Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series coming to St. Pete Pier

Kaylea Arnett has been diving since she was a child. Born in Texas, her career has allowed her to travel all around the world. 

Arnett, 32, will be one of the 24 athletes competing in the 2026 Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series, which will make its only U.S. stop, at The St. Pete Pier, June 5-6. This marks the first time the competition has been brought to Florida. 

“I had so much energy as a child,” Arnett explained to the Catalyst. “I was training for about eight hours a day in the summer and four hours a day during the school year. Eventually, I would become a part of the national U.S. team when I was 10 years old.” 

Her first competition trip was for the Junior Pan American Games in Brazil. Arnett dreamed of appearing in the Olympics. This goal never came to fruition. 

She would end up pursuing a college degree in philosophy at Virginia Tech. Arnett also learned how to speak Japanese. 

“When you do something for so long, like competing, burnout is a real thing,” she said. “I’ve fallen in and out of love with the sport multiple times.” 

Once Arnett graduated from college, she began to seek career opportunities. Her degree provided limited options. After learning about theatrical shows in China through her friends, Arnett would submit a demo tape. She got “picked up immediately” and was introduced to high dives. 

The performer would eventually become a cast member of Cirque du Soleil’s O production in Las Vegas. Arnett would gain eight years’ of “show experience” before she started to compete for Red Bull in 2024. 

Kaylea Arnett diving in Antalya, Turkey in September 2024. Photo by Dean Treml/Red Bull.

In her first year, Arnett would earn second place at the Cliff Diving World Series stops in Boston and Polignano a Mare, Italy. In 2025, she came in second in the Philippines. 

This is not an easy feat. The sport is physically and mentally demanding. 

“Heights have really never been an issue for me,” Arnett said. “That’s not to say there isn’t a little bit of fear when you get up there. The nerves are a natural reaction.” 

For the athlete, the freefall experience has almost become second nature. “It’s like you’re on autopilot,” Arnett explained. “That’s the magic of repetition.” The most exciting part is after the jump. She called the feeling “indescribable,” especially if “you know you nailed it.”  

At the upcoming St. Petersburg event, men will jump from a platform approximately 90 feet high. Women participants will reach heights up to 70 feet. Within three seconds of the freefall, divers can experience speeds of 53 miles per hour. The height of the platforms depend on the tide and other conditions, Arnett added. 

“Cliff diving is growing, but it’s still under the radar for a lot of people,” she said. “When they see it live, it’s a totally different experience than watching it on TV or Instagram. When you actually hear how loud it is when we go in the water, it sounds like a gunshot and to see the actual scale of the platforms, it’s not for the faint of heart.” 

Participating athletes will complete four jumps over the course of two days. This, Arnett explained, is due to the physical nature of the activity. 

“I’m super excited to see the crowd,” she added. “The Floridians bring in a lot of energy. That helps me a lot as a competitor because I stop thinking about the competition pressure and try to make it more of a show.” 

The 2026 Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series will also make stops in Bali, Indonesia; Copenhagen, Denmark; Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina; Polignano a Mare, Italy and Muscat, Oman.

Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series website