A thousand years ago, Maya would throw people into the Cenote Sagrado, a giant sinkhole at Chichen Itza, as a sacrifice to the rain god Chaac. This Sunday, people will be diving into a cenote by their own free will.

The Cenote Ik Kil, some four kilometers southeast of Chichen Itza, will host the second event in the Red Bull Cliff Diving 2010 World Series. A dozen of the best cliff divers from around the world will come to Yucatan on Sunday and compete by taking turns performing acrobatic dives into the cenote.

Ik Kil, like many cenotes, is mostly underground. Divers will apparently start at the large hole at the top and then dive 39 meters to the fresh water below. Unlike the other events in the World Series, this one will not be set up for an audience, that is, there will be no grandstands. The only ones who will witness the dives will be the judges and any tourists that happen to be at the cenote at the time.

For more information about the event, visit the official website HERE.

Here’s a video about last year’s competition: