Freelife Cliff Masters: Thrillseeker Rohan Wilcox brings Australia first cliff jumping event to Tasmania
Seventeen-year-old adrenaline junkie Rohan Wilcox has pulled off a coup for cliff jumping enthusiasts, attracting an international competition to the state’s East Coast. WATCH HERE >>
Tasmania
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After leaping off a crag at Blackmans Bay five years ago, young adrenaline junkie Rohan Wilcox discovered a new passion that would eventually drive him to organise the first ever international freestyle cliff jumping competition held in Australia.
Wilcox, 17, has a background in trampolining but now primarily dedicates his time to the sport of freestyle cliff jumping, which sees daredevil athletes hurl themselves off towering rock faces and perform death-defying flips and tricks before plunging into the water below.
On Saturday, Wilcox will contend with other cliff jumpers from around the world in a competition near the site of the old Triabunna wood chip mill, where they will leap from a 24-metre-high platform.
Known as Freelife Cliff Masters, the competition has toured Europe and was started three years ago by Pol Alberdi, 23, of Spain. With the help and coaxing of Wilcox, Alberdi has now brought the event to Australia for the first time.
Wilcox said about 350 tickets had been sold as of Wednesday.
“It’s a really nice site – there’s a few beaches and coves around so it’ll be really good to watch. All the spectators will be watching at the wharf level,” he said.
In 2020, Wilcox got his first taste of cliff jumping when he sprung off Soldiers Rock – which is about 12 metres high – at Blackmans Bay. He’s been addicted ever since.
“To have the risk that you could potentially really hurt yourself and injure yourself – because at times we’re hitting the water at about 100km/h – when you land a trick, especially for the first time off a really big height, there’s no other feeling close to it,” he said.
“I’m at the point now where I’m travelling quite a bit through [cliff jumping] and competing quite a lot. I’m stoked to be managing and getting a competition together in Tasmania because there’s been no freestyle cliff jumping competition in Australia before.”
Alberdi, who has been cliff jumping for about six years, said the sport was growing “very fast” across the globe and he was thrilled to be bringing the Cliff Masters event to Tasmania
“We were exploring Sydney only at a training level for the last week but Tasmania made more sense for the competition and as a place that’s actually [suitable] and ready to have the competition in a safe way,” he said.
Ferries will charter spectators to the Triabunna site from the East Coaster Resort at Orford from 12pm on Saturday.
To purchase tickets to Cliff Masters, visit cliffmasters.com/events/cliff-masters-tasmania
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