Modern bungee jumping has a British start. On 1 April 1979, members of the Oxford University Dangerous Sports Club jumped from the Clifton Suspension Bridge in Bristol on elastic rope. It was a stunt, not a business, but it kicked off the sport.
The club
The Dangerous Sports Club was based in Oxford and London in the 1970s. It was co-founded by David Kirke, Chris Baker, Ed Hulton and Alan Weston, and was known for staged stunts such as hang gliding from volcanoes and skiing in unusual places.
The idea
Kirke has said that the idea came from a ritual on Pentecost Island in Vanuatu, where men jump from wooden towers with vines tied to their ankles. The club members talked about that ritual and wondered what would happen with elastic rope.
The jump
Guinness World Records records the first bungee jumps as taking place on 1 April 1979 from the Clifton Suspension Bridge, about 76 metres (250 feet) above the River Avon. Sources agree that David Kirke jumped, and different accounts name Simon Keeling, Alan Weston and Tim Hunt as the others. Kirke is said to have jumped in a top hat and tails, holding a bottle of champagne.
The jumpers were arrested afterwards. Sources describe a fine and a promise not to repeat it in Bristol. The club went on to jump from other bridges in the United States, including the Golden Gate Bridge and the Royal Gorge Bridge in Colorado.
From stunt to business
Commercial bungee jumping came later. The New Zealander A J Hackett made his first jump from the Greenhithe Bridge in Auckland in 1986, and the activity grew from there. Today, jumps are run by companies with rigging, weight checks and trained crews, which is a long way from the 1979 version.
What this means if you want to jump
If you want to try it, use a provider with trained staff and a clear safety briefing. See our bungee jumping page for providers, and our questions to ask before booking.
Sources
- Dangerous Sports Club, Wikipedia
- First bungee jump, Guinness World Records
- World’s first bungee jump in Bristol captured on film, UK Bungee Club
Accounts differ on some details, such as who jumped, so treat names as the most commonly given ones.