PREVIEW

AssetID: 32137544

Headline: Cliff Divers Jump In Front Of The Great American Eclipse

Caption: It’s been over a year since Red Bull Cliff Diving’s last North American competition and nearly four decades since the last full solar eclipse was viewable in the United States. To mark both the return of Red Bull Cliff Diving to Hell’s Gate Cliffs at Possum Kingdom Lake, Texas, as well as this rare solar eclipse, photographer Dustin Snipes captured cliff divers Helena Merten (AUS), Orlando Duque (COL), David Colturi (USA), and Andy Jones (USA) as they leapt from a 20-meter platform in McMinnville, Oregon earlier today (21Aug17). Armed with his camera, high-optical quality front-surface mirrors and four of the world’s best cliff divers, Dustin created a series of breathtaking photos that not only capture the skill and grace of the elite athletes, but also the time-stopping scene that the eclipse created in Oregon and across the country. “I was so excited, I was literally shaking,” said photographer Dustin Snipes. “I knew we had such a small window to nail the shots but we did it. The experience was everything I could ask for.” Vaulting into the sunless sky were just a handful of the world-class athletes who will be competing in Texas on Labor Day Weekend. Among the four divers fortunate enough to take part in the shoot was Colombian cliff diving legend Orlando Duque who is no stranger to making headlines with impressive dives around the world, including his iconic 2013 helicopter dive in front of the Statue of Liberty. “It was one of the craziest I’ve done in my entire life,” said Red Bull Cliff Diving veteran Duque. “We knew it was going to be dark, but not that dark! Having one shot at this dive made it that much more exciting.” Duque, who is currently enjoying a resurgent season which has him sitting atop the men’s division, looks ahead to Texas and future challenges from six-time champion Gary Hunt (GBR) as well as fellow eclipse diver and home-country favorite David Colturi (USA). On the women’s side, defending champion Rhiannan Iffland (AUS) has resumed her winning ways in 2017 and will look to return to the top of the podium in Texas, where she recorded her first Red Bull Cliff Diving victory a year ago in her debut appearance. Moving into the second half of the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series, the world’s most elite divers are poised to take Texas by storm. Every dive matters and every point earned could make all the difference as they approach the final stops in Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina (SEPT 16) and Lago Ranco, Chile (OCT 21).

Keywords: feature,photo feature,photo story,dive,diving,sun,moon

PersonInImage: David Colturi