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The Extraordinary Land Divers of Pentecost

For three months of the year, on the remote South Pacific island of Pentecost, the tradition of land diving takes place. A tower is built from timber and vines collected from the hills around the dive site. Diving takes place between March and June when the vines are strong. The death defying dives are performed each Saturday, or when tourist cruise ships visit the Island throughout these months. The local tribes around Lonohore gather to perform the land diving as a sporting spectacle for the tourists visiting the island. A vine is tied to each ankle of the divers and the men and boys dive from different levels, some as high as ten meters.
They hurl themselves off the platform diving at the solid ground below and are saved only by the vines which pull them back from the jaws of death inches from the ground.
Land diving is an ancient tradition on the island and is now considered 'professional' by the divers who are rewarded for there dives by the money paid by tourists visiting the land dive site. But the money doesn't go to the individual; it goes to the village of the diver to help support that community. The divers are paid according to which jump level platform they dive off, which ranges from around A$6 from the lowest platform to A$30 for diving from the highest platform.

A Land Diver, with vines tied to his ankles, launches himself from the Land Diving tower in front of a small group of tourists at the Lonorore Land Diving site on Pentecost Island. Vanuatu.

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Filename: Land Divers 020.TIF
Copyright: Tim Clayton
Image Size: 5200x3467 / 51.8MB; South Pacific Island Pentecost Vanuatu Tradition Tower Timber Vines Death Defying Lonohore Ancient Tradition Culture Folklore Tribes Invention Bungee Jumping Traditional Costume Leap Of Faith Platform Group Diver Diving Shore Jump People Danger Performance Rope Celebration Event Lifestyles Vertical Black And White Falling Watching Land Australasia Pacific Islands Pacific Islander Man Nature Pentecost Island Vine Palm Tree Photography Recreation Risk Rural Silhouette Structure Sunny Tower Tradition Travel Destinations Tree Color Colour Countryside Custom Jumping Hilltop Scaffolding Visit Cloud Males Jeopardy Full Length Leaping Bungee Jumping Lonorore Pentecost Island Tower Climbing Customs And Celebrations Traditions Adventure Ethnic Ethnicity Cultural Traditional Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders Building Build Erect Builds Erects Challenging Challenge Challenges Climbing Climb Climbs Dive Dives Erecting Fall Falls Flying Fly Flies Jumps Leap Leaps Plunging Plunge Plunges Ceremonial Clothing Apparel Clothing Traditional Clothing Ceremony Ceremonies Celebration Celebrate Celebrations Brave Bravery Courageous Courageousness Daring Dare Dares Defiant Defiance Dramatic Many People Groups Barefoot Barefooted Muscular Fit Strong Muscles Nude Naked Undressed Nudes Old Aged Elderly Religion Religious Rite Religions Rites Ritual Sacrament Sacraments
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For three months of the year, on the remote South Pacific island of Pentecost, the tradition of land diving takes place. A tower is built from timber and vines collected from the hills around the dive site. Diving takes place between March and June when the vines are strong. The death defying dives are performed each Saturday, or when tourist cruise ships visit the Island throughout these months. The local tribes around Lonohore gather to perform the land diving as a sporting spectacle for the tourists visiting the island. A vine is tied to each ankle of the divers and the men and boys dive from different levels, some as high as ten meters. <br />
They hurl themselves off the platform diving at the solid ground below and are saved only by the vines which pull them back from the jaws of death inches from the ground. <br />
Land diving is an ancient tradition on the island and is now considered 'professional' by the divers who are rewarded for there dives by the money paid by tourists visiting the land dive site. But the money doesn't go to the individual; it goes to the village of the diver to help support that community. The divers are paid according to which jump level platform they dive off, which ranges from around A$6 from the lowest platform to A$30 for diving from the highest platform.<br />
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A Land Diver, with vines tied to his ankles, launches himself from the Land Diving tower in front of a small group of tourists at the Lonorore Land Diving site on Pentecost Island. Vanuatu.