Just once a year the beautiful Furore fjord, located near the town of Praiano, Amalfi Coast, witnesses the most breathtaking jumps one can imagine. The International Marmeeting Mediterranean Cup High Diving Championship gathers thousands of spectators that come to marvel the athletes' skills and bravery. All of the dives are made off small platforms built on the bridge over the fjord.
The bridge is quite short as the space between the two rocks that it connects is very narrow. It's a rather dangerous place to dive, and only skilled professionals should try to do it. Men jump from the height of 23-28 meters, and women from 18-23 meters. The divers have just a few seconds to prepare to enter the sea at an impressive speed up to 100 km/h.
Each participant has three dives: the first one is a controlled dive, while the second and the third are freestyle dives. Difficulty levels conform to the PHDA (Professional High Diving Association). The jury is composed of five international judges who evaluate the jump from 0 to 10 on the basis of its execution. Then the best and the worst votes are excluded, and the remaining points are multiplied by the complex coefficient. The diver with the highest points obtained from the three dives wins.
The best viewing spot for the championship is the sandy Furore beach. Some people prefer to watch from a boat anchored in the sea. A world-class diving competition with a stunning natural backdrop makes the audience gasp in fear, hold their breaths, and cheer fiercely for the courageous divers.
