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Early History
The history of the trampoline can be traced all the way back to
archaeological drawings in ancient China, Egypt and Persia. The first kind of
trampolining was done by the Eskimos. They used to throw each into the air on a
Walrus skin, somewhat similar to the sheet used by firemen for catching people
who have to jump out the windows of buildings that are on fire.
The Advancement
The first modern trampoline was built in 1934 by George Nissen and Larry
Griswold. They both attended the University of Iowa: George Nissen was
a diving and gymnastic competitor and Larry Griswold was a tumbler on the
gymnastics team. They observed trapeze artists who used a tight net to add more
value and excitement to their performances. The two men took a piece of canvas
and experimented by stretching it to an angle iron frame by using coiled
springs. This invention was initially used to train tumblers; however it became
increasingly popular as a separate activity. George Nissen took a demonstration
tour in Mexico during the 1930’s and heard the word ‘trampoline’, meaning
diving board. Soon after, in 1942, The Griswold-Nissen Trampolining &
Tumbling Company was started and began producing trampolines commercially.
Usefulness
The industry grew rapidly during World War 2 when trampolines became a vital
part of physical training programmes. They were used to teach pilots
aerial awareness and navigation, giving them practice in orientation that had
never been possible before. The Navy selected trampolining as one of the twelve
activities to add to the aims of the Naval Aviation training. The mental and
physical conditioning for an aviation cadet was improved through trampolining
as it was implemented into the training. At three Naval Pre-Flight schools,
thousands of cadets would take part in trampoline training. During the
development of the space flight programme after the war, NASA brought the
trampoline into use to help train American and Soviet astronauts, giving them
significant experience of unpredictable body positions during flight.
Landmark Events
In 1936 trampoline history took major turn when George Nissen invented
the portable trampoline, contributing to the growth of trampoline
jumping as a competitive event. Another landmark event in the history of the
trampoline was when the first Trampoline World Championships were held in 1964.
In the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia, trampoline history was made
again with its debut as an Olympic sport.
Jump onto the Bandwagon
For almost 70 years the trampoline has had a positive impact in several areas
of society. The trampoline has definitely proved that it can be a valuable
service to the human body, including for gymnasts, pilots, navigators and
astronauts who require a more strenuous exercise regime. Today rebounding
exercises are proving to be highly effective and physical trainers and physical
education instructors alike are using trampolines as part of overall fitness
programmes. People from around the world now enjoy using the trampoline and
reaping the many benefits that come from simply playing around on it as well.
Author Bio:
Trampolinesfirst.com is one of
the Leading Trampoline Websites in the UK
and a brand name of TCW Plc a successful on-line and mail order retailer.
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