What is Bungee jumping?
[[Image:Jump from nevis bungee platform.jpg|thumb|220px|right|Bungee jumping]] '''Bungee jumping''' is an adventurous sport in which people jump from higher ground such as a bridge with an elastic rope tied to their ankles to stop them from hitting the ground. The rope is designed to stretch, not break. When the rope has stretched all the way, the jumper bounces back up. When people jump they wear safety equipment like helmets and a harness. ==History== It started as the coming-of-age ceremony in a small village on [[South Pentecost Island]] in [[Vanuatu]].<ref name=aj>{{cite web |url=http://www.ajhackett.com.au/history.html#info |title=History |access-date=2009-08-26 |work=AJ Hackett Cairns |archive-date=2008-09-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080917012328/http://www.ajhackett.com.au/history.html#info |url-status=dead }}</ref> The young men jump from the top of a 30 meter high tree to demonstrate their courage as an adult. They tied jungle vines around their ankles so that they would not hit the ground.And from then it started to become a sport in which people take part and it was named bungee jumping . ==Modern bungee jumping== [[Image:Kawarau River bungy.JPG|thumb|220px|right|Karawa Bridge jumping site]] Modern bungee jumping began when four [[British]] men jumped off the [[Golden Gate Bridge]] in [[San Francisco]]. In 1987 A.J.Hackett became world famous when he jumped from the [[Eiffel Tower]] in [[Paris]].<ref name=aj/> Later he set up the [[Kawarau Bridge]] in [[New Zealand]], with a height of 47 meters, as a commercial bungee jumping area. People could pay money for the fun of jumping.<ref name=aj/> The idea quickly spread around the world. ==Safety== Bungee jumping has several dangers. The rope has to be the right size for your weight, or it may break. The safety harness has to fit properly or the force of the drop could cause a person's bones to break. The rope has to be the right length or a person could hit the ground before being stopped by the rope. And it