Hundreds of spectators have packed the Spring Bay Mill wharf in Triabunna today for Tasmania’s second annual Cliff Masters event, with organisers selling more than 600 tickets to watch 12 international competitors leap from the old woodchip mill ship loader.
Event organiser and competition winner Rohan Wilcox said the turnout was a massive step up from last summer’s inaugural event.
“It was amazing. We had 600 people, world class athletes and the weather was better,” he told Pulse.
“I couldn’t have asked for anything better.”
The competition drew athletes from across the globe, including competitors from Europe and the United States who travelled thousands of kilometres to compete on Tasmania’s east coast.
American competitor Sean Shank, who travelled southern Montana in the United States, said the event brought together athletes from the international cliff jumping circuit.
“A lot of guys come from all over just to make it to something like this. So it’s huge,” he told Pulse.
“I’ve been part of the cliff jumping scene for five years now and all these guys, we all meet up.”
“In the summer, we’ll go to Europe, in the winter, we’ll go to, you know, the States or come here.”
“I’ll come back [to Tasmania] whenever. I love it here,” he said. “This is a dream spot to jump.”
Improved road access and refined scheduling helped elevate this year’s event, according to Wilcox, who said better commentary made it “the best show we could do”.
But he sees even greater potential for future events.
“I see this going so much further than just a cliff jumping comp. I see this being a huge show with a bigger festive atmosphere,” Wilcox said.
“There’s so much potential and I’m so stoked to bring something like this out to a small town like Triabunna.”
He hopes to attract up to 2,000 spectators next year, saying today’s event proves that grassroots operations can succeed without major government or corporate backing.
“We literally ran this event just off ticket sales,” he said. “I think when you have like-minded people that believe in an idea, you can really create something cool.”
For Wilcox, winning the competition he organised capped off a remarkable 12 months that included competing across Europe.
“To put on an event back here and now win it is just something else,” he said.
