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

George Nissen, who was a tumbler and gymnast himself, took the sports to a whole new height by putting them on canvas strung in a metal frame. Over the years, the canvas has been replaced by nylon weave, and the frames are made lighter and more stable. And the sport has evolved to incorporate elements of gymnastics, ballet, and even diving.

Trampolines first became available to the public through entertainment venues where you paid for a ticket to bounce around for a specified time. Eventually, they found their way into schools, then gyms, then into organized associations as a real, and challenging competitive sport.

While the world championships allow for a variety of competitions, including team events, and synchronized trampoline routines where two people perform on separate equipment, the Olympics at this time, recognizes only the individual skills event.

A set of ten skills must be performed in two voluntary qualifying routines, and in the final routine for the eight qualifying competitors. These skills may include such maneuvers as front and back somersaults, with or without a twist.

Competitors must submit a card listing the elements of the first qualifying voluntary routine, no less than 48 hours before competition starts. The routine must then be performed with the same elements, and in the same order as listed.

In the second qualifying round and the finals, competitors are free to vary the order, and type of skills, which allows the opportunity to increase the routine's degree of difficulty.

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

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