Bungee jumping
The concept of bungee jumping or bungee jumping or bungee jumping and bungee jumping (English: bungee or bungy " belt ", " rope", and (to) jump " jump" ) refers to a modern extreme sport where you expect from a high building headlong into the depth jumps. The free fall is slowed by an elastic rope which is attached to the body of the jumper and the take-off platform to the ground. The rubber band length is adjusted to the body weight of the jumper. Due to the elasticity of the rope of the Springer is repeatedly bounced back up and eventually leveled off. As a take-off platform existing structures such as bridges or towers or specially erected cranes are used.
History
The origins of the sport going back to the liana of Springer Pentecôte. Fascinated by this ritual, experimented Oxford University Dangerous Sports Club in the 1970s with rubber bands, which should make the jumping -hazardous and therefore also for Western Daring possible. On April 1, 1979 jumped four club members from the 250 ft (about 76 m ) high Clifton Suspension Bridge in Bristol - the first modern bungee jumps. The jumpers, including David Kirke, were temporarily arrested. However, they were able to establish through further jumps in the U.S. from the Golden Gate Bridge and the Royal Gorge Bridge, the concept of bungee jumping.
The New Zealander AJ Hackett tested with the jump of the Greenhithe Bridge in 1986 successfully the elastic rubber cord, which was specifically designed for the jump into the deep. In May 1987, the famous jump from the Eiffel Tower in Paris followed. Hackett offered after commercial jumps on the South Island of New Zealand. Locations were the Kawarau Bridge and the Skippers Canyon Bridge.
In the German speaking these extreme sport popularized mainly the German stuntman Jochen Schweizer.
Making sense
Most bungee jumping on the search for the " ultimate thrill ", sometimes also as a way to overcome their own fears is practiced (especially the fear of heights ). In Warwitz we find the detailed description of the mental processes in anxiety - like microstructure of a man who for the first time turns a bungee jump: The Bungee jumper builds with the decision to the venture and the driveway to the take-off point excitation peak, which with the implementation of dropping and the fall in the depth in a kick- Experience resolves spontaneously. The kick is usually associated with high feelings of pleasure.
Physics of the bungees
The first phase of the jump is the free fall where the rope hangs loosely around the ankle and so far goes down as the rope would hang even without a jumper. From this point, the rope stretches and slows down the jumper. The length of unstretched rope is calculated so that the Springer is to have stopped in time for the ground, but as long as possible free-fall phase has. It depends on many factors, primarily on the elasticity of the cable and the weight of the jumper. If there are jumps over a water surface, one often has the option to dive into the water.
The bungee cord is always the same length, but in the end is still a mountain cable attached (two strands ), by means of which it can be calculated how far the Springer will approach the ground. The so-called Vario - rope is attached by means of an occupied eight knot and additionally hintersichertem clove hitch on the basket or jump to the jump ramp. This allows easily and effectively change the length or distance of fall.
After reaching the lowest point of the Springer is pulled from the rubber top rope. This phase is also called rebound. Especially the first rebound is usually so strong that the jumper again comes into a phase of free fall.
Variations
Due to the increasing popularity of bungee jumping in recent years, ever- more variations have evolved. So you can make, for example, two of a so-called tandem jump. Even the bungee jump from a helicopter that is possible. Furthermore, a distinction is also different mounting options. You can jump to the hip with Fußgeschirr or mounting. Here you have the possibility to make in the air acrobatic jump variations, such as somersaults.
Bungee Rocket: The jumper is fixed to a weight lying on the ground and stretched the bungee cord bungee crane. By fixing a trigger mechanism is released and the Springer is skyrocketing. To prevent a collision with the bungee basket ( gondola ), when tensioning the cable of the crane is pivoted slightly. This gravity causes the upstroke a ballistic flight and the jumper flies past the bungee basket, depending on body weight and rope tension even beyond. Performed as in the first Rocket bungee jumps, rich instead of a weight from four to five or more trained personnel to keep the knight on the ground.
If there are jumps from a bridge partially provides the possibility to dive into the water. A variant of bungee jumping is the Sling- Shot ( also called bungee ball ). An open ball scaffold that is suspended between poles at four jump ropes will be catapulted upwards and snaps back again, while the ball rotates. In the sphere there are usually two seats with lap belts and safety straps over the shoulders of the occupants.
Risk of injury and Guidelines
When bungee jumping, there are some risks to the health and life of the jumper.
Technical failure (ie ripping of the rope ) is the rarest cause of accidents. It was found in most cases that the cause was in the wrong storage to long use or chemical influences on the cable. Modern bungee cords have therefore to bring an over-extension which is mounted parallel to the bungee cord and is in contrast to the bungee rope made of synthetic fibers. If so equipped rope pull is, at best expect a harder jolt, but not with the crash of the jumper. Since the bungee jumping introduction as a sport less than ten rope cracks have been reported worldwide.
Negligently caused accidents, eg by inadequately secured straps or improperly sealed snap hooks, are in some cases also be dangerous or fatal.
The first rebound after the jump Springer is usually thrown back so high that the possibility of rope contact is. The rope can cause in such cases, abrasions, bruises or welts. Especially the face and neck are particularly sensitive and must be protected in this phase of the jump by held before the face forearms. This attitude also prevents the rope can wrap around your neck and so cause serious or even fatal injuries.
A risk of injury in some cases, also, when the jumper at the onset of the delay through the cable is not optimally aligned vertically with the head down. It may then come to a whipping movement of the body and consequent injury to the spine or the ankles.
The deceleration in the approved in Europe ropes is about 2.5 g to 3.5 g This affects the body a large force in the opposite direction to the upright position, reducing blood pressure in the head rises sharply. This effect can be further enhanced if the jumper performs simultaneously a press respiration or screams loudly. This may occur for susceptible individuals generally lead to bleeding in the eyes or head. In most cases, the effects are reversible; in rare cases, permanent visual impairment even blindness will result.
Should refrain from bungee jumps persons with a tendency to high blood pressure, heart and circulatory diseases, after head injury, mental illness, epilepsy, glaucoma, deformed skeleton, pacemakers, thrombosis patients Marcumarpatienten, pregnant women, the influence of alcohol as well as people with problems in the cervical spine.
Seniors must submit a medical certificate about their physical condition with the organizer before jumping often. Young people under the age of 18 need a consent of their parents.