Even with the event closed to the public, nearly 800 spectators gathered and watched in awe, gasping and cheering at every twist and turn.

What they saw was a Wide World of Sports-type spectacle — the sport of cliff diving, where competitors jump from a platform 85 feet above the water, then hit the ocean at freeway speed.

"If you’ve ever seen (Olympic) diving, this is three times higher than what they do," said cliff diver Orlando Duque of Laie. "Speed. We’re hitting the water at about 60 mph, and the impact with the water is really heavy. It only takes us about 2 1/2 seconds to reach 60 mph, so think of a Ferrari. It’s cool and it’s fun!"

The fun and entertainment came to Hawaii last weekend when 12 cliff divers competed on private property at Kawainui Falls in Hilo for the sixth and final stop of the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series.

This was a homecoming for the sport, which traces its roots to Hawaii.

According to Hawaiian historian Luana Kawa’a, Kahekili, the last independent king of Maui, invented lele kawa (cliff diving) in the 1700s as an initiation for warriors. While this was a way to pay homage to Kahekili’s legacy, there were still prestige, points and prize money on the line.

Duque, 36, won the $5,400 first-place prize purse in the international series.

England’s Gary Hunt, 26, who finished second in the event, was crowned the overall 2010 Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series Champion and awarded $12,000. This was Hunt’s first world cliff diving championship and the Englishman was elated.

"I’m over the moon and it doesn’t feel long ago that I was sitting at home with my friends just watching this sport and saying to them, ‘I want to give that a go and join in,’" said Hunt, who had already locked down the year’s title before the Hilo event.

Hunt is widely regarded as one of the most innovative divers on the tour by his peers and diving commentators.

"It’s great to know that I can have a long future in this sport, and it’s so much fun I can see myself continuing this for a while," said Hunt.

"I get my fun out of the sport by pushing it and learning new dives and I think it’s important for the sport to help it to grow and I still think it has a long way to go."

The cliff divers are judged on three dives: the first round is compulsory dives and the last two rounds are elective dives, which allow competitors to display their repertoire of acrobatics.

But Duque, who originally is from Colombia and is a nine-time world cliff diving champion, was the diver of the day in Hilo.

Duque won the event in the last round with his favorite dive — a reverse double somersault with four twists.

He took off facing the water, then spun backward. He then did four twists before the second somersault and hit the water at speeds ranging from 50 to 62 mph.

For Duque, whose wife, Leeann, is from Hawaii, it was a pleasure to compete in the islands after a rigorous year of travel.

"It’s good to be able to dive at home because I’m always traveling and my friends and family are usually just watching me on TV," he said.