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No other sport in the world offers minimal risk to the
participant yet offers the same extreme adrenalin rush as
bungee jumping.
There is simply is nothing to top bungee jumping. The game
is completely in your mind. The sudden rush of air and
adrenalin are part and parcel of the extreme sport
experience that can stay with you for days.
The origins of bungee jumping can be traced back to island
of Vanuatu. In order to secure a good harvest and to appease
the gods, islanders would annually jump 35 meters off a
cliff with only vines tied to their ankles. Seeing this act
of sheer abandon inspired the Oxford University Dangerous
Sports Club in the 1970s to experiment with elastic cords
and try out the stunt themselves. |
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A documentation video of this experiment led to the
invention of the sport by two business-minded Kiwis, AJ.
Hackett and Henry Van Asch, who took the idea a step further
and started the first commercially known bungee jump. This
is why New Zealand is also nicknamed “Bungyland”.
Even though bungee jumping appears to be a foolhardy and
devil-may-care activity, a strict safety code of practice is
rigorously followed in New Zealand keeping bungee jumping a
relatively hazard-free adventure sport in the country. The
lifestyle of outdoor Kiwis is best exemplified by
bungee jumping. The birthplace of bungee jumping,
New Zealand has some of the world’s best sites to
jump. |
Five jump sites are
located in Queenstown as a place to go Parabungy diving.
Parabungy entails a rise to a really great height using a
parachute then hurtling down to earth in an awe-inspiring
free fall. Australia’s Auckland offers the Harbour Bridge
bungee and the jump from the Sky Tower. Other bungee sites
are located in Taupo, Rotorua, Mangaweka, Mt Hutt Ski Field,
and Hanmer Springs.
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A close relative of bungee jumping is bridge swinging and it
can be found at a few bungee sites. After falling from a
great height, participants are subjected to a really fast
swinging action while tied with a cable. The bungee rocket,
another close relation, requires that you be shot out in a
tandem capsule then end up bouncing around like a yoyo since
you will be suspended from a string. Bungee jumping is
really different from any other outdoor sport
invented by man and it best exemplifies the essence
of outdoor Kiwi life. Jump sites have can range from
35 to 134 meters high. |
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A strong rubber cord made of latex is secured either on a
harness that wraps around the whole body or just the
participant’s ankles.This procedure is undertaken by
the operations crew of the bungee site. The participant then
hobbles to the platform’s edge and takes a deep breath
before swan diving into space. The free fall terminates when
the cord is stretched to its full capacity.
In bungee sites wherein there is water below, the
participant can opt to “water touch” or “splash down” and
can subsequently be fetched by a boat. In bungee sites over
land, participants are pulled back up the diving area. |
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