The Daily Utah Chronicle from Salt Lake City, Utah • 5

Wetttsn.JuhM,1W3 Tba Summer Chraaiclc 5 Death-defying thrillls and fun with Bungee Utah BY PHILLIP SIMON Chronicle Feature Writer 3 II' II Bungee Utah does offer special days. "Two For Tuesday," allows a person to jump twice for $25. Wednesday is bungee T-shirt day, so anyone wearing a Bungee Utah T-shirt can jump for $10. (Bungee Utah T-shirts are available at the tower for $10.) The tower also holds special contests sponsored by local patrons. Prizes are awarded for winners in many different bungee jumping categories.

A jump and T-shirt on special contest days costs $15. There are 25 named jumps a person can do, according to jumpmaster and general manag- ences someone can have, according to Snow. "It makes jocks mighty humble, and nerds mighty brave. It'll change your life," he said, adding there is a big difference from being safe with two feet on the ground and jumping off a 75 foot tower. Only 1 percent of first time jumpers back out, so most people will jump after some hesitation.

Often the bungee jumpmas-ters, who consider themselves junior psychologists, spend an average of five and 10 minutes convincing people to jump. "If you can come up with an excuse not to jump, I can come up with one to jump. you can come up with an not to jump, I can come with one to jump. That's the of bungee jumping, the the risk is what makes it exciting," Tony Gunn, jump-master and general manager of Utah, said. er Tony Gunn.

These jumps range from the beginning Feet First to the totally insane Kamikaze Corkscrew, an upside down twisting flip. Other self-explanatory jumps include the Handstand, the Blindfolded Jump, the Spread Eagle, the Aussie, the MacGyver and the Smokestack. Each entails a different style of jump and will give you a rush you won't forget. The tower performs close to 30 jumps each hour and is one of the most exhilarating experi CHRONICLE PHOTOPaul Reinarz conquer their fear of heights. alternative to mediocre top-40 The bungee craze has come to Salt Lake City.

Bungee Utah, located at 17th South and Redwood Road, has now been open for two seasons. The tower came to Salt Lake through the affiliation of the Sports Tower and the national bungee company Air Boingo. The tower has two sides and employs between 11 and 14 people. A bungee cord is many long rubber cords strapped together. Different cords are used for the different weights of the jumper.

The maximum weight a person can be and still jump is 250 pounds. The cords are can be used 1,000 times, although Bungee Utah only uses its 300 times. "It is for safety reasons," Brad Snow, owner of Bungee Utah, said. Bungee Utah has done more than 350,000 safe jumps, an impressive figure since 50-60 jumps are done each day, he said. There are more than 1,000 safety checks before a person will be allowed to jump, according to Snow.

Checks range from a harness for the jumper's body to an airbag to land on after the jump. "It's the safest high you'll ever get," he said. The price of bungee jumping is not as expensive as people might think. The price for a first jump is $15 with each additional jump priced at $10. KRCL an A DJ spins BY ROB ROBERTS Chronicle Feature Writer Alternative radio, once the home of mainly eclectic selections of hard rock, reggae and bluegrass, has lost much of its original function.

With the mainstream popularity of many of these genres, alternative stations were in a precarious position. The opportunity for mass appeal and big profits If excuse up fun fear, Bungee rwvyrf is That's the fun of bungee jumping, the fear, the risk is what makes it exciting," Gunn said. He feels the thrill sells bungee jumping to people. Two girls visiting from Montana State University, Steph Spencer and Sharilyn Fluss, were not going to let a little tower scare them or were they? "I'm scared! Why am I doing this?" Spencer said. Afterwards she said it was fun and planned on doing it again.

Bungee jumping also knows no age. People as young as four up to those in their seventies have bungee jumped from the tower. The tower is also available to rent at $250 or $150 for one side. For more information on bungee jumping and renting the tower, call Brad Snow at 532-5932. CHRONICLE PHOTOErin Hayes Free Utah." Donna Land, KRCL program director.

She categorizes the station as "community radio," a format which recognizes the diverse composition of Salt Lake City and attempts to empower and give air time to those members of society who would not normally be given such an opportunity. KRCL was founded in 1979 by Stephen Holbrook. Holbrook became interested in community radio while resisting the Vietnam War in the early 1970s. Bungee Utah lets people He found that no broadcasters would give airtime to his non-establishment views. Patterned after a community radio station in Berkeley, KRCL was founded to provide a platform for those who could not find a niche on commercial radio.

KRCL has a paid staff of seven, but volunteers are the station's life-blood. Volunteers work in the office, attract sponsors and underwriters, record public service announcements, and even serve as the station's disc jockeys. "Our DJs are people who want to contribute to their community and who want to have their voices heard," Land said. "Most of the DJs are lay people who never thought of being on the radio. This is not a stepping stone to commercial radio," Land said.

The station actively works to ensure that the programming reflects the cultural concerns for as many groups as possible. The programs reflect the interests of African-Americans, Native Americans, Tongans, women and gays and lesbians. The various programs are hosted by a DJ of the same racial or social group. The station hierarchy will even actively recruit from a community group that they feel is not being adequately represented by the station. KRCL has a very diverse range of scheduled programs, which are a hodge-podge of music and talk programs.

The music, selected by the show's stations DJ, features a motley confluence of styles and genres folk, bluegrass, hard-core punk, world music, etc. Talk shows focus on community issues, arts issues, and gay and lesbian concerns. "We hope to eventually have a local news program," Land said. KRCL accepts no advertisers and runs no commercials. "Our music is what you call unmarketable, nothing from the Top-10, not even from the Top 100," Land said.

The station relies on funds from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and heavily on contributions from members of the community. "We have an on-air fund raiser twice a year. The last two years we've had our greatest response ever," Land said. "Many of the programs are underwritten by small businesses in the community." KRCL's main function is to educate the community and lend airtime to ideas that would not be heard on commercial broadcasting, according to Land. "We are not here to bash anyone.

We are here to inform and educate. The more information you have, the better decisions you'll make in life." you are interested in supporting community radio in Salt Lake or working as a volunteer, call KRCL at 363-1818 or stop by their offices at 208 W. 800 South in Salt Lake City. the eclectic music of KRCL, "Radio drove alternative radio into rotations and play lists. Alternative radio became synonymous for grunge Top-40.

Fortunately, real alternative radio, still exists, even in Salt Lake City. On 90.9 on the FM dial, KRCL, self-proclaimed Radio Free Utah, broadcasts 16,500 watts eclectic music and talk to the greater Salt Lake Valley. "KRCL is about giving a voice to people who would not normally have a voice," said.