Red Bull divers making a big splash above Hawkesbury River

DIVERS vying for a place in Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series will be demonstrating their skill above Hawkesbury River.

2013.02.01 Jump

DIVERS vying for a place in the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series will be in jaw-dropping action on the cliffs towering above the Hawkesbury River at Cattai this Saturday.

Fourteen of the best divers from around the globe will each will dive from a 27m platform, hitting the water at speeds of up to 85km/h within three seconds.

The Hills Shire Council is hosting the qualifying round at the Riverside Oaks Golf Resort on Saturday from 3pm.

Judged by an international panel including FINA official and member of the Italian Diving team Claudio de Miro, divers are awarded scores according to the degree of difficulty and execution of the dive.

There are five spots up for grabs in the eight-part series, which kicks off in France in May.

The top three divers from the 2012 series including third-time World Champion Gary Hunt (UK), Orlando Duque (COL) and American Steve LoBue have all automatically qualified for 2013.

Competing for the USA since 2009, Kent De Mond is hoping to gain a podium finish on the Hawkesbury River after narrowly missing out last year, but gaining a spot in the field following the withdrawal of another competitor:

"I'm excited to kick off the series in such an amazing location and I want nothing more than to take out one of the five slots on offer," he said.

"The calibre of divers this year is amazing."

Hills Shire Mayor Michelle Byrne said: "I encourage our community to come and see this remarkable event taking place in our own backyard."