Just when you thought that I couldn’t keep the Extreme Sports category going I have to disappoint… Don’t you worry I have at least another 3 in me…
This one however is very cliché! I mean it just screams Extreme – yes the sport in question is none other than Bungy Jumping!
I had the pleasure of being introduced to this at 21, in Faliraki, Rhodes. Granted I didn’t partake but I remember thinking ‘why the hell would you jump from a crane!’.
My second encounter however was in New Zealand, the international home of Bungy Jumping. Located in and around the idyllic town of Queenstown on the South Island, reputable extreme sports guru AJ Hackett (the co-founder of Bungy) created the first commercially owned jump. This is called the Kawarau Bridge Bungy and was literally the location in 1988 where AJ Hackett and Henry van Asch introduced it to the world! That’s 27 years ago!
We visited, having absolutely no intention of partaking, but when I saw the jump, 43 metres into the river below!!! I have no idea what came over me – but there and then I signed up for all three! What? Yes the Thrillogy as they so elegantly call it. One from the bridge, another from the summit of a mountain and not forgetting the 136 metre one off a cable car. Was this just a case of insanity? – or was it, as I was heading home after a year abroad and did I just want to try everything! The Jury is still out…
There I stood at the edge of the bridge, fully kitted up, ready to go… I was just about to jump off a bridge! Fear and anxiety filled me… The countdown began and every word seemed like a life time, 3…………2……….1……..Bungy. At that word… I froze, took a huge breath and literally fell off the bridge – I didn’t jump, I blatantly fell! The rush was indescribable, I didn’t have time to look at the water I was hurtling toward, it was all over in an instance… a blink of an eye, but those 4 seconds or less were just incredible… The adrenaline pumped throughout my body as I rebounded as couple of times after dunking my head in the ice cold water… I didn’t realise but I was screaming…
Totally hooked, I ran out of the second bungy jump called the Ledge, literally located at the top of a mountain!
The 134 metre one (the Nevis) however was simply intoxicating, 5-6 seconds of free fall maybe more. I remember Mr Brightside by the Killers playing as I jumped out of the cable car and into the canyon below… WOW WOW WOW.
Since these three I have also conquered the world’s tallest bungy in South Africa, Bloukruns standing at a staggering 216 metres. Now that was an experience, as the African crew harness you up and make jokes such as ‘don’t worry we’ve haven’t lost anyone today’ … Today!!!!!!! Followed by ‘well there was that girl but she’ll be ok its just a small break’… Ha… Funny fuckers…
This is a true example of Extreme Sports, and I absolutely LOVE it, the exhilaration, the anticipation, and in the end the pure elation is just indescribable… Absolutely Incredible – There is only one other sport, maybe 2 that come close… Stay tuned to find out what’s next…
The Real Extreme Sports collection now contains…
A Wandering Memory 
I would never dare jump! :O
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Ha… It’s more of a fall when you first get started
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Oh my god this gave me chills! I think i would be the exact same – no intention to do it, but do it anyway. Or so i kind of hope ha!
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Ha that seems to be the story of the majority of my extreme sports. Esp night kayaking ha!
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Woohoo! I did the Kawarau and was disappointed that I didn’t try the Nevis. It was over so fast!
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Yes it was – you should try the Bloukruns – that was incredible! The worst was the ledge I caught my leg in the chord…
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