AT A GLANCE:
While at the circus George Nissan saw that
the trapeze artists would fly through the air, dropping at the end of an
act into safety netting that would send them rebounding up into
somersaults or other stylish moves. Nissen realized that a similar setup
for gymnasts would allow them to perform complex moves like that too,
only they would be able to rebound again and again and do more and more
tricks. |
THE
STORY
RELATED INFO
BOOKS
WEB SITES
WHERE TO FIND
DID YOU KNOW? |
|
Invention: |
Trampoline |
|
|
Function: |
noun /
tram-po-line |
|
Definition: |
A gymnastic apparatus
consisting of a strong canvas sheet attached with
springs to a metal frame; used for tumbling
|
| Patent: |
Mr. Nissen holds 40+ patents related
to sports and fitness. |
|
| Inventor: |
George Nissen |
|
|
Criteria; |
First
to patent. First practical. Entrepreneur. |
| Birth: |
February 1, 1914 in Blairstown, Iowa |
| |
Currently living in San
Diego, California |
|
Nationality: |
American |
|
Milestones:
trampoline, gymnastics, Nissen,
George Nissen, history, invention, facts, biography, inventor. |
|
TO
LEARN MORE
RELATED INFORMATION:
Young Inventors, A Class Act
from The Great Idea Finder
History of Toys and Games
from The Great Idea Finder
ON THE BOOKSHELF:
The
Kid Who Invented the Trampoline: More Surprising Stories About Inventions
by Don L. Wulffson /
Hardcover: 120 pages / Dutton Books; (July 2001)
Learn how 50 different things, among them false teeth, parking meters and Post-it
notes, came to be.
Gymnastics
by Dan Gutman / Paperback: 208 pages / Puffin; (August 1998)
You'll learn the ins and outs of the equipment and events, find out how
scoring is done, read about the history of the sport, and lots more! Dan
Gutman's insider look at gymnastics has been fully updated and is sure to
enthrall aspiring gymnasts and devoted fans alike. A glossary, a chronology,
and an entertaining chapter of gymnastics trivia round out this easily read,
timely overview of a popular sport.
ON THE WEB:
George
Nissen - The Man and the Kangaroo
Imagine that the year is 1930, and you feel like jumping. Your options are
limited. You can launch yourself upward a foot or two for a microsecond
before gravity pulls you back to the unyielding floor. You can climb onto
something squishy or spring-filled: a couch or better still, a bed, and gain
a little more height. You can join the circus and ingratiate yourself with
the trapeze fliers, get them to let you play in their safety net. But you
cannot buy a trampoline anywhere in the world. George Nissen hasn't invented
one yet. Today, of course, trampolines have become household items.
Invention Dimension - Inventor of the Week
Celebrates inventor/innovator role models through outreach activities
and annual awards to inspire a new generation of American scientists,
engineers, and entrepreneurs.
History of
Trampolining
The manufactured trampoline, as we know it today, was created by two men,
George Nissen and Larry Griswold, allegedly in George's garage. One day in
1935, with the help of the wrestling coach at the University of Iowa, Nissen
and Griswold bolted together an iron frame. A piece of canvas, in which they
had inserted grommets along each side, was then attached to the frame by
using springs. This was the first trampoline.
(URL: www.trampolinewa.info/)
WHERE TO FIND:
Mini Trampoline
Sports / by Cory Everson / Item model number: 5005MT / Less than
$40.00
Cory Everson is a six
time Ms. Olympia body building champ and fitness expert. Also included is
the Cory Everson Fitness Guide with workout and weight loss tips, exercise
guide and workout chart.
Cory Everson 38-Inch mini trampoline.
DID YOU KNOW?:
- While in Mexico, he heard the word
trampolin, springboard in Spanish, and decided to use it for his
bouncing apparatus.
- The IOC Executive Board at the 106th
Session held in Lausanne during September 1997 agreed that trampolining
would feature in the Olympic Programme of the XXVII Olympiad in Sydney
2000. When George Nissen heard that gymnastic trampolining would make
its Olympic debut in Sydney, he bought tickets to all the events and
brought his daughter Dian to Sydney to watch!
|
