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Fans of extreme sports are called adrenaline junkies. Most of the adrenaline or epinephrine is produced as a product of the work of the adrenal glands. This hormone prepares the human body for situations in which people react in response to a possible danger. Adrenaline has the effect of accelerating the work of the heart muscle, increasing the concentration of glucose in the blood and raising the temperature. This condition is what fans of extreme sports are looking for. These people want excitement, shaking the body and an event that will cause a rush of adrenaline that reaches every cell of the body.
3300 years ago, the Vanuatu islands inhabited the Pacific were inhabited. At the beginning of the 17th century, these islands were first discovered by Europeans. The tribes there had customs and culture unknown to the rest of the world. One of the customs is the process of initiation that every boy from the island had to go through in order for the community to accept him as an adult male. The ritual began with the whole tribe reaching the tallest tree in the area. The chosen boy would then climb to the top of the tree to which he tied a relatively elastic vine. The other end of the vine (rope) the boy tied around his ankles. Then he had to jump hoping the rope would cushion the fall. The experience of the older members of the tribe prevented it from being too long, so the boys went through this ceremony without major injuries.
In the late 1970s, promising schoolchildren David Kirk and Simon King were members of the Dangerous Sports Club at Oxford. On April 1, 1979, they performed the first officially recorded “bungee jumping” in history. The venture consisted of tying elastic ropes to the fence of the Clifton suspension bridge in the city of Bristol. The brave boys improvised seat belts to fasten them to the other end of the rope. They jumped the fence and flew into an abyss 76 meters deep. They failed to notify police of the incident. After the jump, they had several hours of police interrogation at the local police station.
Shortly afterwards A.J. Hackett from New Zealand also made an unauthorized jump from the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Hackett began his career in his hometown of Auckland inspired by the leaps of his predecessors. He soon found that this type of activity brought him good earnings in addition to excitement. He starts organizing bungee jumping for all interested people. Members of the tribe from Vanuatu have filed a lawsuit against this jumper. They felt that Hackett had no authority to uses part of their tradition. The Nevis River Canyon near Queenstown, New Zealand offers a unique adrenaline rush lasting 8 seconds from a height of 134 meters. The equipment stops the jump so that the jumper does not touch the bottom of the canyon. The adrenaline preparation for this jump is that the jumpers reach the location via goat trails. The jump is performed from a cabin attached to cables stretched above the abyss.
The cliffs of Cavaraugh Canyon in New Zealand are connected by a suspension bridge. A.J. Hacket started commercializing this sport at this point. So far, over half a million people have tried bungee jumping at this location. It can be said that people who are addicted to adrenaline have needs that go beyond average arousal. A helicopter takes jumpers to the crater of the active Villarica volcano in Chile. The bungee jump is performed directly from the spacecraft into the glowing volcanic lava. The helicopter turns and returns to the airport. During the return, the jumpers do not return to the cabin, but remain attached to the bungee rope. This party costs $ 8,000. Local guides claim that there are not many people interested in jumping again.
Bridges are especially challenging for bungee jumpers. Popular locations are in Switzerland and Austria. The Europa Bridge connects the slopes of the Austrian Vip Valley. The starting point for the jump is 192 meters above the river Zil. Two meters lower is the Swiss New Bridge in Val Danivie. The bungee jumping dam of Versailles is popular in Switzerland. This is where James Bond jumped for the action movie “Golden Eye”. Victoria Falls in Africa is another popular place for bungee jumping. A popular location is Tatepani in Nepal. The old railway bridge is located on the border of Zimbabwe and Zambia offers a unique view of one of the world’s most powerful waterfalls. 111 meters of free fall separates the jumper from the waves of the Zambezi River. The crocodiles are a little further away. Last Resort Resort in Nepal offers bungee jumping. It offers rafting or kayaking down mountain rapids, free climbing and jungle rides.
Injuries in this sport are not common. If all jumpers adhered to the prescribed rules, injuries would be practically eliminated. One group of rules is related to the correctness of the equipment. Technology is constantly evolving. That is why, over time, better quality and more durable parts of equipment for jumpers are made, which enable greater safety. However, the elements are checked by a jumper when an error can occur. The second group of rules are the health predispositions of jumpers. People with problems with blood pressure or the spine should give up this sport. The obligatory part of the procedure is the payment of appropriate personal insurance and medical control before the jump.