BUNGEE JUMPING
Your heart pounds as you look over the edge of the bridge, your toes hanging out over a drop the size of a fifteen story building. Almost mesmerized by the dizzying height, you hear the other jumpers begin to chant the countdown.
FIVE.. 'OK, here we go, this is it', FOUR.. You summon up more courage than ever before and commit to throwing yourself into the giant chasm below, THREE.. You remember the most important things from training 'look forward, push off hard, hands out to the side', TWO.. You crouch down, ready to push off into oblivion, ONE.. You feel more alive and aware than ever before, BUNGEE!! You leap off and swan dive into emptiness! A huge rush of adrenaline courses through your body.
The intensity of the thrill, accelerating from 0 to 60 mph in 2.5 seconds, flying into a narrow canyon hundreds of feet above a rushing river is indescribable. All of a sudden the ground is rushing up, you start to think 'OH NO!, I'm going to hit the ground!', then a surprisingly gentle pull from the bungee cord starts to slow you down.
Your chest and waist harness cradle you in a comfortable seated position, as the cord almost quadruples in length, gradually slowing you down until you come to a brief stop, just above the surface of the water.
You almost relax and think 'OK, no problem..', but then you realize you are rocketing back up at the bridge! But the cord goes slack, and again you're free flying through the air, apexing at about 85% of the way back up. After a few more diminishing rebounds, a rope going through a pulley system is lowered to you and your fellow jumpers pull you back up to the bridge.
After a jump master double-checks your gear, you're ready to climb over the rail and do it all again, but this time BACKWARDS! You jump off facing the bridge, which feels like an even longer fall to most jumpers.
This is the ultimate thrill and you will remember and cherish your memories of it for the rest of your life. There's nothing like the satisfaction that comes with thinking 'Been there, bungeed that!'
