Saturday was the sneak preview before Sunday's main event and it wasn't just the exploits of Gary Hunt that held an enthusiastic cliff diving audience captive in Polignano a Mare.
With 11 of the divers going through their final preparations ahead of the competition, crowds gathered to watch the action unfold from the 26.4m platform.
Orlando Duque, who won last year's event in front of more than 30,000 people, revealed how the stop brings out the best in the competitors.
"The weather is great and the people here are really into their diving so it’s good to come back," said the 2009 champion. "It’s like a natural stadium for diving. There are people all around."
With the fight for the judges' points getting ever more fierce, the pressure is on the divers to deliver their best dives if they are to compete in the third and final round.
Luxembourgian Alain Kohl made the final cut in the previous competition in Norway and revealed how difficult it is.
"The competition is so tight at the moment. You miss one dive, and by miss I mean get 7.5, then you’re out already."
For more information about the scoring process, visit the Judges & Scoring page.
Polignano prepares for battle