Author: Leibop

“In dreams, anything can be anything, and everybody we can do. We can fly, we can turn upside down, we can transform into anything”.

~Twyla Tharp

Have you ever tried seeing the world upside down, suspended in midair, feet bound, with nothing but a cord keeping you aloft?

Recently, I bungee jumped off a 200 ft. high crane sitting atop the middle of a massive amphitheatre-shaped cliff of limestone rock, overlooking a 150 ft. deep aqua-blue, spring-fed lagoon.

The Great Canadian Bungee’s “The Rock” is by far the highest bungee jump in Canada and only place in America that offers a head/body water dip experience. The 160 ft. rebound is higher than the entire jump height at any other site in Canada.

All ages are welcome but there is an 80lb minimum weight limit for participants. Parental consent is required for all those under the age of 18.

As all adventures are, it involves some element of danger. But unlike skydiving, paragliding or any other extreme sports, it requires no skill or training. All you have to do is show up and B.Y.O.G. Bring Your Own Guts. Tons of it.

Most sites require advance booking. But I managed to snag a 4PM slot. Thanking my lucky stars, the sun and the moon that somebody cancelled at the last minute.

We spent the entire 2 hours watching other people jump and scream their heads off, which made me all the more restless. I just couldn’t wait to get it over and done with.

At 4 o’oclock on the dot, the crew signaled us to follow the rough, rugged road towards the limestone pavement at the top. It was a short 5 minute hike from the center.

After a short briefing which said a lot, “Empty your pockets”and “Spit out your gum” LOL, we were all set to get strapped.

The jump master ushered us to the crane and queued us in order of weight.

As far as safety checks go, we had our weights written on the back of our hands to help them determine the appropriate equipment to use. As you know, there is a weight tier system for bungee. They change the rope for every weight category. I was exactly 100lbs (the lightest among the group) so I stood next to a 103lb girl, my “weightmate”. Haha

I chose the ankle harness over the body harness, as suggested by the jump master. A padding was wrapped around both of my ankles with straps tied over and secured with a velcro. For added support and comfort, I donned a seat harness (the back-up harness) with an adjustable waist belt and leg loops.

One by one, we were called forward to the opposite end. When my turn came, they asked me to sit on the bench while they fasten the bungee cord to the middle of the strap in my feet. Then they ran all checks from top to bottom. Second checked. Third checked.

They had to secure my slippers in the belt. I was forced to go barefoot. Classy.

The lead jump master gave me a final briefing on how to do a proper jump. It was at this very moment that I told him I was scared. He replied nonchalantly, “Good! Fear is an integral part of adventure”.

It didn’t resolve my concerns in the least. But the comforting thought that somebody else was seemingly cool and unfazed by this whole ordeal, made me feel confident that I’d come out of it alive. So in the name of non self-preservation, I did it.

Unfortunately, I didn’t get the full “water dunk” experience. Blame it on my lack of height, my ungraceful jump or my anxiety-induced brain fog that affected my ability to follow through on things.

Head first

Hands up (like in a diving position)

Chin tucked (into the chest as far as it will go)

Simple.

You’ll hear the jump master say that a couple of times in the video. Think of it as every jumper’s mantra.

Yet the very moment my feet left the platform, it seemed like time stopped and everything happened at breakneck speed. My body just went into autopilot and all logic escaped me (including the mantra I had been mentally reciting a thousand times).

Add to the fact that I was falling as fast as 100 kilometers per hour in 5 seconds!

So instead of raising my hands high above my head, I held them stiffly, at my sides. Apparently I lost my sense of direction as well. Lol.

It was the sudden tug on the bungee cord that brought me back to my senses. Then I realized, ughhhhh I screwed up the “hands” part. Well, too late. In a matter of seconds, the cord snapped me back up and I began bouncing up and down 2 or 3 times, moving back and forth (which felt like an eternity) before coming to a swaying standstill.

All of this to say, it wasn’t what I exactly pictured in my head. And certainly didn’t pass muster in James Bond’s standards. Lol. The screaming didn’t help either.

Throwing yourself 200 feet down towards the earth is definitely not a walk in the park. Unless you’re JB. Look at this guy! Defying gravity in all his glory.

#jumpgoals

But at least I was able to pull off that “Superman” Dive the first few milliseconds of the drop.

Oddly enough, falling is the easiest. Once you let go, everything follows smoothly. You’re giving up even the tiniest bit of control you have. You’re left at the mercy of gravity. And honestly, it’s too short an experience that you won’t even have time to breathe, much more think about anything. All the fears, worries and anxieties disappear in an instant and replaced by an overwhelming feeling of serenity and freedom. It’s surreal.

On the contrary, the hardest is always the beginning–when you’re standing with your feet halfway over the edge, waiting for the countdown. And the only thing between you and the drop is your fear telling you that you can’t do it. Worse, you have to do the jump on your own. Nobody will do it for you. It’s ALL YOU. And it MUST be done.

Trust me, it’s a real struggle–no amount of “pep talk” will ever make you feel better. You will be terribly scared, regardless. That’s totally normal. It’s part of being human and alive.

Imagine looking down from a height, into the blank, open air. It’s terrifying beyond words! “Omg the view seems to stretch forever” “Why does the ground below looks further away than it should be?” “What if I throw up all my lunch?” Suddenly, you find yourself second-guessing and overthinking. All these silly questions flood your head.

At one point, my legs felt too heavy. I was holding onto the railing as if my life depended on it. Am I ready? No, not really.

Bungee jumping is all mind over matter. It may sound clichéd, but it’s true. The mind is our biggest battleground. The longer time you take to make the leap, the more time you have to make up excuses and chicken out.

Sadly, nothing in life waits until you’re ready–even the bus to work (true story of me every single day! lol)

“There is almost no such thing as ready. There is only now. And you may as well do it now. Generally speaking, now is as good a time as any”.

~Hugh Laurie

You will never be 100% ready for anything. But that is the beauty of life, you’re free to take chances despite being entirely unprepared. There are no rules. Every moment could be the right moment.

In the words of Benjamin Mee in the film Brought a Zoo,

“You know, sometimes all you need is twenty seconds of insane courage. Just literally twenty seconds of just embarassing bravery. And I promise you, something great will come out of it.”

With 5 seconds of my own insane courage, I took the leap of faith. It was hands down the best impulsive decision I’ve made in my life.

It was an experience like no other.

In the end, you realize it’s not about conquering the jump, but yourself.

Make the jump. Everything you need is already within you.

UKIYO.