Bungy boss rejects talk of big dive in enthusiasm

Photo / Richard Robinson

It's been around for ages, seems expensive and the result is a foregone conclusion - so have Kiwis had enough of bungy?

Anecdotal evidence, based only upon on a straw poll in the office, seemed to suggest that bungy jumping has slipped from many a "to do" list.

Predictably enough, however, AJ Hackett Bungy New Zealand is keen to talk the activity up.

Hackett Bungy, which recently took over Auckland jumping operations at Skytower and Harbour Bridge, has assisted more than 1.5 million commercial jumps since its first one, at the Kawarau Bungy Centre near Queenstown, in 1988.

Spokesman Henry van Asch concedes the activity will never be for everyone, but claims the company is seeing more visitors than ever to its five sites round the country.

But surely there has to be a saturation point among the finite section of the population who regard themselves as thrill seekers?

"When we first started bungy we thought that might be the case, but since 1988 we've seen more and more visitors. In fact, we had our busiest year last year," said van Asch.

Bungy jumpers were equally divided between men and women, and those who had jumped with his company ranged in age from 10 years to 92.

The supply of national and international adventure seekers keen to overcome their fear showed no sign of running out.

Peer pressure often played a part in getting people to the point of jumping, van Asch admitted.

"But at the end of the day it comes down to one person, and that's the one standing out on the edge."