Bungee jumping is an extreme sport which implies jumping in the open, tied by the legs with an elastic cord.
This activity isn’t as dangerous as it seems. Statistically speaking, it is as dangerous as a 100 km car trip. The risk rate is 2 per million. Accidents are very rare and they happen if the cord isn’t well tied or isn’t tied at all. The sport isn’t recommended to those who have heart or back problems, and it also may be a risk to those who have eye diseases.
The falling takes only about 5-6 minutes, but they are lived to the maximum. After that comes the rebound, which brings great sensations. Some say the rebound is the best part.
The origin of this sport is in Vanuatu Islands from the Pacific Ocean. It’s said that it all started from a married couple. The woman ran and climbed into a tree. Followed by the husband, she threw herself in the air, but with a string tied to her legs. It seems that the idea was liked very much by local people, and they soon started to jump the same way.
The first time that the Europeans found out about this habit was in 1970, when The National Geographic magazine published a story about the Vanuatu people and their ritual. This practice was rapidly taken in. The first jump was made by some British men in April 1977 from the Clifton Bridge in the U.K.They were arrested, but later there were reports about them. From now on this sport was to become more and more popular.
The record in bungee jumping is held by Jochen Schwizer, a German stuntman. He has set world records for bungee jumping and falling stunts. On September 19, 1997 Schweizer set a new world record for the longest bungee jump by jumping from a flying helicopter, 2500m with a 285m long rope.
To magnify the sensations to the maximum, some jump with different heavy objects which they release when they reach the maximum point of the stretching. Others calculate with precision the length of the cord so that they can reach the furthest point.
Bungee jumping is one of the most popular extreme sports and it brings one of the biggest doses of adrenaline.
Marryum Farrukh Shah is an avid observer of travel and culture in Pakistan. She is a graduate in Mass Communication and works as a content writer for Kluchit.
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