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95 ft with split-second timing: The La Quebrada Cliff Divers Show
The La Quebrada Cliff Diver Show is an event which is not to be missed when visiting Acapulco, Mexico. Heralding as far back as 1934, the show has not only become one of the city's major tourist attractions (through which everything from restaurants and hotels to cruises have been set up) but a major international sensation as well, attracting ABC's Wide World of Sports, Film Stuntman Ray Austin, and eventually its own World Championships!
Although the show peaked in popularity in the 1970s when it was a regular feature on American weekend sports broadcasting, it is still going strong today with divers risking their lives for the thrill of a successful dive 5 times a day.
The divers committing this death-defying feat are all professionals who have spent many years learning how to time and angle their jumps just right to avoid the jagged edges and rocks of the cliff and land in the water just as the waves come in, giving them as little as 6 to 16 ft of water to cushion their 95 ft, head-first leaps. These divers are so committed to their craft, that even despite all other dangers, they don't even allow the setting of the sun to stop them, and they march to the cliffs with torches for nightly dives as well.
Great places to see the dive include the La Perla Restaurant - set up on the hillside just to accommodate would-be spectators - and the El Mirador Hotel. It has also been said that for dips in dollars, divers will even let tourists come in for a closer view and take video as well. Truly, to behold the wonder of the four brave souls who set out to make the dive for each show is to experience the magic and culture of Acapulco itself.
