Bungee Jumping :: essays research papers

Bungee Jumping Bungee jumping is a sport that has dramatically evolved over the past couple decades. Bungee jumping has evolved into a sport of art and thrill. As a tribal tradition, the ritual was soon incorporated with a bungee cord. Bungee jumping spread rapidly throughout the world, ever-growing in popularity. Detailed designs and engineering have helped to take bungee jumping to all new limits. An array of prices depicts a variety of heights, harnesses, and locations of sites. Bungee jumping offers many diverse medical advantages. New innovations in the bungee field have led to all new rides and adventures. Bungee jumping is a sport that enables a person to prove something to themselves, regardless of age, sex, religion, or race. Bungee jumping is based on an age-old ritual practiced by the â€Å"land divers† of Pentecost island in the South Pacific archipelago of Vanuatu. Young men proved their courage by plummeting off giant towers. Every spring villagers there collect liana vines and wind them into long cords. The men then scale six story wooden towers, attach the vines around their ankles and jump. A successful leap is considered a demonstration of courage. In 1979, a bungee cord was incorporated with this tribal ritual. Members of the Oxford University's Dangerous Sports Club read about and designed a safe form of the practice. Atop the Golden Gate Bridge, dressed in tuxedos and top hats, the first form of bungee jumping came to existence. In 1987, bungee jumping moved to the American commercial scene. Two brothers, John and Peter Kockelman, began jumping from bridges over river gorges in the Sierras. Recognizing the sport's commercial potential, they opened Bungee Adventures in 1988. Bungee jumping spread rapidly throughout the world, ever-growing in popularity. Bungee jumping became national crazes in many areas. After the use of a bungee cord was thought of, the idea first spread through New Zealand. From here, Australia and France soon caught on and joined the sport. This new hobby, predominantly known and practiced only by skydivers, rock climbers, and other extremists caught the world's attention and spread like a wild fire. In America, bungee jumping was also proving popular. The first commercial bungee business began thirty minutes outside San Diego, CA. Commercial sites in Colorado and Utah soon began to pop up. Expansions of these businesses now help to cover almost every western state. Bungee Jumping's popularity has helped it to become an officially recognized sport. National Freestlye Bungee Championships are held each year and are broadcasted on a number of channels including â€Å"ESPN 2." Detailed designs and engineering have helped to take bungee jumping to