Bungy jumping sport of rich and famous

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 6, Issue 287, 23 May 1989, Page 20

Bungy jumping sport of rich and famous

Bungy jumping may not yet be the sport of Kings, but more than one celebrity has taken the plunge.

The latest big-name to try the sport was Amcrican actor Willie Aames, who visited the region on the weekend with film and television producer, Robin Leach. Mr Leach's series 'Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous' that screens on Television New Zealand, will feature the two jumps made by Mr Aames, and

disabled Ohakune man Paul Speight later in the year. Mr Speight made front-page news all over the country last week after his jump from the Hapuawhenua Viaduct, wheel-chair and all. The jump required a harness to be fitted around himself and the light-weight wheel-chair that weighed around 12 ki-

los. After a couple of false starts when the chair got stuck in the scaffolding, Mr Speight was finally airborne. Willing volunteers at the bottom carried him to the top of the hill after the jump. A large number of local people took up New Sensation's offer of a free bungy jump last Wednesday. Over 100 people from Raetihi, Ohakune and Waiouru weighed in and waited, in cold conditions, for their free jump. New Sensations owner Chris Allum offered free tee-shirts to any jumper who could catch one of the he-lium-filled balloons tied from the ground under the viaduct. A surprisingly large number of tee-shirts were given away, according to Mr Allum. A number of people who caught the whole bunch were disappointed to find the offer was strictly one teeshirt per jump. Mr Allum is the first person to warn people about safety in the sport. There has been recent

concern about the number of operators who have sprung up around the country, who have little first-hand knowledge and experience. New Sensations boasts a record of well over 11,000 jumpers, both in the Waimarino and in Queenstown, and not one accident. The company is the only commercial operators in the country and has proven itself to various departments, including the Department of Conservation and New Zealand Railways. Mr Allum expressed alarm at the number of bungy-related accidents which have happened in the past with other less-experienced operators. Bungy jumping he said, should be practiced only with a reputable company. Safety is his number one priority in the whole exercise. Some other operators also use sub-standard equipment, according to Mr Allum. He and his partner AJ. Hackett perfected a system over a period of four years, before they launched the sport onto the market.