Bungy jump record hits dizzy heights
An Auckland man has smashed the Guinness World Record for the most bungy jumps in 24 hours.
Mike Heard moon-walked, stepped, jumped and somersaulted off the Auckland Harbour Bridge 380 times by 4.50pm yesterday.
He was aiming for 200 jumps in the 24 hours from 7.15pm on Tuesday, but achieved this goal just 12 hours into the challenge.
Determined not to stop until the 24 hours were up, the 35-year-old said he would continue to jump off the 45-metre high ledge.
He estimated he would do 400 before the clock stopped but said that was a conservative guess.
‘‘It’s hard to guess how many I’ll do because every time I say a number, we go over it,’’ Heard said.
To put that into dollar terms, it costs customers $160 for their first jump at AJ Hackett Bungy on the Auckland Harbour Bridge, then $60 for every jump after that. If Heard was paying his own way, it would cost him $24,100 for 400 jumps.
He said his body was feeling ‘‘really good’’ – except for a few sore muscles around the outside of his thighs – but his head was a different story.
‘‘I’ve just done 52 in a row, and when I stop I feel like I’ve been on a boat. I actually feel worse when I stop than when I’m going.’’
Between jumps Heard has managed to fit in rest stops, including bathroom breaks, two hours sleep just after midnight, and a few food breaks.
He said he wasn’t particularly hungry or sleepy, and was surviving on bananas, energy drinks and power-naps.
‘‘It’s a real thrill to have broken the record and achieved what we set out to do.’’
He did 48 jumps in the first hour then paced himself to 25 jumps an hour yesterday morning, then picked back up again around noon.
He said technique was important.
‘‘I sort of just jump straight down, because the wind is coming from the northwest and by doing that I can stop myself from spinning, because when I spin I start to feel quite dizzy.’’
But the best jump so far was the 316th jump – double the original record of 158 set by Australian man Beau Retallick in 2014.
‘‘It was quite emotional for me, I had a little cry, I’ve got my wife here and my best friend and work mates, a very humbling experience.’’
Heard said the record attempt was all about raising money and awareness for the Mental Health Foundation.
’’We’ve all had someone who’s been affected by mental health at some stage.
‘‘I’m just encouraging people to talk to people, have a chat and say that you’re not a weirdo, you don’t have a label written across your forehead.’’
He had raised more than $7000 in donations for the charity by 3pm yesterday.
AJ Hackett Bungy New Zealand managing director Henry van Asch called Heard’s effort exceptional.
’’I’m really pleased for Mike and the team and really looking forward to seeing how far he pushes the boat out during the rest of the day.’’