Despite grey skies and a consistent drizzle, thousands flocked to the north coast again for the final round of this year’s Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series – one of the biggest global events in extreme sports.
Saturday’s action was broadcast live on TG4 and Red Bull TV from 5.30pm on Saturday, but Ballycastle itself was buzzing as spectators gathered in-person to watch the professional divers execute incredible acrobatics in the seaside town, from heights of more than 20m.
The competition kicked off on Friday at Kinbane Castle, but Saturday attracted an even larger audience, giving pubs and restaurants on the Causeway Coast a great weekend of trading.
Wendy Risby said she had brought her family along to watch the free event on Saturday after catching some of the highlights from Friday online.
“It’s good to have something different to see,” the local mum told Sunday Life.
“And sure we’re used to the [bad] weather over here!
“I watched some of the dives from the other day online and then wanted to come down to watch the final.”
The day included fun for the whole family, with Ballycastle native Chris Mooney welcoming the tournament to his doorstep.
“I’ve been here for both days, and it has been heaving. We brought the kids out to see it all [on Saturday].
“It’s really good to see so many people coming together in the town, because it is really seasonal, and being from here – we rely on stuff like this happening. It’s been great.
“The water has probably been a bit colder on Saturday, maybe making it a bit more of a challenge for the guys doing it. We go in every day for a swim, so we know how cold it is!
“I saw a few of the divers jumping from the very top platform on Friday and it really was something else. It was just that one point where everybody stops and looks out, and everything goes quiet.”
Whilst Friday saw a bit more sunshine, some showers and winds hit the north coast harder on Saturday, and although the divers are used to all temperatures, one noted that they had all been diving in Italy before heading to NI – meaning the freezing cold waves of the Co Antrim waters might have come as a a bit of a shock.
Women and men competitors from across the world took part in the tournament, including divers from Canada and Mexico.
Reigning World Series champion David Popovici, who is also a former world record holder, also leapt up the weekend’s scoresheets, but it was British 22-year-old Aidan Heslop who came out on top in the men’s division.
The Plymouth diver also took first place in the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series in Boston last month.
And Aussie Rhiannan Iffland – who is also the defending female World Series champion – was crowned the winner in the women’s competition.
The event is the third instalment of the competition, which concludes on November 10 in Sydney.
Since 2009 the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series has provided a platform for aesthetic action and dives of incredible complexity.
A Facebook page promoting the competition has almost two million followers, who have now been introduced to Ballycastle and its rugged coastline after watching the tournament unfold over the past two days.