Watch: Bungy's 30th birthday sees thrillseekers launch off NZ bridge in weird and wonderful ways

November 12, 2018

Bungy jumping took on a whole new level of thrill and adrenaline today as people launched themselves of Queenstown's Kawarau Bridge - in groups, fastened to a kayak and on a mountain bike - to celebrate 30 years of the extreme adventure activity.

AJ Hackett Bungy New Zealand started the world’s first commercial bungy jumping operation at the site in 1988.

Co-founder and managing director Henry van Asch said he and AJ Hackett hosted 28 thrill seekers - mostly their friends - "looking to try out this thing we’d been talking about for years". 

"At the time, we had no idea it would become a global phenomenon, we just loved Bungy jumping and wanted to share it with others," Mr van Asch said. 

“Reaching 30 years for a venture that many dubbed a ‘bloody stupid idea’ at the time is a fantastic achievement," he said.

Today the countdown was given for five people to bungy at the same time, on separate bungy cords.

Three women did a bungy together, a man launched off the bridge in a kayak and another on a mountain bike.

Mr van Asch said the company owes its 30 years of success to an inspiring crew committed to sharing bungy with the world.   

"Along the way, we’ve been lucky enough to bring in an incredible crew across Queenstown and Auckland who are dedicated to helping people overcome their fears, and share bungy with the world.

"Over 30 years we’ve continued to challenge people with new opportunities to live more and fear less, whether it’s with a giant swing, a jump off Auckland’s Sky Tower or our latest world-first human slingshot, the Nevis Catapult."

The Nevis Catapult, in the remote Nevis Valley near Queenstown, sees thrillseekers experience up to 3Gs of force and speeds of almost 100 km/h in 1.5 seconds, as they're propelled 150m out across a ravine before dropping suddenly towards the valley floor and experiencing a series of bounces. 

Last week, Henry van Asch, who's an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit, won the Queenstown Chamber of Commerce Lifetime Achievement Award.

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