High Diving; World Record High Dives

Imagine yourself on the beach in Maui… in the 1770’s. You look over to the right, and there is the King, commanding a new warrior to jump from a staggering volcanic height to prove their courage for battle. The warrior leaps from a death-defying tall jungle cliff, whistling through the air into dazzling aqua water…Early written records confirm that high diving has existed for hundreds of years, but for the past 40 years, an incredible high diving record remains unbroken.

Fast forward to a cool sunny day in San Diego in March 1983, where five high divers pose in front of SeaWorld Park, for ABC’s big series: WIde World of Sports. Under the eyes of thousands of spectators at the park, and live in front of millions on TV, each diver would attempt a near impossible platform dive. Each diver was to “execute at least one somersault and exit the water without the assistance of others” from an unimaginable height… How high? 

172 feet! 

High above the circling orcas and pinnipeds, and into the placid deep blue pool below, each diver would go on to successfully dive from a height of 172 feet, and emerge from the pool setting a world high diving record that would not be broken to this day. List of divers: Rick Winters, Rick Charls, Dana Kunze, Bruce Boccia, and Mike Foley.