Perfect: Gary Hunt leaves the 88ft-high platform at Kawainui Falls during the sixth and final round of the 2010 Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series in HawaiiIt's a long way down.
But a spectacular 88ft leap from a Hawaiian waterfall is what it took for Gary Hunt to take the title of cliff diving world champion.
The 26-year-old Briton won the Red Bull Cliff Diving Series by performing a number of twisting and turning descents from platforms at venues around the world.
His spectacular rise in a sport he only started four years ago has seen him win four events this summer, including at La Rochelle in France, Yucatán in Mexico and Kragerø in Norway
The stunning surroundings where the divers twisted and turned to impress the judges 
Gary's spectacular rise in a sport he only started four years ago has seen him win four events this summerIn the process, he developed a commanding lead over nine-times world champion and series defending champion Colombian Orlando Duque.
The only low-point was a trip to hospital in August when the Southampton-based athlete mis-timed a dive in Polignano a Mare, Italy.
The dive involved a dangerous running start which almost proved calamitous.
However, he bounced back by winning the next round of the six-stop series in Switzerland
Rival: Orlando Duque of Colombia pulls off an incredible dive in the competition which he won, but lost out in the overall championship 
Champion: Gary Hunt celebrates his victory in a sport he only took up four years ago
Long way down: Artem Silchenko of Russia takes his turnA former Commonwealth Games diver who switched to cliff diving in 2006, Hunt, has become famous for his ability to invent new dives and then pull them off in the heat of competition.
In final event at Kawainui Falls in Hilo, Hunt fell into eight place after a disappointing first dive.
But in what organisers described as his best single dive of the series, he produced a trademark 'triple quad' drawing gasps of astonishment from spectators.
The dive was not enough to beat Duque on the day but he triumphed overall, having built up a huge championship lead over rivals.
Flying: Gary Hunt and fellow competitors promote the event by diving into the sea together, watched by Hawaiian hula girlssource: dailymail
