Interesting Facts About Trampolines

You know what a trampoline is, and you probably know that it was invented as a way for people to jump and enjoy acrobatics without the pain of hitting the ground (or the water, in the case of acrobatic diving) at the end of the jump. There are some other interesting facts about trampolines that you may not know, but that make for fascinating trivia.

The trampoline became famous after inventor George Nissen was photographed on a trampoline jumping with a kangaroo. While this photograph has been referred to as “chance,” and many people have referred to Nissen’s “luck” in having such a photo snapped, it was actually a planned publicity shot, which had exactly the effect Nissen hoped. Most people wonder how Nissen got the kangaroo to jump with him; he held its front paws so it could not kick him, and jumped, which caused both of them to bounce, of course. While the kangaroo has been referred to as “tame,” it actually was not.

The word trampoline comes from the Spanish “el trampoline,” for diving board. Nissen was a diver and gymnast, and invented the trampoline to provide a safer way to do the acrobatics he loved in both sports.

Trampoline clubs flourish around the world, but Kent, England’s Gillingham Jumpers is the largest club in the world. The Jumpers generally have about 1,500 people jumping in the Jumpers Rebound Centre every week, more than any other known club.

But clubs are not the only arena for trampolines. In 2000, at the Sydney Olympics, Irina Karavaeva of Russia won the first gold medal in trampoline competition. George Nissen, then 86, attended the Games and saw Karavaeva win the gold.

Trampolines are becoming popular as extreme sports, as well. Not content simply to jump on a trampoline, many sports centers are now offering bungee trampolines, which involve a jumper strapping on a harness and bungee cord so they can jump higher and do more stunts on the trampoline.

Competitive trampoline jumping is surprisingly popular, and has been around for some time, with the first World Champion, Judy Wills Cline, earning her first title in 1964. She eventually held ten world titles in trampoline, synchronized trampoline and tumbling. Dan Millman, who is now a well-know personal growth expert, was the first men’s World Champion in trampoline, and also won his first title in 1964.

But trampolines are not only an individual sport; in 1986 Cleveland State University’s Delta Epsilon fraternity fielded a six-man team that set the Guinness World Record for continuous bouncing on a trampoline, with 53 days of jumping between six people. President Reagan called the team to congratulate them. Other Guinness record categories for trampoline include a category for the longest slam-dunk by a basketball player on a trampoline.

Knowing interesting facts about trampolines may not make you a better jumper, but it certainly will make you a more interesting party guest, and the next time you’re jumping on your trampoline with friends, you might get a chance to share some of your unusual trampoline knowledge.