Bungee jumping boosts tourist industry

Bungee jumping boosts tourist industry

By Riyadi

JAKARTA (JP): Bungee jumping, with its roots in the age-old
manhood ritual in Vanuatu, entered Indonesia early 1995.

Since then, bungee jumping has become a focal point in the
country's tourism industry.

Andy Bredow of Bali Bungee Co. said bungee jumping sites have
helped the tourism industry here to attract both foreign and
local tourists.

"Indonesia is fantastic, as a developing nation. The
government welcomes bungee jumping, not only for locals, but
especially for tourists," Bredow said.

Bali, especially, has many attractions for tourists.

"Tourists will tell people at home they have to try this and
that in Bali, including bungee jumping," Bredow said.

It was Bredow, a New Zealander, who first brought bungee
jumping to Indonesia through Bali Bungee, which he founded
together with Dina Agoestina in 1994.

Since then, new bungee operations have been started. Now there
are at least five bungee jumping operators in Indonesia,
including Bali Bungee and A.J. Hackett in Bali.

New Zealand was the first country to use bungee jumping as a
tourist attraction.

In an attempt to groom competitors in Indonesia, Bali Bungee
created the annual Bali Bungee Olympics, which attracted 30 local
bungee teams this year. The next Bungee Olympics are scheduled
for April.

Teams of four compete with other companies and organizations
in a fun event, Bredow said.

Both Bali Bungee and A.J. Hackett plan to open bungee sites in
Jakarta.

A.J. Hackett, which claims to be a pioneer in promoting
commercial bungee jumping business throughout the world, have
held bungee jumping exhibitions in Ancol, North Jakarta, and
Lido, West Java.

Bali Bungee has recently followed suit. It conducted a bungee
exhibition for Jakarta residents earlier this month at the
Soemantri Brodjonegoro sports complex in Kuningan, South Jakarta,
in cooperation with GETPlus, the operator of the sports complex.

Safe

"The message we would like to send is bungee jumping is safe
as long as you jump with qualified professionals," Bredow said.

Rudi P. Singgih of GETPlus said Bali Bungee exhibition
attracted many of Jakarta's executives, students and other
youngsters to try the challenges, even though they had to pay Rp
100,000 (US$41.28) per jump.

"The prospects are good, especially for middle and upper class
people. If bungee is not so well known among Jakarta yuppies yet,
it is because it lacks promotion here," Rudi said.

He said he plans to organize another exhibition in Jakarta
sometime in February next year.

February's bungee exhibition will feature bungee jumping from
high-rise buildings.

"If possible, we will jump from Monas (the National Monument).
We are still sounding out the possibility with authorities," Rudi
said.

Bungee jumping originated from far more dangerous manhood
rituals in the Pentecost island, Vanuatu. There, towers were
built of bamboo some 100 feet above the ground and were used as a
platform to jump.

Unlike with the modern bungee, men would attach two vines to
each leg. The length of the vines were measured precisely so the
jumper would touch the ground with his hands. Since this was not
a safe practice it took great courage to leap from these towers.

In 1979, a group called the English Aristocrat Club
constructed the first modern day bungee cord and used it to jump
off the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.

Since then, bungee jumping has received wide media coverage
and has made its way into many countries.

Several New Zealanders who specialized in mountaineering and
parachuting tested and developed the modern bungee cord that is
used today. Bredow was one of these pioneers.

Bredow started bungee jumping in 1987 in Auckland, New
Zealand. Initially the bungee cords were heavy gauge rubber with
large D-bolt connectors.

Now Bredow uses high strength latex wrapped around a high
strength plastic bobbin. The bungee cords are attached to screw
gate carabiners, with a loading strength of 3,000 kilos.

Jumpers are tied to the cord and carabiners with an equally
high-strength nylon circular climbing webbing, with a loading
strength of 2,800 kilos.

A pulley system is designed to lower the jumper safely. As a
backup, a brake system has also been incorporated to allow the
jump master to lower several people down at the same time.

The tower is usually over 40 meters high.

Scott Saccany, another jump master from Bali Bungee, said Bali
Bungee uses three kinds of cords for different weight groups: 35
to 65 kilograms, 65 to 75 kilos, and 75 to 105 kilos.

For jumpers who weigh more than 105 kilos, two cords are
joined together.

"Each cord can be used for 2,000 jumps, but normally we
replace a cord after 600 jumps, just to ensure safety," Saccany
said.

So far Bali Bungee has no record of accidents.

Both Saccany and Bredow acknowledge there have been some
accidents in bungee jumping in Indonesia, although not fatal.
Prompt response is urgent, they said.

"We are working with the government to set up standards and
criteria to guarantee safety: Standards on materials used, the
method of making cords, cord maintenance and criteria for jump
masters," Saccany said.

International standards and criteria for safe bungee jumping
do not exist, he said. However, countries more experienced in
bungee jumping like New Zealand, Australia, England and the
United States have established their own standards.