The Adventures of Bungee Jumping

These are the pictures of our Bungee Jump day in Whistler, B.C.

Jill and Linda showing the way to the bridge.

One of the workers that helped us during the day- he's showing off his shirt.

Kristin was the first person to go bungee jumping.

This is what we saw before we jumped. Can you believe that we still jumped even though there was rushing water below?

The bridge and the river below. Someone is in mid-jump.

Is Mel ready to jump?

Carolyn jumping backwards thinking it would be easier, the first 2 seconds were great and happy but in the end there was terror in her face after she jumped!

"Praise God!" Lindsay

Jenna waiting to be towed up to the bridge after a successful jump.

Life is so much more fun when you do things together. Lindsay Martin and Shanin strapped themselves to the bungee, held on tight and screamed all the way down.

Nice starfish pose Kelly.

Jeremy ready to get back on the bridge.

Jason our Site Paparazzi for the day, equipped with an umbrella to cover the camera equipment.

Ethan was very giddy after his jump- I think he really enjoyed it!

Steve- just chillin' anywhere as per usual.

The Whistler Employees were amazing, they were fun, exciting and helped us get the courage to jump. In this picture they are reassuring Jill before she jumped.

Chris went head first! Brave!

Perfect pose Chris.

Holly falling...

... and falling...

Good thing Holly and Heather brought their rain jackets- it rained all day but that didn't ruin our spirits, everyone was happy and wet.

Janine about to jump off...

... there she goes!

Nikkita, Kelly, Jason and Kristine watching people jump from the bridge.

Rachael getting strapped in.

Heather getting checked to see everything is working and tight.

Alida- you jumped! We are all so proud!

Ashley in mid-jump off the bridge.

Whistler Bungee Jump: 160 feet

And after our jump we all got free t-shirts! Carolyn and Lindsay were pretty excited!

Bungee Jumping

The countdown may be the best part of bungee jumping. All eyes are focused on the jumper as he prepares himself to jump off a bridge into absolute nothingness. When the last number is shouted, there is a split second when you make the decision to actually jump, and then there is panic that you really have jumped! At least, that was my experience last Saturday. After a challenging week in Vancouver doing our Urban Plunge, our group was ready for some exhilaration on Whistler. The driveway itself was the beginning of our adventure. It may have been the nerves, the excitement, the adrenaline already beginning to pump through our systems, or a combination of all three, but as we wound around potholes up the mountain we were singing and laughing loudly. The bridge itself was 160 feet high, spanning a narrow canyon with rushing water below. After signing our lives away in waiver forms, we found out that we got free t-shirts for jumping, and some of us jokingly decided that was the reason we would jump. I got so excited watching people jump! The looks people had when they were being harnessed up were priceless, and it was awesome to pump them up and calm them down enough to jump. Some were terrified, others just smiling away. We had the choice of being harnessed to our torso or ankles and we could jump either forwards or backwards. The best jump I think was Darin’s amazingly graceful back flip! And the best rebound might have been Rachael’s, when she all of a sudden realized she wasn’t terrified, and started flapping like a dodo bird! I was so pumped to jump, less nervous than excited. As I was being harnessed in I was all giddy, and decided to jump backwards. But as soon as my feet left that bridge, I totally panicked, and my mind was scrambling the entire time! It was a while before I could comprehend anything, and then I realized that I was swinging and it was amazing! Honestly, it was the best adrenaline rush of my life! I was so shaky afterwards and very cold, but it was so worth it! The general consensus is that bungee jumping was probably the best day so far this semester. I have personally been thinking about taking risks, and that being safe is not always the best or what God wants for me. Bungee jumping I guess sort of symbolized that whole lesson for me, especially in light of how nervous my mom was (thankfully, I took the advice of my brother and threw caution to the wind!). This was the biggest and best risk I have ever taken!

By Kendra Matheison