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Young Russians have found a new way to add a little spice to their life: rope jumping. Dmitrij Arsenev shares his photos made during the Siberian Rope Jumping competition – The Cup Of Siberia.
Dmitrij Arsenev/SellYourPhoto.net
Dmitrij Arsenev, 34 y.o. power engineer from Myski, heard about the rope jumpers a couple of years ago and joined the group of daredevils having already more than 3000 members. Dmitrij not only jumps himself but also photographs other members of the group.
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This unauthorised extreme sport is not unlike bungee jumping, except for two significant details: you don’t jump in an open, natural space, but off a city rooftop. And you don’t use an elastic cord, but a mountain climbing rope.
Dmitrij Arsenev/SellYourPhoto.net
The late American rock-climber Dan Osman is usually credited with inventing rope jumping: he was the first to begin jumping off cliffs and mountain tops tied to a safety rope.
Dmitrij Arsenev/SellYourPhoto.net
Dan Osman died November 23, 1998 at the age of 35 after his rope failed while performing a "controlled free-fall" jump from the Leaning Tower rock formation in Yosemite National Park.
Dmitrij Arsenev/SellYourPhoto.net
Did he expect his idea to become the new big thing for urban youths in post-Soviet countries? Probably not.
Dmitrij Arsenev/SellYourPhoto.net
It looks totally simple and straight forward, until you just think for a second about the physics involved. The key is to jump so that you swing across the underside of the bridge, and to trust that your rope is attached to something that ain't going nowhere.
Dmitrij Arsenev/SellYourPhoto.net
"Although it looks risky, it’s actually one of the safest extreme sports. To my knowledge, there have never been any reports of accidents, injuries or deaths due to rope jumoing in Russia. Occasionally scratches from climbing the fire escape to get up to the roof, but that’s all.", - says one of the thrill-seekers from Nizhny Novgorod.
Dmitrij Arsenev/SellYourPhoto.net
“We are trying to find safe places for jumping away from the people, but police still think rope jumping is dangerous and this year they have even banned the Cup of Siberia.” - says one of the participants. Because rope jumping is such a new activity in Russia, there is no law regulating it. Although it is not officially forbidden, police usually stop and dismantle any urban rope jumping squads they find.
Dmitrij Arsenev/SellYourPhoto.net
"And the jumper is actually tied to three ropes, not one: that way, if one rope tears, the other two maintain his weight. It’s virtually impossible for all three ropes to tear at once, it has never happened.”
Dmitrij Arsenev/SellYourPhoto.net
"It’s safe because we meticulously prepare for each jump: the material needs to be at the right tension, correctly placed and correctly fastened."
