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.