Man-Made Trampoline
The first modern trampoline was developed by George Nissen and Larry Griswold around 1934 at the University of Iowa. Originally intended as a training tool for tumblers, astronauts, and athletes in other acrobatic sports like diving, gymnastics, and freestyle skiing, it soon became a popular recreational activity. People enjoyed the sensation of bouncing so much that trampolining quickly grew into a sport in its own right.
Spaceball
Nissen and Griswold envisioned trampolines being used in innovative ways, including for a game called Spaceball. This game involved two teams of two players bouncing on a single trampoline, with the objective of propelling a ball through a central wall to hit a target on the opposing team’s end wall. While it didn’t catch the public’s attention as much as trampolining itself, Spaceball was an early attempt to diversify trampoline sports.
Olympic Equipment
When trampolining debuted at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, both men’s and women’s competitions were introduced. Since then, the Olympic trampoline has remained standard across all competitions, ensuring consistent performance and safety for athletes. Each trampoline used in the Olympics must meet strict specifications, including frame size, bed tension, and spring elasticity, to allow for the high-flying acrobatic skills seen in competitions today.