WEEK    JOB: JUMP MASTER

LOCATION: WHISTLER, BRITISH COLUMBIA

EMPLOYER: WHISTLER BUNGEE

WAGE: $10–$15 HOUR*

INDUSTRY IQ:

• In Vanuatu, a boy’s acceptance into manhood involves jumping off a wood platform over two stories high with only vines attached to his feet (his head must touch the ground).

• The world’s highest recorded jump is 760 feet, with 4–5 seconds of free fall, reaching speeds up to 125 miles an hour.

• Each bungee cord lasts about 600–800 jumps and costs approximately $800–$1,300.

APPLICATION PROCESS: My soccer coach is part owner of the company.

WHAT I LEARNED: Jumping off a bridge attached to an elastic cord is surprisingly safe.

Many jump masters say it’s safer than driving your car to work. That comparison has never offered me much comfort, but I’m told that one bungee jump is as dangerous as driving a car one hundred miles. Since most people don’t drive a hundred miles to get to work, I guess I’ll buy it.

* Source: employer. Most of the wage information I’ve included has come from my employers. I will specify when I’ve used other sources. The notation “BLS” is used for information from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2008 (www.bls.gov/oco/).