Book details

212 Pages
Publication date: September 2019
Imprint: Pantauro
Werner Jessner Orlando Duque

High Diver

88 FEET ABOVE A WATER SURFACE THAT DOESN’T FORGIVE ANY MISTAKES

The Columbian with the characteristic ponytail has become the likeable and approachable poster boy of an entire sport: cliff diving, jumping into the water from heights of 82 ft. and more. The charismatic athlete talks about the development of a highly unlikely career, the sacrifices he and his family had to make for it, and what made it possible for a supposed freak sport to become a global trend.

Orlando Duque, born in 1974, grew up in an environment where drugs were part of everyday life, jumped off cranes into tiny pools dressed as a human torch, qualified for the Olympic Games, and moved to Europe when he was a teenager. He worked as a barkeeper, lived in Hawaii and in Kitzhühel, revolutionized his sport, and made friendships for life—quite often with his biggest athletic competitiors. The eloquent and exceptional athlete and 13-times world champion takes us along to take a dip into his life, lets us delve into wild, moving, sheer adventurous stories, and answers the question of all questions: How does it feel to stand 89 ft. above the water surface, jump and land in the water from that height?

Author

Orlando Duque

Orlando Duque, born 1974 in Columbia, is one of the world’s best cliff diver, has won a total of eleven world championship titles and played a major role in shaping the Red Bull Cliff Diving Series.