The South’s largest extreme sports festival, The Chattanooga River Games is back and is bigger, bolder, and more impactful than ever.
From August 15–17, Ross’s Landing will transform into a free, three-day adrenaline-fueled experience featuring professionally sanctioned extreme sport competitions, three nights of free internationally recognized electronic music and hands-on, family-friendly action zones — all set against the scenic backdrop of the Tennessee River.
We are absolutely thrilled to announce that Red Bull Creepers , U.S.A. Diving and ChattaWake will be joining this year’s festival, making the 2025 Chattanooga River Games the most exciting yet! These partners, including our wonderful partners like Chattanooga Parks and Outdoors and Outdoor Chattanooga, elevate the caliber of competition, brings together the beauty of our outdoor community, and promise an unforgettable experience for athletes and spectators alike for an unforgettable experience.
Founded by professional cliff jumper Travis Sims, the festival began as a global sustainability initiative: a cliff diving tour that inspired waterway cleanups around the world. Since its roots as Cliff Cruise, the movement has removed over 40,000 pounds of trash from lakes, rivers, and coastlines, 15,000 of those pounds from Tennessee waterways.
Last year alone, the Chattanooga River Games cleaned nearly 1,000 pounds of debris from a local swimming hole. In 2025, attendees will have multiple opportunities to take part in cleanups — both on land and on water — as part of the festival’s growing commitment to protecting the places we play in. There will also be water tributary data collection through Waterways.
This year’s festival features a stacked lineup of professionally sanctioned competitions — each hosted in partnership with a nationally or internationally recognized governing body or production partner.
Rock Climbing:
- Red Bull Creepers — Deep Water Solo Climbing (U.S. Debut Format)
- Red Bull will bring Red Bull Creepers, a deep-water, solo-style climbing competition, to the U.S. for the first time. Elite climbers from around the world will scale the under-side of the historic Market Street Bridge for the first time ever above the beautiful Tennessee River. The competition features eight men and eight women climbing in a bracket competition as they race in pairs across two separate routes to ring a bell and determine a winner in each division.
Diving:
- USA Diving-Sanctioned High Diving Competition
- Hosted in partnership with USA Diving,for the first time ever at the Chattanooga River Games will showcase daring high diving from platforms up to 20 meters or nearly 70ft into the Tennessee River, where you can expect to see incredible flips, spins, and some of the world’s most elite athletes competing for cash, prizes, national ranking, and bragging rights. In addition to the USA Diving sanctioned event, the festival will also feature:
- Freestyle Trampoline Association and Acon Presents Mini Tramp Diving Competition,where some of the best freestyle and high diving athletes from around the world compete diving off a mini tramp 40ft in the air as well as
- Extreme Vertigo Freestyle High Diving and Death Diving Competition, promising a full spectrum of awe-inspiring aerial feats.
Wake Surfing:
- ChattaWake Wake Surf Competition
- ChattaWake, presented by Pure Wakesurf, is a World Series of Wake Surfing (WSWS) sanctioned qualifier and an official stop on the road to the World Championship. This sold-out event features over 100 wakesurf athletes from around the globe, from top amateurs to world champion pros. Competitors will ride behind the MasterCraft XStar and battle it out across multiple divisions for a $15,000 prize purse. As the first-ever sanctioned wakesurf event in Chattanooga, ChattaWake delivers high-energy competition and world-class talent.
Highlining:
- Professional Highlining Over the Tennessee River
- With highlines rigged across the river, elite highliners from Slackline US and Slackline TN will compete in speedwalking and aerial trickline formats. It’s gravity-defying artistry over water as well as tricklining, and one of the most visually striking events of the weekend.
Free Family Activities:
The Chattanooga River Games is bringing many well-loved public activations for family friendly fun. In addition to professional sports, the River Games will transform Ross’s Landing into a massive interactive outdoor playground including:
- BMX/Skate/Bike Launch into the Tennessee River with ChattSkates: bring your own skateboard or borrow ours to launch off a ramp into the Tennessee River. PFDs provided.
- Pump track by River City Company
- Free-Standing Public Bouldering Wall presented by Synergy
- All-Ages Skate Rink
- Multiple Slackline Setups
- And more surprises to come
Each night, the riverfront comes alive with a curated electronic music lineup, featuring internationally recognized DJs, post-competition afterparties, and free live shows after Riverfront Nights on Saturday. The music stage will keep energy high long after the sun sets on the day’s competitions.
“We built this festival to unite and celebrate extreme sports and use it as a catalyst to promote environmental action,” says founder Travis Sims. “After 10 years as a professional cliff diver and music festival producer, we decided to connect the two to create real, positive impact. The Chattanooga River Games started with a simple idea — bring people together through outdoor extreme sports and our love for the beautiful nature our city has to offer
FESTIVAL DETAILS
- Ross’s Landing, Chattanooga, TN
- August 15–17, 2025 Free & Open to the Public
- www.rivergameschatt.com and follow @rivergameschatt on Instagram for updates