Hello. I'm Marina Santee. And I'm Elizabeth Lickiss. Welcome to Spotlight. This programme uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.
Today's Spotlight takes us into a world of danger and high risk - the world of Extreme Sports. Jane and Julian stand on the edge of a huge mountain. Far below them they can see a river. A number of people gather behind the safety barrier. The atmosphere is tense. Jane and Julian are tied to each other. Their ankles are attached to a strong piece of rubber rope. In a few seconds time, they will both jump. The rope is their survival line. It attaches them to the bridge they are standing on. The rope is designed to spring them back up just before they hit the rocks and river below. The rope will pull them away from danger just in time. Jane and Julian know that they are putting their lives at risk. But they are not afraid. They have made many jumps like this before. But today's jump is very special. Before the couple jump, they make some very special promises to each other. Friends and family watch from behind the safety barrier. They watch as Jane and Julian make their promises of marriage! Yes, they decided to get married doing what they loved best - bungee jumping.
Jane and Julian love bungee jumping! But how did this unusual sport originate? Who performed the first bungee jump? Well there are a number of different stories. But most bungee jumpers agree on the place of origin. They say that the sport comes from the South Pacific - from a tribe on Pentecost Island.
The people of this South Pacific tribe tell each other this story. A woman was running away from her husband. Her husband used to beat her. She was afraid of him. One time, the woman climbed a tall tree to escape from him. She then tied a strong plant root - a vine - to her ankles. Her husband followed her into the tree. He tried to get hold of her. But she jumped out of the tree. Her husband lost his balance and fell. The strong plant root saved the woman - it stopped her from falling to the ground. It worked like a spring and pulled her back up. Her husband however, was killed. Ever since this event, men of the island have enjoyed the sport of bungee jumping. Stories say that men started bungee jumping to honour the courage of the woman. Whatever the reason - bungee jumping became a popular sport on the island.
Today, many people enjoy bungee jumping. People jump from bridges, balloons and helicopters. Some bungee jumpers have even performed jumps of over four hundred and fifty metres. New bungee jump competitions require jumpers to perform difficult turns in the air. Some jumpers even try to get hold of objects on the ground. They have to do this before the rubber rope pulls them back into the air again. This is difficult and dangerous. Experts in the sport need to tie the rope to the exact length needed. They have to consider the weight of the jumper. They have to consider the distance of the fall. These measurements need to be exact. A mistake of a few millimetres can result in serious injury - or death!
People call bungee jumping an 'extreme sport.' Extreme sports are designed to push people to the very limits of their abilities. Joe Tomlinson has written a book about the subject. It is called "The Ultimate Encyclopaedia of Extreme Sports". It talks about many different kinds of sports. But they all have one thing in common. The sports in the book are all very dangerous.
Try this. Do not take a breath in, for one minute! Liz will do it with you. Ready Elizabeth?
Go. I will tell you when the minute is up. While you do this, imagine diving deep into the ocean. You do not have an air tank! This is what the extreme sport of freediving involves. Normal divers carry air tanks on their backs when they dive. The only air that freedivers carry is the air in their lungs.
Some freedivers have travelled over one hundred metres down into the oceans. Anyone who does this needs a good set of lungs! Ok Liz that is one minute. You can breathe now! Not easy was it? But just imagine freedivers need to be able to hold their breath for minutes!
There are different kinds of freediving. The most extreme kind of diving is called 'absolute' diving. In this, the divers add weight to their bodies on the trip down. This makes them sink faster. Some divers have reached speeds of four metres a second! To return to the surface, divers use a lifting aid - such as a blow up container. Some absolute divers have managed to travel more than one hundred and twenty metres deep!
To do this, they learn special breathing methods. They train their lungs to hold air for long periods of time. They also have to limit their movement. Each move requires oxygen - and there is clearly a limited supply!
Freedivers needs great inner strength and control. A failed attempt can result in death. The divers have to be fully prepared mentally and physically. This is true for all lovers of extreme sports. As the name suggests, extreme sports mean extreme risks. So what makes people want to risk their lives in such a way?
Bungee jumpers, Jane and Julian say that pushing their human limits makes them feel more alive. Scientists say that this could be because of the way the chemical adrenaline works in the body. The body releases adrenaline into the blood. It does this when people are in danger. It also releases adrenaline when people perform extreme physical activity. Adrenaline makes people feel full of energy. Scientists believe that some people are addicted to the feeling that adrenaline gives. In Joe Tomlinson's book on Extreme Sports, he said, 'Extreme sports are about the individual. They are about the satisfaction of pushing yourself to your human limits. It is about challenging yourself to even greater things. Adrenaline is a powerful chemical. When it releases into the body the feeling is wonderful. Extreme sports have a life confirming quality about them.' Do you agree with Joe's comments? What makes you feel really alive? Would jumping from the Empire state building help? Or how about walking across Niagara Falls on a thin piece of wire? Are these your ideas of fun? In our next programme in this series we will take extreme sports to the very limits. Join us next time to hear Extreme Sports, part two.
The writers of today's programme were Elizabeth Lickiss and Marina Santee. The voices you heard were from the United Kingdom. Computer users can hear our programmes, read our scripts and see our wordbook on our website at www.radio.english.net. This programme is called 'Extreme Sports Part One.'
