Tignes’ New Bun-J Ride Review

Somehow brave enough to make the jump, I decided to do my best to look and feel like a pro rider. I even thought about doing a backflip. Standing at the top of the 30m ramp and looking at the 40m void below, I knew I had to nothing fear, thanks to the bungee cords and harness. But once I was at the top and it was almost my turn, I couldn’t help feeling a few butterflies, sweaty palms and wondering how the heck professional skiers and boarders hit similar jumps for a living…without a harness.

When you arrive at the BunJ Ride, go into the cabin and sign yourself in. Once you fill out a waiver, patiently wait your turn. Located at an elevation of 2600m, there is a great view of Tignes and the Espace Killy from the top of the jump. I just tried to enjoy the view and not get too terrified as I waited to jump into the abyss. At this point, the backflip was out the window, I just wanted to make it off the jump.

The staff at Bun J Ride are super friendly and explain everything you need to know about the take off while they are setting you up in the harness. Once all the cords are attached, they set you up on the top of the jump and with a VERY quick ‘5-4-3-2-1’ they PUSH you forward and off you go!

Never having bungee jumped before, it was pretty cool flying freely through the air, with all the snow and sky and Tignes spinning around me. After whizzing off the jump, you get to bounce around a bit before they pull you back in. There is even a little crowd that gathers on the side of the run to watch, hopefully all cheering and not laughing. The coolest part of the morning was actually getting to see someone do the jump on a sit-ski, which was incredible impressive.

Tignes is the newest location for Bun J Ride and this venue is dedicated to snow jumps on skis, snowboards or sleds. I would definitely recommend doing the jump if you have the opportunity and are looking for a wicked time flying through the air on your skis or board. If you have a choice, doing the jump on skis would be best instead of a board, as the cords pull you by your front leg and it feels a little awkward on the take off.

For those who are ready to make the jump, it is best to reserve your spot. You can do this easily on the Bun J Ride website where you can check out the different jumping options. During the week, it can get really busy so be prepared to wait a bit, even if you have reserved. They do accept reservations on the spot, but they may ask you to come back in a few hours or the following day (depending on how busy they are).

The cost is 65€ for a ski or snowboard jump or 115€ for two people on a sled. If you want to take home the video and some photos of your awesome pro jump, the cost is 20€, or 15€ if you bring your own USB key. It is a little pricey, but totally worth it if you are an adrenaline junkie or even just looking for something completely different on your skis or snowboard.

The Bun J Ride is open every day except Saturday from 10h30 to 16h00, and will stay open until April 18th 2015. To do the jump, you must be 13 years old and a minimum weight of 40kg.

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Take a look at the video of Holly's jump.. are you brave enough?!?