See How Trampolines Can Be Part Of Any Exercise Program

When the trampoline was invented by a young boy intriguedby the ability of aerialists to bounce in a net and performartistic maneuvers while they did so, it literally becamethe "springboard" for a whole new sport.

George Nissen, who was a tumbler and gymnast himself, tookthe sports to a whole new height by putting them on canvasstrung in a metal frame. Over the years, the canvas hasbeen replaced by nylon weave, and the frames are madelighter and more stable. And the sport has evolved toincorporate elements of gymnastics, ballet, and evendiving.

Trampolines first became available to the public throughentertainment venues where you paid for a ticket to bouncearound for a specified time. Eventually, they found theirway into schools, then gyms, then into organizedassociations as a real, and challenging competitive sport.

While the world championships allow for a variety ofcompetitions, including team events, and synchronizedtrampoline routines where two people perform on separateequipment, the Olympics at this time, recognizes only theindividual skills event.

A set of ten skills must be performed in two voluntaryqualifying routines, and in the final routine for the eightqualifying competitors. These skills may include suchmaneuvers as front and back somersaults, with or without atwist.

Competitors must submit a card listing the elements of thefirst qualifying voluntary routine, no less than 48 hoursbefore competition starts. The routine must then beperformed with the same elements, and in the same order aslisted.

In the second qualifying round and the finals, competitorsare free to vary the order, and type of skills, whichallows the opportunity to increase the routine's degree ofdifficulty.

A total of nine judges will sit for each competition: achair, an assistant chair, two judges who will mark onlythe degree of difficulty, and five who will mark only theexecution of the routine.

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Paul Johnson works as a software developer, often workinglong hours under great stress. He considers exercisecrucial to his health. When purchasing his own fintessequipment he researched all available products. Now he'swritten a series of useful articles on choosing (and using)exercise equipment.