A. J. Hackett

Alan John " AJ " Hackett ( MAY 1958 in Pukekohe, New Zealand) is an entrepreneur who has made the extreme sports bungee jumping popular.

Life

Hackett grew up in North Shore City. He attended Westlake Boys High School, which he left at age 16. He then began an apprenticeship as a carpenter. At this time he began to snowboard and ski.

Bungee Jumping

Inspired by the video of the Oxford Dangerous Sports Club and the vine jumpers of Pentecôte he developed a very resilient rubber rope. In the same year, in 1986, he leads the first test jumps on New Zealand's North Island. 1987 Hackett illegally jumped from the second level of the Eiffel Tower in Paris.

In 1988, Hackett founded the company AJ Hackett Bungy and Queenstown (New Zealand) the world's first commercial bungee jumping site to the public. In 1990, in Normandy (France), the Viaduc de la Souleuvre and in Cairns ( Australia) more places for bungee jumping added, Hackett also jumped for the first time from a helicopter. In this jump the rope stretched 380 meters. 1999, the one millionth customer was counted bungee jumping. In 2000, Hackett jumped off the Royal Gorge Bridge in Colorado (USA), the world's tallest bridge. 2004, the highest bungee jump was opened at the Royal Gorge Bridge in Colorado (USA). Hackett in 2006 published his autobiography "Jump Start". In the same year he led the highest permanent commercial bungee jumping in Macau ( PRC ) at the Macau Tower.