How everything began- the legend:

Bungy Jumping originated hundreds of years ago on the Pentecost Islands on Vanuatu: legend says that a wife who repeatedly was mistreated by her husband one of these days fled again from him: however this time she climbed to the top of a high tree and dared him to follow her! Before he caught up  she jumped off the tree not forgetting to tie vines to her ankles! Landing safely on the ground she accused him to be a coward and – in rage- he had not seen the vines ………he jumped into his death…..

How “ancient” bungy developed:

In order to memorize this happening the women there  started to imitate this jump in an annual event…..as time passed men more and more  joined and finally  took over this ritual!    Since then they jump from up to 35m high wooden towers which they build themselves:  these towers are “divided” into twelve sections which each represents a part of the human body, the highest of course the forehead! Depending on age and  courage  the participants  choose the height of their „take off“:  tied to two vines which had to be found in a crucial process they jump into the depth.

Before each jump the crowd performs a ritual to encourage the jumpers  for the goal is to come as close as possible to the softened ground or even hit it.

Annually in April men not only ask for a good harvest but also proove their heroism –especially to the village women- participating in this tradition!

Landdiving1

How modern Bungy Jumping developed:

It does not seem to be a coincidence that this strong ancient ritual inspired the „Oxford University Dangerous Sports Club“ to start experimenting with rubber bands;  eventually the first bungy-cord was developped!

It was in 1979 when these guys imported this ritual into the modern using their precious cord to dive off the  „Clifton Suspension Bridge“ in Bristol, GB!

Already in 1980 „KIWI“ (New Zealander) …..did the first jump in NZ: it failed!

So it should last until 1986 when he told his friend AJ Hackett about his bad experience: they decided to restart.

Also with his speedskierfriend Henry van Ash they kept developping „newborn“ Bungy Jumping!

In June 1987 AJ did the first internationally famous Jump from the Eiffel Tower in Paris a year before they opened the first bungy-site in Queenstown,New Zealand: rumours say that the tremendous amount of 28Jumpers used this adrenaline-facility during the first year …..since then millions of jumps have been done worldwide!!

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2015:

  • First bungy jumps in Croatia and Turkey
    All pictures of Summersplash 2015 you can find here!
    Summersplash 2015 (525 von 525)

2013:

  • Rupert Hirner and his team „bring“ the 192m-Europabrücke to Vienna: on  Austrias National Celebration Day on October 26 on the „Heldenplatz“ in Vienna in the „Hofburg“ the world’s highest bungy-crane (192m!!) was erected:  a total highlight not only for his team but also fort eh bungy-world: (mobile) bungy had reached the „Champions League“
  • For all pictures click here !
    Wien_Heldenplatz

from 2002 (and before):

  • endless numbers of bungy event

2002:

  • opening of the fix Bungy-Station on 192m-Europabrücke
    Bungy Jumping Rodel Nationalteam

2000:

  • First 200m-Bungy Jump from the KRONEN-Zeitung- Ballon  for  AIRPOWER 2000
  • 26.Oktober: on Austrian National Celbration Day on Heldenplatz in Vienna  Rupert jumps 420m from an army-helicopter:  a late 10years anniversary of his first Jump: 10x 42m,
    for each year 42m like his first jump in Nanaimo, BC, Canada
    helibungy

 

  • Watch a Video of the jump:

1999:

  • On first of January 1999 spectacular promotion jump fort he „Nordic World Championships Ramsau am Dachstein“ done prior to the final round of the
    „Four Hills Tournament“ in Garmischpartenkrichen, Germany

1998:

  • MISSTER COOL“ was born: a bungy-competition in which the jumper with the lowest heartrate wins (1600 participants in Austria)
  • First 165m-Bungy Event Kölnbreinsperre
    Koelbreinsperre
  • First day of publich bungy was permitted on the 192m-Europabrücke by the authorities
    Europabruecke

1997:

  • With 160m world highest Bungy-crane at the Red Bull Air Show in Wr. Neustadt
    Redbull Arirace

1996:

  • Revealing of Klagenfurts landmark the LINDWURM was revealed after its restauration

1995:

  • Rupert did one of the most spectacular (bungy-)stunts ever: prior to the final round oft the „Four Hills Tournament“ he jumped off a 65m-crane positoned over the counterslope of the Jumping Hill.
    Wearing skis he was only holding himself with his hands on the bungy-cord,…, leaving go the cord while landing and after skiing down the slope!

1994:

  • Rupert did the worlds highest jump off a tower/building: on Oct. 3, Germanies National Celebration day he jumped 253m off the Berlin TV-Tower,
    it was the 5 years anniversary of the German Reunion!
    Fernsehturm
  • You can watch a video of the jump bellow:

1993:

  • Mobile bungy had begun to develop fastly: 111m-crane in Lieboch, Styria in June and then the world’s highest bungy crane
    with 150m for public bungy in Gratkorn, Styria
    Ordner005_00004A
  • On October 3 Rupert did the first jump off the 192m-Europabrücke
    Bungy
  • Watch a video of the first europebridge bungyjump bellow:

1992:

  • First big international jump of Rupert prior to the final round oft he „Four Hills Tournament“ in Oberstdorf on Dec 30: pick up jump off the 72-Nebelhornbahn.
  • January 6: first 100m-Jumps in Austria from a hot air balloon prior to the final round of the „Four Hills Tournament“ in Bischofshofen.
    Ballon Bungy

1991:

  • The provincial authorities forbid the installation of a bungy-platform on the Präbichlbrücke and so a station for .mobile bungy was found
    in Unterpremstätten (close to Graz) in the „Schwarzl Freizeitzentrum“.
    SFZ

1990:

  • Coming back from Canada the decision to bungy jump the 110m-Präbichlbrücke in Rupert’s Hometown Eisenerz was taken: however missing  a bungy cord it turned out to be a rope swing at first but after getting some lattex a bungycord was fastly produced.
    1. Jump

1989:

  • Rupert did his first Bungy Jump in Nanaimo,BC, Canada: 42m off a bridge (after calling „bungy jumping“ to be a typical US-nonsense: without knowing it.
    MEDIAFIX_IMG_0194

1961-1989:

  Rupert Hirner was born  1961 in Eisenerz, an ironmining-city in Styria, Austria
  • primary and secondary school in Eisenerz
  • Skigymnasium Stams
  • Skijumper(1974-1985)
  • Coach for Canadian Skiassociation (1985-1988)