Do the Bungee Jump
“Extreme.” There's no other word that best describes them. People scream and shout at the top of their lungs, twist and turn sickeningly around, jump crazy heights, leap impossible lengths, bounce dizzyingly until their hearts burst...and they love it! Why “extreme?” Well, considering how death-defyingly exhilarating these activities could be, why not?
This is exactly what bungee jumping is all about, for what do you call throwing oneself off a tall structure for a free fall with only the legs attached to an elastic cord? And when the cord becomes taut and snaps back up, the adventurer snaps back up as well and ends up dangling upside down, but not after bouncing up in the air several times, and getting the brain all messed up for seconds? Crazy maybe, but in the world of sports, it's definitely under the “extreme” category.
“Bungee jumping (also spelled 'Bungy' jumping) is an activity that involves jumping from a tall structure while connected to a large elastic cord. The tall structure is usually a fixed object, such as a building, bridge or crane; but it is also possible to jump from a movable object, such as a hot-air balloon or helicopter, that has the ability to hover above the ground. The thrill comes as much from the free-falling as from the rebounds.
“When the person jumps, the cord stretches and the jumper flies upwards again as the cord snaps back, and continues to oscillate up and down until all the energy is dissipated” (Wikipedia).
Some call it bungee, some bungy, some bunjee, le benji, etcetera. But based on its history, the word “bungee” was old English that meant anything “thick and squat,” then was used to call rubber eraser. “Bungy” was for elastic strap and “bungy cords” was for cloth-covered rubber cords. Needless to say, all these refer to the bungee concept that we know today.
Bungee jumping is not a new age idea but was simply called by other names. In the olden days, there were tribes that followed a certain tradition particularly as a rite of passage for the men. In fact, in the 1950s, David Attenborough and his BBC crew filmed the Naghol men in Vanuatu jumping from tall wooden platforms with only vines tied to their ankles (most times, they still hit the ground). The purpose? To test young men's courage before they became accepted and respected as adults in their society.
These modern times, the idea is still practically the same, except the practice is not anymore exclusive to tribes or to men. Anyone with a propensity for the extreme and dangerous can try this adrenaline-pumping sport. The first modern bungee jump was on April 1, 1979 in Bristol, England but was considered illegal. It gained popularity when the famous show That's Incredible featured it. The first commercial bungee jump was in Queenstown, New Zealand in 1986.
Many jumps have been made from then on. These were allowed as bungee operators conformed to standards and guidelines. “The elastic rope first used in bungee jumping, and still used by many commercial operators, is factory-produced braided shock cord. This consists of many latex strands enclosed in a tough outer cover. The outer cover may be applied when the latex is pre-stressed, so that the cord's resistance to extension is already significant at the cord's natural length. This gives a harder, sharper bounce. The braided cover also provides significant durability benefits” (Wikipedia). Commercial operators have added harnesses to backup ankle attachments and prevent accidents.
In the Philippines, bungee jumping began in the late 90's. However, back then, such activities were considered illegal, therefore, they were done secretly in remote areas. It is only in recent years that bungee operators have been allowed to offer this to Filipinos and foreign tourists alike.
Now, tourists do not only have to enjoy the beautiful sights of the country's 7,100 islands. The more adventurous may try out the different areas in the country that offer the bungee jumping experience. Some of these places are in Subic, Zambales, the Danao Adventure Park in Bohol, and the Agas-Agas Bridge in Southern Leyte.
So for the tourist who is up for more of the Philippine ultimate experience, he can finally have that personal rite of passage. It's time to take that first step into that first jump and live another lovely day.
Sources:
www.wikipedia.org
www.AdventureSportsHolidays.com
www.BungeeZone.com
