EXTREME SPORTS 4

Bungee jumping was invented by A.J. Hackett in New Zealand and involves jumping from a high place while hooked up to a thick elastic rope. The divers fall and snap back into the air before they hit the ground. Even though you're connected to a rope, bungee jumping is very dangerous. Ropes can fail and many jumpers get whiplash injuries.

The traditional term for skydiving is parachuting because jumpers use a parachute after they've done free falling. The first people to develop parachuting technology were soldiers in the US military. It became a recreational, competitive sport in 1951. If the divers point head-down during their fall, they can reach speeds up to 200 mph.

A BMX bike is a cross between a bicycle and a motorcycle. These bikes have super suspension for riding on rough terrain. They don't have engines, but they are still called BMX, which stands for Bicycle Motorcross. There were BMX events at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.