A bit of history
Trampoline jumping originates from the circus world and, until the beginning of the past century, was something done by performers only. In 1926, a group of enthusiasts in the United States wanted to develop gymnastics on a bouncy mattress into a new type of sport. George Nissen played a major role in the development of the trampoline and corresponding teaching method. ‘Trampolining’ was accepted as a new form of competition before long. The first trampolines arrived in Europe in the mid-1950s. During the Olympic Games in Sydney in 2000, trampoline jumping was an Olympic discipline within gymnastics.
Trampoline parks originated in the United States, where ‘jumping’ has been tremendously popular for many years. Skyzone founder Rick Platt opened a trampoline park for professional gymnasts in 2004. Since it did not attract enough athletes, it was opened to the public. Afterwards, his son Jeff Platt opened a second indoor trampoline park in 2006 and Skyzone has been a resounding success ever since, with more than 100 parks in the U.S.
The reason why trampoline jumping is so popular is that it gives the sensation of being lighter than air.The combination of fun and sports appeals to a wide audience. According to a study conducted on behalf of NASA, the magnitude of the biomechanical stimuli in the body is greater in trampoline jumping than in running with a comparable heartbeat and oxygen consumption rate.
