Bungee jumping
Bungee jumping is an extreme sport in which people jump from higher ground such as a bridge and have a rope tied around them to stop them from hitting the ground. When people jump, they strap themselves with safety equipment like harness the rope is designed to stretch, not break.
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History [change]
It started as the coming-of-age ceremony in a small village on South Pentecost Island in Vanuatu.[1] The young men jump from the top of a 30 meter high tree to demonstrate their courage as an adult. They tied jungle vines around their ankles so that they would not hit the ground.
Modern bungee jumping [change]
Modern bungee jumping began when four British men jumped off the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. In 1987 A.J.Hackett became world famous when he jumped from the Eiffel Tower in Paris.[1] Later he set up the Kawarau Bridge in New Zealand, with a height of 47 meters, as a commercial bungee jumping area.People could pay money for the fun of jumping.[1] The idea quickly spread around the world.
Safety [change]
Bungee jumping has several dangers. The rope has to be the right size for your weight, or it may break. The safety harness has to fitted properly or the force of the drop could cause a person's bones to break. The rope has to be the right length or a person could hit the ground before being stopped by the rope.
References [change]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "History". AJ Hackett Cairns. http://www.ajhackett.com.au/history.html#info. Retrieved 2009-08-26.
