The wind was howling as Patrick and I crouched behind a tool box listening to people screaming as they fell. “Are you scared?” Patrick asked me. I thought about how cold I was and replied, “Nope.”. Truth is – I was a tiny itsy bitsy bit worried. But damned if I was going to let anyone see that I wasn't %100 ready to jump off a bridge suspended over hundreds of feet of canyon rock and water.
The group of jumpers dwindled until it was finally our turn to strap in. A nice guy named Jace made small chat as he wrapped towels around our legs and secured ropes to our bodies. I was thoroughly impressed that for close to $200, clients were fastened into navy blue towels before willingly jumping at heights that could kill – how technologically advanced! Patrick looked like he might throw up at any moment and I was increasingly becoming aware that I was minutes away from launching myself from a bridge into icy cold rushing water.
My cool demeanor quickly eroded as the bungy guy kept asking me to shuffle closer and closer to the edge of the platform. Patrick, already standing at the ledge and hanging onto a side rail for dear life, had become mute in his fear. Faint memories of waving at camera’s come to mind before the dreaded countdown began. (I was stupid enough to look down, which sent my heart racing and suddenly this whole idea sounded insane…how could I have ever thought this would be fun?! )Whether Jace started at 3 or 5 I have no idea, because suddenly I remember thinking Oh BLEEP! Patrick is jumping!!! And I half-jumped, half-fell screaming along with him.
The two seconds it took us to hit the water were beyond exhilarating. Patrick, in a panic, wrapped his arms around me and we began spinning mid-air before slamming into the icy water. Suddenly the rushing wind stopped and I couldn’t hear anything for a split second, then we were bouncing upward, soaking wet, laughing and whooping hysterically. Patrick turned to me and said “We did it! Give me a kiss!”, and so I obliged with a big kiss for my little gay friend.
I think we laughed for a good 3 minutes straight before the boat guy was able to rope us in and lower us down for unharnessing. A few high fives were in order before we, in our newly created adrenaline rush, ran up to see our video and pictures. As soon as a figure out how, they will be up for all to see!
Jumping from the world’s first bungy jump? CHECK!
-Ashley
Fun fact: The oldest person to bungy at the Kawarau Bridge Bungy is 94. The youngest? Last week a young man, strapped securely to his parents, celebrated his first birthday by jumping off the same bridge!
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