kipple.info

In my job and in my life I am very concious of risk. I think it’s important to seek new experiences and as a secondary measure, reduce the risk as much as possible. This attitude is what led me to organize a skydiving trip a few years ago.

I first suggested the idea of skydiving to one of my co-workers and within a few weeks we had twenty people who expressed interest. I had to wait patiently until spring before we could organize a trip to New Jersey for the jump. Five people actually showed up and we all walked away happy after our tandem skydive.

I wish I had a video of the experience but the camera man had the day off. I remember stepping off the plane with one foot trying to reach the small platform with the wind rushing by. There was a short countdown and I even pushed off like I was supposed to. The first few seconds were a rush of wind and I had to concentrate to remember what else I was supposed to do.

The twenty minutes of preparation we received seemed so inadequate. The alternative was a six hour course followed by a static line jump. I was in this for the free fall, so that option did not appeal to me. The instructor kept it simple and told us we only had to remember three things:

1. Move slowly and deliberately getting off the plane
2. As soon as you are out of the plane, ARCH
3. Lift your feet forward as if you were doing a crunch before you hit the ground

That’s right! I was supposed to arch my body to stop the tumble and stabilize my fall. I was a few seconds behind schedule and we managed to flip twice through a small cloud before the shock of jumping out of a plane passed me by.

The whole experience was surreal. Thinking back on it, I can’t remember the excitement or the expected rush of adrenaline. I always thought that if I did another skydive the second time might be even more exciting. Although I have not skydived since that time, I got the chance to experience a 134 metre bungee jump while visiting Queenstown, New Zealand.

The experience is still fresh in my mind and I have a video of the entire jump which led to some unexpected realizations. I only had brief flashes of nervousness in the hours leading up to the jump. I knew what to expect and I had a goal of doing a solid jump extending directly into an arch just like I should have done during my skydive. The most dangerous thing you can do on a bungee is jump feet first. When the cord reaches full extension, your body will be whipped around possibly leading to back injuries.

I guess my biggest fears came from the unexpected. I was asked if I had anything to say for the camera but I didn’t even think that would be an option. My feet were strapped together for the jump and the lack of stability led to a tentative penguin-like walk to the platform. I was afraid that the blue bag connecting me to the bungee would pull me over the edge of the platform. I actually approached the platform looking down the whole time and I never got closer than ten centimetres to the edge.

When I knew I was in position, I looked up to the mountains ahead of me. There was an immediate change in my posture as I became relaxed and committed to doing my perfect arch. There was a short countdown and then I bent my knees and jumped forward into the air. Although I did not initially have anything to say for the camera, the video proves that I actually yelled “Geronimo!” in the first few seconds of free fall. I honestly did not plan that, and until I watched the video, I did not remember doing it.

Bungee jumping is a little bit different from skydiving. My body was still whipped around slightly and I felt as if I had done 20 sit-ups afterwards. The elasticity of the bungee cord causes a slow deceleration unlike the steadily increasing pressure caused by a parachute dragging the harness. My favourite sensation was the top of the first bounce when for a single instance, you feel completely weightless.

I still don’t remember the expected adrenaline. Maybe I never got that rush, or maybe it happened and the novelty of the experience prevents me from remembering it just like I didn’t remember yelling “Geronimo!” as I went over the edge. Regardless, I think I am done with bungee jumping although I am still open to new experiences.