Bungee jumping
Bungee jumping is defined as an extreme sport which involves a person jumping from heights which are taller than usual. An elastic cord is used to connect the person to the tall structure.
The tall structure here can be any fixed object such as building, towers or bridges. In order to make the activity obtain the highest level of thrill, this particular activity is carried out from moving objects such as helicopters or any hot air balloon. Equal amount of thrill is experienced by a person, that is similar to free falling and also the rebounds obtained.
There is a simple principle involved in this particular activity. The elastic cord stretches to the maximum when a person jumps from a structure. The elastic cord which has stretched to the maximum now snaps back to its original condition which brings the person to fly up against gravity. This particular process continues until the energy which is developed in the elastic cord is relieved completely. This particular sport found its place in extreme sports category. The reason behind this particular arrangement is due to the high degree of danger involved in the activity.
Many people who wish to perform bungee jumping should understand that the activity requires a strong force of mind. During the activity there will be a adrenaline rush in blood due to gravity. A person may feel dizzy and fear the heights at which this particular sport is practiced. Hence, people who are weak hearted are advised not to approach for this particular sport. Youngsters who are often found to indulge in such activities provide useful information about bungee jumping. There are different extreme sports clubs involved in providing the required practice for people who would like to learn the basics of bungee jumping.
Despite the danger involved in jumping from great heights, millions of jumps were carried out since the introduction of the sport on commercial basis. Kawarau Bridge located in New Zealand is the world's first commercial bungee jumping site. Though double checking and guidelines are often followed by event organizers, fatalities still occur. The main factor which causes accident is the length of the elastic cord. The overall length of the court should be small or less than half of the total height of the bridge or a structure. This will help provide the required stretch to a person when he or she jumps from that particular structure.
The elastic cord is factory made from latex threads which are pre-stressed and are covered with outer tough materials. These are different forms of bungee jumping depending upon the structure. Guided bungee jumping provides a complete control on the speed of the freefall. Most often people are found to use single cord bungee jumping which is part of a freefall jump usually carried out at greater heights. All the necessary safety precautions are taken by the organizer in order to provide complete safety to the participant. If the freefall carried out is onto the ground, sponge and feature beds are arranged at the bottom of the structure as a measure of safety.