First bungee jump

The first recorded bungee jumps took place from the Clifton Suspension Bridge in Bristol, UK, some 76 m (250 ft) above the River Avon on 1 April 1979. The very first jump was performed by David Kirke, who tied himself to an elasticated rope and leapt off the bridge, and was then followed by Simon Keeling, Alan Weston and Tim Hunt (all UK). All four men were members of the Oxford University Dangerous Sports Club. In 2000, to mark the sport’s 21st anniversary, Kirke re-enacted his jump at the same location.

David Kirke performed his historic jump on April Fool’s Day in 1979 wearing top hat, tails and a mask, while holding a bottle of champagne. In 2019, he revealed, “We hadn’t tested it, or anything like that. We were called the Dangerous Sports Club, and testing it first wouldn't have been particularly dangerous.” (Kirke passed away in his sleep in October 2023, aged 78.)

The four jumpers were arrested following the event, and fined, but released on condition that they would never perform the risky stunt again. Club members went on to repeat the stunt in the USA, however, at sites including the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, California, and the Royal George Suspension Bridge in Colorado. By the early 1980s, they were also jumping from hot-air balloons and mobile cranes.

Kirke claimed that his inspiration for the stunt was a land-diving ritual that takes place on the southern part of Pentecost Island, Vanuatu, in the South Pacific Ocean. Local men take the plunge from wooden towers up to 30 m (98 ft 5 in) high, with tree vines attached to their ankles. The courage of the divers is said to ensure a successful yam harvest.