Forty, fifty, sixty feet. These are the heights that the brave women of the freestyle cliff jumping community face when they go out. They toss a rock, count the seconds it takes to hit the bottom, and then gracefully stretch up their arms, breathe in, and perform a dive – filled with twists, turns and flips. It’s impossible to watch and not be transfixed with the beauty and effortless skill displayed by these extreme athletes.
We go behind the scenes for an exclusive look at this thrilling sport, and interview Chelsey Kuhn, Melissa Moonie, and Maria Smirnov, three strong competitors conquering fear and breaking stereotypes.

The Cliff Cruise, hosted by Travis Sims, is an annual freestyle cliff jumping event that strives to show off the diversity and talents of the freestyle community. Within this circle thrives a group of female cliff jumpers who are not often considered when it comes to this sport. While freestyle cliff jumping increases in popularity every year, more and more women are doing their best to break the stigma of who can and can’t succeed in this difficult and demanding sport.

Melissa Moonie, Chelsey Kuhn, and Maria Smirnov are some of the most intense freestyle cliff jumpers around, each breaking into the sport within the past few years. All retired gymnasts, danger and risk come easily to them.

Melissa Moonie

“It’s a sport of trial and error,” says Moonie, who got her start diving in Denver, Colorado. “You have to keep getting up after every fall. One time, I went down a waterslide and did a front flip, ending up smacking my face into the water. I got two black eyes. But that didn’t stop me, I still jump today!”

Moonie isn’t the only jumper who has experienced injuries. In fact, Kuhn went viral from her worst jumps. “I started jumping because my friends were doing it, and I’ve always loved danger. My most popular videos are my flops,” she says, having amassed over 500,000 views on her most watched jumps – and being featured on Saturday Night Live. “I like how there are risks involved, that means not everyone will do it. The danger sets me apart from everyone else.” Her most dangerous flop? A broken back, flopping from over fifty feet.

Maria Smirnov

Smirnov, who started diving during college, became a professional diver back in 2017, and now works for Watershow Production Inc. Contrary to her two counterparts, she has taken a safer approach to the sport.

“I don’t like to risk as much as some of the other divers. I make sure that I’m doing skills I’ve mastered, and trying new skills out on smaller heights first. It’s dangerous but we make the right preparations to keep safe,” she says. “You have to do a depth check, make sure it’s deep enough, make sure there isn’t too wide of a gap, and of course, have safeties at the bottom in case you land wrong.”

All three divers agree that The Cliff Cruise went above and beyond when it came to safety, thoroughly checking each spot before it allowed anyone in. Each diver took their time with each jump, whether it was in competition or recreational. They were each provided with at least one safety – a person at the bottom, ready with the proper gear to pull anyone out of the water if they need it. With these preparations, it makes the risky sport much more manageable.

Chelsey Kuhn

“It makes us feel empowered to try new things when we have the right people backing us, and that’s exactly what The Cliff Cruise did,” says Kuhn, whose most recent injury left her unable to join the competition side of event.

Both Smirnov and Moonie participated in the freestyle competition. Moonie at thirty feet, and Smirnov at fifty feet, coming second place in the women’s category.

Melissa Moonie

“One of the greatest things about the Cliff Cruise and the freestyle community is that it’s not overly competitive. You get pushed to do your best, and are endlessly supported even if you can’t. We’ll go crazy for someone doing a straight jump from a small height – as long as they’re pushing themselves, we’ll give them every bit of support,” says Moonie.

According to Smirnov, “I’ve never felt stigmatized in the sport by other jumpers, if anything, the only times were by the audience at our shows (for Watershow Productions, inc.) – they don’t expect a woman to be doing what I do.”

The Cliff Cruise has received a handful of new women willing to try the sport out for the first time, exceeding the expectations of any newcomer. Kuhn has been a front-runner in inspiring other women to ‘jump in’ because of her viral videos. During the event she took the opportunity to teach some of the new girls tricks such as the back, and front flips.

“More and more women are joining the sport because of the support we receive from the rest of the community. It’s one of the most supportive communities out there,” she says.

Because of the pandemic, cliff jumping has grown exponentially. Since it’s an outdoor sport that is easily socially distanced, more people (women especially) have come forward to try it. They come from different types of athletics, which makes freestyle cliff jumping even more unique.

Maria Smirnov

As Smirnov points out, “You see cliff jumpers from every background. Skiers, snowboarders, gymnasts, aerialists, you name it, we have it. The cool thing about the freestylers is that they come from unique sports, and all have their own style of jumping as well. It’s amazing to watch every person interpret jumps their own way. That’s one of my favorite parts.”

“The pandemic has actually grown the sport,” says Moonie, “more people are doing whatever they can to leave the house. Cliff jumping gives them a safe excuse to do so.” Smirnov adds, “More girls are joining the sport. I don’t see that stopping anytime soon, and I’m excited to see it grow more and more every year, especially the girls’ side. I want to jump with them!”

When it comes to future competitions, there aren’t any foreseeable events due to the pandemic. However, each diver makes the same claim – they see the sport only growing in size, and see girls taking it over.

If you’re interested in joining the sport, you can take advice from the three divers.

Chelsey Kuhn

“Social media has played a huge part in growing the sport, a lot of us have met through it,” says Kuhn. “I’d suggest reaching out there.”
Adds Smirnov, “I’d definitely say going with experienced divers is the way to start.” As for Moonie’s suggestion? “Start on trampolines or small heights, that’s the way you get started.”

The best way to get involved in cliff jumping is to have the right preparations. Don’t go alone, ever. Always make sure friends are with you, preferably ones that have already cliff jumped before. Make sure you depth check, as well as check for gaps and slippery take-offs. Start with a straight jump, and move on to flips and tricks only after practicing them on a trampoline. And finally, research and reach out to other cliff jumpers. 

No matter how you start, the freestyle cliff jumping community welcomes you. They’re open to new talent and will do what they can to support whoever wants to join in on this spectacular sport.

You can find Chelsey Kuhn at @chels_kuhnn, Maria Smirnov at @smirnoff_ice17, and Melissa Moonie at @melissa.moonme; all on instagram.
For more information on the event check @thecliffcruise.