Adventure

New Zealand Gave a $330,000 Grant to Create a Human Catapult

Henry van Asch, co-founder of commercial bungee jumping, on his latest bid to get pulses pounding.

A man experiences the world’s first human catapult at the unveiling of the Nevis Catapult on Aug. 8.

Photographer: James D. Morgan/Getty Images

In Queenstown, New Zealand, the stakes have been raised in the adrenaline experience market. There’s now a “catapult” that launches participants almost 500 feet into the air at a speed of up to 60 miles per hour.

It’s not for the faint of heart, or those with a fear of heights, necessarily.