THE SCENE: A land diver takes the

leap on the South Pacific island of

Pentecost in Vanuatu.
THE PHOTOGRAPHER: Tim Clayton

Centuries before the first bungee

jumper launched himself off a bridge,
the inhabitants of Pentecost Island were
land diving: climbing handmade towers
up to 80 feet tall, wrapping a couple of
jungle vines around their ankles, and
pitching themselves out toward the
earth below. A tradition believed to date
back more than 1,500 years, its the
centerpiece of a ceremony that ensures
a successful harvestand proves ones
manhood. (These days the sport is also
performed for visiting tourists, a practice
that helps sustain local communities.)
Diversmen and boys, some as young
as fivewalk for days from all parts of
the island to designated sites, where
they must receive permission to plunge
from the local land diving doctor. Still,
its not uncommon for a participant to
fracture a boneor worseat the end
of his eight-story free fall. JESS HOLL

94

> Check out video of the land divers

ADVENTURE

at ngadventure.com.

PHOTOGRAPH BY TIM CLAYTON/REPORTAGE BY GETTY IMAGES

THE SPECS: Mamiya 7 with standard

80mm lens, ISO 125, f/5.6, 1/500 second

VOLUME 11, NUMBER 4. NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC ADVENTURE (ISSN 1523-6226) IS PUBLISHED EIGHT TIMES A YEARFEBRUARY, MARCH, APRIL/MAY, JUNE/JULY, AUGUST/SEPTEMBER, OCTOBER, NOVEMBER, DECEMBER/JANUARYBY THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY, 1145 17TH ST. NW, WASHINGTON, D.C. 20036-4688.
$14.97 A YEAR FOR U.S. DELIVERY, $4.99 PER SINGLE COPY. PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID AT WASHINGTON, D.C., AND ADDITIONAL MAILING OFFICES. SUBSCRIBER: IF THE POSTAL SERVICE ALERTS US THAT YOUR MAGAZINE IS UNDELIVERABLE, WE HAVE NO FURTHER OBLIGATION UNLESS WE RECEIVE A CORRECTED ADDRESS
WITHIN TWO YEARS. POSTMASTER: SEND ADDRESS CHANGES TO NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC ADVENTURE, P.O. BOX 63002, TAMPA, FL 33663-3002. IN CANADA, AGREEMENT #40063649, RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC ADVENTURE, P.O. BOX 4412 STA A, TORONTO, ONTARIO M5W 3W2.

LAST
LOOK