its sixth stop at Possum Kingdom, the men will dive from 27m (88.6 ft) and the women from 20m (65 ft) into water that ranges from 5.5m (18 ft) to 7m (23 ft) deep.

According to a previous Leader article, over 6,000 people attended the inaugural event in 2014. By 2018, the event had grown to over 12,000 attendees.

For the full story, see the Saturday, Jan. 18 edition of The Graham Leader.