The History of Trampolining

Trampolining is a competive gymnastic sport that was incorporated in the Olympic Games in 2000. The main objective of the sport is to perform acrobatics while bouncing or jumping on a trampoline.

In the early 20th century, "bouncing beds" were used by certain stage acts to entertain audiences, which is considered as the first known trampoline jumping in history, because the "beds" they used were strikingly similar to the trampoline we know today. Eskimos are also known to have used Walrus skin to toss each other up into the air before the modern trampoline was born.

The trampoline itself, according to circus lore, was first developed by an artist called Du Trampolin who saw the possibility of using the trapeze safety net as a form of propulsion and landing device and experimented with different systems of suspension, eventually reducing the net to a practical size for separate performance.

During WWII, the United States Navy Flight School developed the use of the trampoline in its training of pilots and navigators, giving them concentrated practice in orientation such as had never been possible before. After the war, the development of the Space Flight Program again brought the trampoline into use to help train both American and Soviet astronauts, giving them experience of variable body positions in flight.

The trampoline, if safely used, can be a great fitness tool for ativities such as Rebound Excercise, which is therapeutic movement on a mini-trampoline. Since every part of the body is in motion while jumping on a trampoline, some doctors consider this to be a good activity for therapies such as stimulating the lymphatic system or white blood system. It is further said that trampolining exercise helps remove toxins, and in delivery and absorption of nutrients at the cellular level where it is converted into energy.

George Nissen, a gymnast and competitive diver, and a friend, Larry Griswold, designed and built the first modern trampoline in 1934. Inspired by circus trapeze artists, they manufactured the first prototype - a stretched piece of canvas, with gromets inserted along each side, to an angle iron frame by means of coiled springs. It was a great success and "trampoline" became a household word soon after.

The trampoline has now been used not only for recreational or competitive purposes but also for training in variable body positions in flight to pilots and astronauts.