Dangerous Sports Club
Encyclopedia
The Dangerous Sports Club, a group of adventurers and extreme sports pioneers based in Oxford
and London
, were active from the late 1970s for about ten years, during which they developed modern bungee jumping
and experimented with a variety of other innovative sporting activities.
, Chris Baker, Ed Hulton and Alan Weston. They first came to wide public attention by inventing modern day bungee jumping
, by making the first modern jumps on 1 April 1979, from the Clifton Suspension Bridge
, Bristol, England. They followed the Clifton Bridge effort with a jump from the Golden Gate Bridge
in San Francisco, California
(including the first female bungee jump by Jane Wilmot), and with a televised leap from the Royal Gorge
Suspension Bridge in Colorado
, sponsored by and televised on the popular American
television program That's Incredible!
Bungee jumping
was treated as a novelty for a few years, then became a craze for young people, and is now an established industry for thrill seekers.
, Switzerland
, in which competitors were required to devise a sculpture mounted on skis and ride it down a mountain. The event reached its limits when the Club arrived in St. Moritz with a London double-decker bus
, wanting to send it down the ski slopes, and the Swiss resort managers refused.
Other Club activities included expedition hang gliding
from active volcano
es; the launching of giant (60ft) plastic spheres with pilots suspended in the centre (zorbing
); microlight flying; and BASE jumping
(in the early days of this sport).
However, it is the invention of bungee jumping for which the Club is mostly renowned.
star Graham Chapman
was perhaps their most famous member, and he was at work in a feature movie about the club when he died in 1989. When making personal appearances in the mid-1980s, he would show films of Club activities.
The Club, although later achieving a degree of social diversity, was rooted in the English
upper class
and centred geographically in Oxford and, later, the West End of London
. The style of dress adopted by members during their activities often included top hats and tailcoats, and the Club had a deserved champagne-swilling image.
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
and London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, were active from the late 1970s for about ten years, during which they developed modern bungee jumping
Bungee jumping
Bungee jumping is an activity that involves jumping from a tall structure while connected to a large elastic cord. The tall structure is usually a fixed object, such as a building, bridge or crane; but it is also possible to jump from a movable object, such as a hot-air-balloon or helicopter, that...
and experimented with a variety of other innovative sporting activities.
Origins
The Dangerous Sports Club was founded by David KirkeDavid Kirke (DSC)
David Kirke is a founding member of the Dangerous Sports Club and was the first man to perform the modern bungee jump in 1979.He studied at Wellington College and Corpus Christi College, Oxford where he studied English and philosophy...
, Chris Baker, Ed Hulton and Alan Weston. They first came to wide public attention by inventing modern day bungee jumping
Bungee jumping
Bungee jumping is an activity that involves jumping from a tall structure while connected to a large elastic cord. The tall structure is usually a fixed object, such as a building, bridge or crane; but it is also possible to jump from a movable object, such as a hot-air-balloon or helicopter, that...
, by making the first modern jumps on 1 April 1979, from the Clifton Suspension Bridge
Clifton Suspension Bridge
Brunel died in 1859, without seeing the completion of the bridge. Brunel's colleagues in the Institution of Civil Engineers felt that completion of the Bridge would be a fitting memorial, and started to raise new funds...
, Bristol, England. They followed the Clifton Bridge effort with a jump from the Golden Gate Bridge
Golden Gate Bridge
The Golden Gate Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the Golden Gate, the opening of the San Francisco Bay into the Pacific Ocean. As part of both U.S. Route 101 and California State Route 1, the structure links the city of San Francisco, on the northern tip of the San Francisco Peninsula, to...
in San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
(including the first female bungee jump by Jane Wilmot), and with a televised leap from the Royal Gorge
Royal Gorge
The Royal Gorge is a canyon on the Arkansas River near Cañon City, Colorado. With a width of at its base and a few hundred feet at its top, and a depth of in places, the 10-mile-long canyon is a narrow, steep gorge through the granite of Fremont Peak...
Suspension Bridge in Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
, sponsored by and televised on the popular American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
television program That's Incredible!
That's Incredible!
That's Incredible! was an American reality television show that aired on the ABC television network from 1980 to 1984.-Synopsis:In the tradition of You Asked For It, Ripley's Believe It or Not! and Real People, the show featured people performing stunts and reenactments of allegedly paranormal events...
Bungee jumping
Bungee jumping
Bungee jumping is an activity that involves jumping from a tall structure while connected to a large elastic cord. The tall structure is usually a fixed object, such as a building, bridge or crane; but it is also possible to jump from a movable object, such as a hot-air-balloon or helicopter, that...
was treated as a novelty for a few years, then became a craze for young people, and is now an established industry for thrill seekers.
Other innovations
The Club also pioneered a surrealist form of skiing, holding three events at St. MoritzSt. Moritz
St. Moritz is a resort town in the Engadine valley in Switzerland. It is a municipality in the district of Maloja in the Swiss canton of Graubünden...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, in which competitors were required to devise a sculpture mounted on skis and ride it down a mountain. The event reached its limits when the Club arrived in St. Moritz with a London double-decker bus
Double-decker bus
A double-decker bus is a bus that has two storeys or 'decks'. Global usage of this type of bus is more common in outer touring than in its intra-urban transportion role. Double-decker buses are also commonly found in certain parts of Europe, Asia, and former British colonies and protectorates...
, wanting to send it down the ski slopes, and the Swiss resort managers refused.
Other Club activities included expedition hang gliding
Hang gliding
Hang gliding is an air sport in which a pilot flies a light and unmotorized foot-launchable aircraft called a hang glider ....
from active volcano
Volcano
2. Bedrock3. Conduit 4. Base5. Sill6. Dike7. Layers of ash emitted by the volcano8. Flank| 9. Layers of lava emitted by the volcano10. Throat11. Parasitic cone12. Lava flow13. Vent14. Crater15...
es; the launching of giant (60ft) plastic spheres with pilots suspended in the centre (zorbing
Zorbing
Zorbing is the recreation of rolling downhill in an orb, generally made of transparent plastic. Zorbing is generally performed on a gentle slope, but can also be done on a level surface, permitting more rider control. In the absence of hills some operators have constructed inflatable, wooden or...
); microlight flying; and BASE jumping
BASE jumping
BASE jumping, also sometimes written as B.A.S.E jumping, is an activity that employs an initially packed parachute to jump from fixed objects...
(in the early days of this sport).
However, it is the invention of bungee jumping for which the Club is mostly renowned.
History
After a heyday in the early to mid 1980s, the Club declined in numbers and activity level. However, in the early period, it was highly active, with several dozen active members and a holding a wide range of events. The Club was heavily covered in the press, and made a film released in 1982 ("The History of the Dangerous Sports Club") as a supporting feature. Their activities were recorded by photographer Dafydd Jones. - One memorable image is of a young Nigella Lawson playing croquet from a sedan chair during a tea party hosted by the club. The group split into various factions over the years. Monty PythonMonty Python
Monty Python was a British surreal comedy group who created their influential Monty Python's Flying Circus, a British television comedy sketch show that first aired on the BBC on 5 October 1969. Forty-five episodes were made over four series...
star Graham Chapman
Graham Chapman
Graham Arthur Chapman was a British comedian, physician, writer, actor, and one of the six members of the Monty Python comedy troupe.-Early life and education:...
was perhaps their most famous member, and he was at work in a feature movie about the club when he died in 1989. When making personal appearances in the mid-1980s, he would show films of Club activities.
The Club, although later achieving a degree of social diversity, was rooted in the English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
upper class
Upper class
In social science, the "upper class" is the group of people at the top of a social hierarchy. Members of an upper class may have great power over the allocation of resources and governmental policy in their area.- Historical meaning :...
and centred geographically in Oxford and, later, the West End of London
West End of London
The West End of London is an area of central London, containing many of the city's major tourist attractions, shops, businesses, government buildings, and entertainment . Use of the term began in the early 19th century to describe fashionable areas to the west of Charing Cross...
. The style of dress adopted by members during their activities often included top hats and tailcoats, and the Club had a deserved champagne-swilling image.