JACK Smyth, co-owner of Readers Rest in Seadoone Mall, decided to check ‘wild gorge swing’ off his bucket list in celebration of his 80th birthday.

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Jack said after being faced with the decision of either doing the swing or bungee jump, he chose the swing or ‘the swinging 80’s’ as he called it.

The swing, situated 165m (55 storeys) at the top of Lehr’s waterfall at Oribi Gorge, is the highest swing of its kind in the world.

“From the moment you step foot on the edge and jump, it all happens so fast,” said Jack. He said his love for adrenaline, coupled with wanting to conquer his fear of heights, is what inspired him to do the gorge swing, living by his motto ‘carpe diem’.

In his younger days, he did a lot of off-roading in cars and participated in events such as the Roof of Africa and Trans Kalahari.

He also sailed for 20 years, “I sailed off the Natal Coast on my own boat for eight years and then went sailing as a skipper for private yachts in the Mediterranean, United States of America and the Caribbean,” said Jack.

When he’s not working at his book store, he enjoys his hobbies of reading and woodworking.  

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