Diver’s leap of faith in Aran
Three years ago, the 37-year-old travelled to Inis Mór to dive 26 metres into the Serpent’s Lair or Poll na Peist — a blowhole carved out by Atlantic swells.
Describing it as “one of those places that you only hear stories about”, he said diving there was one of the highlights of his career and he hoped that one day a cliff-diving competition might be held there.
And so it will. On Aug 4, the world’s best cliff divers will be at the Serpent’s Lair for the fourth stage of the 2012 Red Bull World Cliff Diving Series. Inis Mór is the biggest of the three Aran Islands.
“What makes the Serpent’s Lair special is that it’s a near-perfect rectangle, its inexplicable shape ensconced in Gaelic legend,” said a Red Bull spokesman.
In ancient mythology, the Serpent’s Lair was home to a Sea Serpent and the sound of screeching stormy winds is said to be the monster making its presence felt.
Cliff diving involves athletes leaping into water from heights of 23m to 28m for men and 18m to 23m for women.
Divers have about three seconds to co-ordinate their forms and movements before they hit the surface of the water at around 100km/h with a flat landing, known as a pancake.
Cliff diving has its origin during the 1700s in Hawaii. No less illustrious personage than Kahekili, the last independent king of Maui, indulged in this extreme sport in the 18th century.
He was famous for the ‘Lele Kawa’, which can be translated as “leaping feet first from a high cliff into water without making a splash” and used cliff diving as an initiation tactic for his warriors.
He required them to follow his example by jumping off cliffs to prove their loyalty. As time progressed, King Kahekili’s stunts became so popular warriors started to compete against each other.
