"The old rope swing hung from a tall tree that was perched on the edge of a granite wall, above some of the deepest water in Lake Tahoe. This wasn't an ordinary rope swing. The tree grew out of the rock. The swing launched people 45 feet into the sky, offering jumpers weighted seconds of airtime before they submerged into cold, clear water."
"The destroyed rope swing ignited a rebellion in a tight-knit community of cliff jumpers, extreme athletes and BASE jumpers, many of whom travel the world to jump from great heights and have spent countless hours in the air. Nick Coulter, a professional cliff jumper and documentarian based in Roseville, has seen many swings cut down by authorities, and he'd heard that someone had recently gotten hurt on the rope swing, suffering relatively minor injuries."
The rope swing sat on a tree growing out of granite above some of Lake Tahoe's deepest water and launched jumpers 45 feet into the sky. For decades amateurs and professionals visited the swing at D.L. Bliss State Park, and visitors replaced worn ropes, sustaining its popularity through social media. An arborist cut the tree's limbs while a California State Parks officer watched from a patrol boat, and branches were tossed onto rocks below. The removal angered cliff jumpers, extreme athletes and BASE jumpers. Professional jumper Nick Coulter, aware of prior removals and a recent minor injury, decided to resurrect a nearby second rope swing.
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