Bungee jumping

You jump from a high place.

A big stretchy cord holds you. It pulls you back up. It feels like a fast fall.

Long ago, men on an island used vines. They jumped to show they were brave.

Today, people jump from bridges or cranes. Some even jump from hot air balloons!

The cord stretches as you fall. Then it pulls you high into the air. It is a big thrill!

Bungee jumping is a big thrill. A person jumps from a high place. They are tied to a long, stretchy cord.

The jump can be from a bridge or a crane. Some people jump from a cliff or even a helicopter.

As you fall, the cord stretches out. Then, it pulls you back up into the air. You bounce up and down until you stop.

This sport has deep roots. On Pentecost Island, men do a ritual called land diving. They jump from wooden towers with vines tied to their ankles. This shows their courage.

Modern jumping began in the late 1970s. People like A. J. Hackett helped make it a famous sport. He opened the first commercial site in New Zealand.

Today, there are many ways to jump. Some use a body harness for extra safety. There are even bungee trampolines. These use cords to help you jump much higher.

It is a way to feel the rush of falling.

Bungee jumping is an exciting activity where a person leaps from a great height. They stay connected to a large, elastic cord during the whole fall.

People often jump from tall structures like bridges or cranes. You can also jump from natural places like cliffs. Some even jump from aircraft that can hover, such as a helicopter or a hot-air balloon.

The main thrill comes from the feeling of free-falling and the sudden rebound. As the person falls, the cord stretches out. Then, the cord recoils and pulls the jumper upward again. The person continues to bounce up and down until the energy is gone.

How the jump works depends on the equipment used. Most commercial operators use a braided shock cord. This cord has many latex strands inside a tough outer cover.

Some operators use unbraided cords with exposed latex strands for a softer bounce. To keep people safe, many use a body harness as a backup. This harness is often made from climbing equipment. The cord must be shorter than the height of the platform. This gives the cord enough room to stretch safely. If the cord is too long, the tension can become too high.

This sport has very old roots in tradition. On Pentecost Island in Vanuatu, men perform a ritual called land diving.

They jump from tall wooden platforms with vines tied to their ankles. This ritual is a test of courage and a rite of passage. Unlike modern bungee jumping, these divers intentionally hit the ground. The vines absorb enough force to keep them safe. Modern bungee jumping was inspired by this ancient practice. In 1979, David Kirke, Simon Keeling, and Geoff Tabin made the first modern jumps in England.

Many people helped turn this into a famous sport. A. J. Hackett is a famous New Zealander who started commercial bungee jumping. He opened the first permanent commercial site at the Kawarau Bridge in New Zealand. Since 1980, several million successful jumps have taken place. There are many famous jumping spots around the world today. The Macau Tower in China has a very high jump. In South Africa, the Bloukrans River Bridge was the first bridge used for bungee in Africa.

There are many different ways to enjoy bungee-style movement. Some people use a bungee trampoline to jump higher than usual.

Others try bungee running at fairs, where they run along a track with a cord attached. There is even a version called catapult where a person is shot upward from the ground.

You might even see bungee jumping in movies, like the Verzasca Dam jump in James Bond. Whether it is a high bridge or a small trampoline, the stretchy cord makes movement feel brand new.

Bungee jumping is an adrenaline-filled activity involving a person leaping from a significant height. The jumper remains connected to a large, elastic cord throughout the entire descent.

This activity can take place from many different launching platforms. Common sites include tall buildings, cranes, or bridges spanning deep ravines. Natural geographic features like cliffs also serve as popular jump sites. Some specialized jumps occur from hovering aircraft, such as helicopters or hot-air balloons. The primary thrill of the experience comes from the sensation of free-falling and the subsequent rebound.

The physics of the jump involves a specific sequence of energy changes. When a person jumps, they begin to accelerate downwards due to gravity. As the person falls, the elastic cord begins to stretch. This stretching process builds up potential energy within the cord. Initially, the tension in the cord is less than the weight of the jumper. At a specific point, the tension equals the jumper's weight, and acceleration temporarily becomes zero. As the cord stretches further, the tension increases significantly. This creates an upward acceleration that eventually brings the jumper's vertical velocity to zero. The cord then recoils, pulling the jumper upward in a rebound.

The jumper will continue to oscillate up and down until all kinetic energy is dissipated.

Equipment selection is critical for both the style of the bounce and participant safety. Many commercial operators use factory-produced braided shock cord. This cord consists of many latex strands enclosed in a tough outer cover. Some manufacturers apply the outer cover while the latex is pre-stressed. This technique creates a harder, sharper bounce and increases durability. Other operators, particularly in the southern hemisphere, use unbraided cords with exposed latex strands. These unbraided cords provide a softer, longer bounce and can be produced at home. To prevent accidents where participants might become detached, many operators use a body harness as a backup to the ankle attachment. These harnesses are often derived from professional climbing equipment.

The roots of this activity can be traced to ancient cultural traditions. On Pentecost Island in Vanuatu, young men participate in a ritual called land diving.

During this rite of passage, men jump from tall wooden platforms with vines tied to their ankles. This test of courage requires the divers to intentionally hit the ground. The vines are used to absorb enough force to ensure the impact is non-lethal. Modern bungee jumping was inspired by these traditional ceremonies. In 1979, David Kirke, Simon Keeling, and Geoff Tabin performed the first modern bungee jumps from the Clifton Suspension Bridge in England.

Commercial bungee jumping was organized by the New Zealander A. J. Hackett. He performed his first jump from Auckland's Greenhithe Bridge in 1986. Hackett eventually opened the world's first permanent commercial bungee site at the Kawarau Bridge near Queenstown, New Zealand.

Since 1980, several million successful jumps have been recorded worldwide. This high safety record is maintained by operators who strictly follow rigorous standards. They must double-check all calculations and fittings for every single jump. However, errors can still occur, such as using a cord that is too long. For a safe jump, the cord must be substantially shorter than the platform height to allow for stretching.

Today, there are many notable heights and locations for bungee jumping around the globe. The Macau Tower in China offers a massive jump of 280 meters. While the tower also features a "SkyJump" using a steel cable and decelerator system, the proper bungee jump at the tower holds the Guinness World Record for the highest commercial bungee jump. In South Africa, the Bloukrans River Bridge was the first bridge used for the sport on that continent. Another famous site is the Verzasca Dam in Switzerland, which features a jump of approximately 220 meters.

This location was famously featured in the opening of the James Bond film *GoldenEye*.

There are several variations of bungee-style activities that differ from the standard jump. In "Catapult" or "Bungee Rocket" variations, the jumper starts on the ground. The cord is stretched while the person is secured, and then they are released to shoot upward. Another version is the "Bungee Trampoline," which combines elements of trampolining with bungee cords. Participants wear a body harness attached to two high poles, allowing them to jump much higher than a standard trampoline would permit.

Finally, "Bungee Running" is a common activity at fairs and carnivals. In this version, people run along a track with a cord attached to them, which pulls them back once they reach a certain distance.