West Hartford native and Hall High School graduate and diving star Jonah Genser is winning championships from higher places.

Sports reporting is sponsored by Keating Agency Insurance

By Paul Palmer

When Jonah Genzer graduated Hall High School in 2023, his name was written all over the Titans’ diving record board.

He had a habit of breaking and resetting, then breaking and resetting his own records with consistently high scoring dives. They were good enough to earn him CCC and class titles as well as frequent trips to the State Open, and All-American honors.

On the 3-meter board he was one of Connecticut’s top performers, but that was just the start. One year removed from high school, he is now the U.S. Cliff Jumping Freestyle Champion thanks in part to a 90-foot, six-flip dive he did in Fort Lauderdale – the first time anyone has ever performed a six-flip dive! That was after doing five flips from the 65-foot platform.

“My mom came to Florida to see me jump,” Genser said. It was also his first time ever competing off a platform higher than 3 meters.

So that’s not bad for a 19-year-old relatively new jumper, but Genser’s story – like his dives – went to a new height earlier in August. Based on his results in Fort Lauderdale and an earlier tournament in Chattanooga, TN, he qualified to be one of the 24 divers from around the world to compete in the the “Death Diving World Championships” in Oslo, Norway. In front of a packed  outside pool venue, Genser grabbed 11th place, and was the top American finisher in the event.

“I’ve been cliff jumping for a few summers in Tennessee with a bunch of friends. Last year there was a DOD (Death Diving) stop there,” Genser said. “They convinced me to take part in it, and I knew I could throw in some jumps.”

It is quite a change from diving in front of judges who are watching for pointed toes, tucked position, and lots of other technical points to earn your score. In both the DOD and Cliff Jumping it is more about what you do leading up to and with the dive that will get you points. If you have seen traditional board or even platform diving, this is totally different.

“I classify myself as a freestyle cliff diver. I prefer to jump in natural spots because that’s more fun for me because I am in some beautiful scenery.” That includes places here in Connecticut that Genser says he can’t reveal. “I first went off a cliff in 2020 and started doing flips off big cliffs in 2022. I had done some in Connecticut earlier, but I took it more seriously last summer and it became my main focus.” So much so that he stepped away from college after completing his freshman year at UC-Irvine – although he said he definitely will return someday to get his degree.

By now you must have 100 questions. I know I did as I talked with Jonah and read more about what he is doing.

Let’s start with his recent event in Oslo. Døds is the original Norwegian style of Death Diving administered, produced, and promoted by the International Døds Federation. Genser says it is extremely popular in Europe and gaining exposure here in the U.S. He brags about the safety  involved and the friends he is making.

“In Norway they always dive from 10-meter towers. You also land on your hands and feet and really only go about three feet deep in the pool … but they are deeper for safety,” he shared.

Monster Energy Drink has signed on as a sponsor for the DODS tour stops in the U.S. for this coming year and Genser said he believes that it will be a big boost to putting the sport on people’s radar. “There were over 5,000 people at Oslo and that was pretty surreal,” he said. “I was feeling that all these people were here to watch me and standing up there. I looked at crowd and it was beyond my dreams.”

Did he just wake up one day and decide to jump off cliffs and 90-foot towers? Yes and no.

“I’ve done thousands of flips on my trampoline since I was 13 years old. So now it’s a lot of muscle memory and confidence in my abilities.” He added, “If you were to tell my 13-year-old self I’d be doing this, I’d never believe you, but I guess this is satisfying my inner child.”

He credits his friends with helping him learn the ropes, and he also knows that all the time he spent diving in high school helped him train and learn to put in the hard work. “I have been jumping most days this summer. I’m going to Oregon for 2 ½ weeks and then California for jumping.”

Can you really make a living doing it?

Jonah has one major sponsor in Bearbottom Clothing, collects prize money from events, and has a deal with Instagram where he gets paid based on engagement. The circuit is reminiscent of the early surfing or skateboarding days where competitors move from state to state, event to event, often offering places to stay and train to each other. “I’m spending more time on the road now traveling, staying with friends, and going to different events.”

Coming up is a visit to Utah, then to Idaho, and somewhere in the future trips to Hawaii and Costa Rica. It’s not a vacation – it is work – but it also allows him to do what he says is one of his favorite things in the world, travel. “It’s a big, hospitable community and these guys have become my best friends. It’s like a big family,” Genser said as he prepared to head off on the road again.

… And what about Mom and Dad? Are they alright with their son jumping off cliffs and 90-foot towers?

“My parents have always given me a lot of freedom to seek out my own fun. They have always supported me but weren’t big fans of cliff diving until this year. After seeing me win in Florida, and seeing how professional and safe we are, they have given me endless support,” he said. That includes both Mom and Dad blowing up their social media sites with pictures and details of Jonah’s accomplishments.

“Every time I get nervous, but I know I can calm myself and trust my abilities. It is a life-threatening sport,” Genser admitted. “I think I was put on this earth to flip.”

But his easy going way has helped him handle the pressures and adapt to the lifestyle. “I’m the youngest competitor at most events and I am learning every day about how I can get better. In diving he has learned about life, and in life he has learned about diving. “I’m OK with figuring it out on the fly. It’s all a part of the process and I have learned it’s risky, but anything is possible if I give it my all. It’s been quite a wild ride and I can’t wait to see where it takes me.”

If you want to see some of Jonah Gener’s dives you can check out his Instagram @jonah.genser, and on YouTube: Jonah Genser.

To see the DODS World Championship: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jlnmA4nnkTA. Jonah’s first jump is at 34:10 and second jump  at 1:12:46.

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