“You’ve got to find your bounce,” says Greg Campbell, the experience manager at Bounce, a new indoor trampoline park in Al Quoz, as I put on a pair of rainbow-coloured gel gripper socks.
And, as if on cue, the chorus of the 1992 hip-hop number Jump Around by House of Pain starts playing in my head. For that is what you do at Bounce, for as long as you can: jump up, jump up and get down – on repeat.
Setting myself to that track takes me through the next half an hour of a demo run at the Australian-based indoor activities centre, which opened its first Dubai offshoot yesterday.
The 20,000-square-feet, horseshoe-shaped warehouse space-turned-trampoline park has about 82 wall-to-wall trampolines, which took about two months to set up. The park is divided into a free jump area with 52 trampolines for freestyle, a dodgeball court, an airbag-fitted section and a performance area with five Olympic-grade trampolines and a wall. There are also 45-degree trampolines against walls to jump off. “There aren’t too many credible hangout sports venues for teenagers in Dubai,” says Doran Davies, the chief operations officer for Bounce. “So we thought of bringing a venue that promotes fun while pushing for a culture of sports, which is on the rise here.”
Bounce Dubai follows a similar design as the four parks that have been set up in Australia since 2012.
“We decided to go with big designs and in-your-face colour,” says Davies, about the brightly lit space with pink, blue and yellow stripes along the courts. “We have developed it as an urban space, with synthetic grass, concrete floors and plywood walls.”
Davies says 10 minutes on the trampoline is as good as jogging for 33 minutes. If done correctly and consistently, the low-impact activity can help tone muscles and improve coordination and general fitness. I had skipped workout sessions and felt determined to get some cardio and strength exercise in, without focusing on the strain of training.
Campbell takes me through the rules to ensure I don’t go overboard with enthusiasm. I’m informed that first aid-trained staff members and professional acrobats and gymnasts are always on the ground to remind jumpers that only one person is allowed per trampoline, to avoid colliding when moving across them and, most importantly, only to attempt tricks within your limits.
All I have to do is jump, right? It seemed like a piece of cake, until Campbell gets me started in the Free Jump playground. My kinaesthetic sense is at an all-time low as I try to stay composed while bouncing in the middle of a wobbly trampoline. Knees straight, I push myself up, gaining height but landing on the side of the contraption, my legs buckling under me. My second attempt is better and I flap my hands in an attempt to bounce higher.
“It’s all about confidence and self-trust on this,” says Campbell. “And it takes practice, but don’t overthink every move.” I proceed to try the bum-drop, which involves falling flat on your bottom, kicking your legs out and forcefully pushing yourself back up with your arms. The twist backdrop on the 45-degree trampoline comes next, along with learning how to jump between trampolines. The adrenalin has really started pumping and I am soon game for anything, except a match of dodgeball or basketball, which requires a different set of skills (and 15 players).
Danny Leicester, a professional acrobat and experience supervisor at Bounce, demonstrates gravity-defying moves in the performance area, clearly underscoring the level required on the Olympic-grade trampolines and for walking the wall. Leicester can jump up to eight metres high and his balance and strength make his gymnastic and parkour moves quite a sight to behold.
The area, which has five special trampolines for added height, can also be used by professional surfers, gymnasts and skateboarders to master their form. The last 10 minutes spent flipping off a trampoline and into an airbag are a lot of fun, and also the source of much hilarity among onlookers. But it doesn’t matter in the least. For once, I have managed a decent workout and I haven’t sulked through it.
Bounce is in Al Quoz, behind Ace Hardware on Sheikh Zayed Road. A one-hour session for adults is Dh80 and Dh70 for every additional hour; kids (3 and above only) pay Dh70 for the first hour and Dh50 for every additional hour. Open Saturday to Wednesday, 10am to 10pm; Thursday 10am to midnight; Friday 9am to midnight. For more information, call 04 3211 400 or visit www.bounce.ae
[ aahmed@thenational.ae ]
