Rapped In Taking Terror To The Extreme

Sydney Morning Herald

Saturday January 15, 2000

By JANINE ISRAEL

Macka Mackail spends his day sitting on the edge of cliffs or tall buildings convincing ``s--- scared" people to jump off head-first.

Rap Jumping is the latest extreme sport to hit Sydney, and is described by Mackail who started the craze 10 years ago in Cairns as ``forward abseiling" mixed with the free-fall rush of bungy jumping.

``There are not many things today where people can challenge themselves. That's why adventure sports are taking off," Mackail says, adding until now Sydney had been an extreme sports wasteland.

He has just been granted council permission to start tourist leaps from the 76-metre cliffs at Diamond Bay, Vaucluse. For $65 which includes unlimited dives people can hurtle towards the Pacific Ocean at about seven metres a second.

Those lazing on Bondi Beach yesterday may have spied Mackail and crew going down the side of the seven-storey Bondi Beachside Inn, conducting Rap Jumping demonstrations.

``The rush you get is similar to bungy jumping and the safety is similar to abseiling," Mackail says, swearing he has never known anyone suffer even a scraped knee.

Jumpers are hooked into a harness and control the speed of their descent by adjusting a rope in their hand. If they lose control, there is a precautionary ``brakesperson" standing at the bottom controlling the rope.

Yet assurances of safety are not enough to appease some jumpers, who shake all over or burst into tears at crunch time.

But Mackail says their faces at the bottom indicate they have completely conquered their fear and can't wait to do it again.

``Fear rules the world. Everyone's scared of relationships, they're scared of their job ... People need to face adversity."

Head-on.