Benson Boone Fans Discover His Competitive Diving Past After Flip-Filled 2025 Grammys Performance

Mar. 15, 2025

Benson Boone at the 67th Grammy Awards in Los Angeles on Feb. 2, 2025.Photo:Johnny Nunez/Getty;Kevin Winter/Getty

Johnny Nunez/Getty;Kevin Winter/Getty

Ever wondered whyBenson Booneis so good at doing flips?

After the “Beautiful Things” singer’sflip-filled performanceat the 2025Grammyson Feb. 2, fans have discovered his past as a competitive diver — and footage of his impressive skills is making the rounds online.

Boone, 22, attended Monroe High School in Washington and became one of its youngest divers on the swim team as a freshman,The Dispatchreported in 2020. In February of the same year, the schoolposted a video to Xof him flipping twice off a diving board before landing in the water.

According to the sports data siteDiveMeets, Boone trained with coach Marc Hughes and competed from 2018-2020, earning sixth place in a one-meter diving event at the 2020 WIAA Boys State Swimming and Diving Championships.

The rising star went viral with his performance of “Beautiful Things” at the 2025 Grammys, during which he did two of his signature flips on stage — and now fans have a clue into how he developed the unique skill.

Another viewer wrote, “So he’s just good at…everything?”

Benson Boone at the Grammys in Los Angeles on Feb. 2, 2025.Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic

Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic

However, Boone wasn’t only a diver in high school. As a senior, he starred as Buddy in the school’s production ofElf: The Musical. “He enjoys singing, sports and backflipping,” he wrote in a self-penned biography at the time, per local news outletKING 5 Seattle.

His father, Nate, recently spoke to the outlet about his love of acrobatics: “When he was probably 3 years old, we just could never stop from having him do backflips off the couch or flips wherever he could.”

Benson Boone on ‘American Idol’.Christopher Willard via Getty

Christopher Willard via Getty

“The reason I quitAmerican Idolis because Iwantedto do music,” he toldThe Zach Sang Showin a 2022 interview.

“I don’t want people to be like, ‘Oh, Benson Boone,American Idolblew him up. Like, that’s where he comes from. No. I want to be Benson Boone ‘cause I write smash hits and they love my music,” he continued. “I just didn’t want that label on me.”

It seems like Benson made the right decision. He’s since charted several singles on theBillboardHot 100, including “Beautiful Things,” which reached No. 2 last year. His debut album,Fireworks & Rollerblades, also hit No. 6 on theBillboard200 chart — and he was nominated for best new artist at the 2025 Grammys.

source: people.com