Naghol: the land divers of Pentecost Island
When I was ten years old, I sat on the floor a few feet from the TV with my jaw open, as I watched a documentary on the land diving of Pentecost Island, Vanuatu – also known as the naghol. Ever since, I’ve been fascinated by this tradition, where boys as young as 15 years old leap from huge wooden towers with nothing but a vine strapped to their feet, before hitting the ground with a brutal thud.
Living in the Pacific meant that I finally got the chance to see this extraordinary tradition in person. It didn’t disappoint.
