Bungee Jumping is an exciting and thrilling adventure sport that is a must for all ages, but before you go on a your adventure, here are some interesting facts you probably didn’t know about the sport you are about to venture into.
- Bungy jumping was named after the strong elastic cords that are commonly used for securing luggage.
- The first activity that was similar to a bungy jump was done by young men from Pentecost Island in the Vanuatu Islands. These men would jump off wooden platforms with their legs fastened to vines to validate their manhood.
- April Fool’s Day 1979, Clifton Suspension Bridge- Unconventional Oxford students performed the firstjump using nylon woven rubber shock cords. Four members of the Oxford University Dangerous Sports Club who jumped off the bridge sporting top hats and tails were immediately arrested after the performance.
- Highest Commercial Bungy Jumpwas233m off the Macau Tower in China.
- Carl Dionisio used condoms for his bungee cord when he performed the feat off 100ft in South Africa.
- The oldest jump was performed by Mohr Keet at 96 years old, on South Africa’s Bloukrans Bridge, 160m off the 216m high bridge. He said that he tried it for the “thrill and to get rid of fear”.
- “Bungy” or “Bungee”? There are two spellings utilized for the extreme activity sport. The word “Bungee” was how it was originally called when the Englishmen of Oxford started the sport. The term also pertained to the use of shock cords. This was a manifold of rubber cased cords, which are popular in North America.However, the sport was made more popular in New Zealand and they spelt it “Bungy”. In this country they used all rubber cords that have no elongation limitation.
- The world’s first commercial location to experience the sport wasin New Zealand, at the Kawarau Bridge, which stands at 43 meters high. This is where AJ Hackett and Henry Van Ash started the sport.
- Alan John Hackett, a New Zealand entrepreneur is the father of bungy jumping. He developed the bungy cord in the 1980’s and launched his own company AJ Hackett Bungy.
- AJ Hackett Bungy on the Kawarau Bridge in Queenstown, New Zealand was opened in 1988 and became the world’s first commercial jumping site. With a height of 43 meters that boasts of the only bungy in the area where you can touch, bob or fully dip into the water. This site is also famous for its other tourist attractions and is rich historical heritage