LAND OF BUNGEE JUMPING | AJ HACKETT'S INSPIRATION (Guest Series: 06)

The N’gol ritual is only observed in one country, on a tiny island in the archipelago of Vanuatu.

The tradition involves men jumping from great heights with nothing but vines tied to their ankles to catch their fall.

The legend behind it goes something like this: a woman was desperately trying to escape her abusive husband, climbed to the top of a cliff, and jumped. He jumped after her, but hadn’t noticed the vines she had tied to her ankles. She survived, but he wasn’t so lucky.

Ever year after, during the yam harvest, women from the village would repeat the jump to remind men that they better not abuse them... or else. But somewhere along the line the men turned it around and claimed the tradition as their own - to show the women they won’t be fooled again.

So here I am, in Vanuatu during the yam harvest and on my way to watch the famous N’gol ritual on the island of Pentecost. I have to catch a flight on the smallest plane I’ve ever been on in my life.

They weigh me before I’m allowed to board (so happy I made the cut!) and I sit right behind the open cockpit for the quick 25 minute flight.

When I get to the village, some kids are running around with paper airplanes made from their French homework. One of the boys uses a long stick to steal a spider from its web, and starts a sick game of tag, chasing me around with the gigantic creepy crawler - making all the kids laugh hysterically.

And then, they do something I never thought I’d see... launching the spiders into the air on their paper airplanes. Flying spiders? This is what nightmares are made of. But the kids are having a blast, so who am I to tell them the spiders are probably not having a great time?

The ritual is about to begin so I follow everyone to where the tall wooden structure sits on the side of a steep hill.

The villagers are dressed in traditional clothing – topless with grass skirts for girls, and nothing but woven ummmm…penis holders? for the boys. Feels a little weird to be fully clothed by comparison.

Everyone is singing, dancing and encouraging the first jumper, who can’t be older than 10. I watch the little guy dive bravely, head first with nothing but vines tied around his ankles. The wooden board makes a loud cracking noise, the vines snap, there’s a loud thud, and he rolls into the dirt. Everyone cheers and shouts, and the men at the bottom cut the vines from around his ankles with a machete.

Every man climbs higher and higher before taking their leap, until the final jumper throws himself from the very top, about 15 meters high.

If you’re wondering - yes. This was AJ Hackett’s inspiration for creating the first bungee jumping experience in New Zealand, which is now popular around the world.

Seeing it for myself was truly a once in a lifetime experience.

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Story By: Naomi Lai | Country: Canada

Creator of Run Away With Me

@runaway.withme_