Bungy jumping

Each April, on the island of Pentecost, villagers gather far and near, to build a bamboo tower with platforms, from which selected young men and village chiefs will launch themselves head first from the platforms to the ground.

Tree vines, of the required lenght and strengh are selected for each of the 15 or so "jumpers". two vines are attached to each "break-away" platform on the tower.

On the designated Festival day, amongst much dancing and chanting by both men and women, one by one the "jumpers" climb up to their platform. The free ends of the two vines are tied to their ankles with grass and vine cuffs, and after much posturing and encouragement from below, they will drop headfirst towrad the sloping ground below. The vines strech to their full lenght, the platform snaps down, and with some luck, the jumpers head just grazes the soft soil below. The vines jerk them back to the base of the ower where helpers catch them and cut off the vines tied to their ankles.

The party last all day under the scorching sun and intermittent tropical downpours. The last to jump is the dominant village chief. He jumps from the highest platform.

This jump tradition has been copied and modernized and has become quite an attraction in New Zealand, Australia, and other countries. Sophisticated heavy duty rubber band bungy cords, stable platforms, and braking systems are used. In 1999 John B. Pohle, his wife Beth, and kids Anna and Chris all took the plunge while visiting in Souther New Zealand. Not to be outdone, Grandpa John F., jumped from a tower in Cairns, Australia in 2003.

Below.

Left column is sequence of Pentecost native "jumpers". (All pictures taken by John F. or Mary I. Pohle). Middle column is sequence of John B. Pohle familly doing their jumps in New Zealand. Right hand column shows John F. jumping in Cairns, Australia. (Pictures in latter columns taken by venue enterprise and bought by the Pohle's).

Before closing this page, a few more pictures of the native Pentecost "bungy" jumpers and environ.