PLUNGE RIGHT IN

Mallorca's cliff-lined coast is the peak playground for deep-water soloing-as grippingly demonstrated by the emerging sport's top climber.

- 

Sixty feet up an overhanging limestone face striped orange and blue on the edge of Spain's pleasure isle of Mallorca, American climber Chris Sharma pumps once, pumps twice-then launches himself up the rock without a rope. His fingers tickle the next handhold, but can't quite latch on.

Sharma plummets. But the free soloist isn't about to die. The landing isn't dirt or talus or scree, but forgiving, sapphire-blue water.

Introducing deep-water soloing (DWS)-in Spain they call it "psicobloc"-an esoteric climbing discipline built around free soloing above water. Lose your grip and you're taking the plunge, but no harm done. Most likely.

Sharma, a California-raised rock-climbing legend who set a new standard in the sport, began deep-water soloing nearly 20 years ago. Though he didn't invent the form (Sharma credits Spain's late Miguel Riera as "the godfather" of DWS, with roots stretching back to the mid-'70s), he's taken it to new heights.