Greatest bungee-cord extension during a jump

What to remember

Above the Loire Valley in February 1992, French jumper Gregory Riffi leapt from a helicopter attached to a 249.9-metre cord. At maximum elongation the cord reached 610 m, setting a record for the greatest extension during a bungee jump.

The idea of the sport is simple: jump from a height tied to a long latex cord, attached at the ankles or the chest, which slows and then stops the fall. The jumper then springs back up as the cord recoils, and keeps bouncing until all the energy is gone. Jumps usually start from a bridge, a crane, a building or a cliff.

Jumpers can also leave from an aircraft able to hover above the ground, such as a hot-air balloon or, in Riffi's case, a helicopter.