Inventor of the Trampoline George Nissen dead at 96|1914-2010
Trampolines are an equipment used by many for fun activity and fitness training. In 1936 the first ever modern trampoline was built by Larry Griswold and George Nissen. George Nissen has recently passed away after 74 years of trampolining glory. Nissen was born in Blairstow, Iowa and because a keen gymnast.
Nissen went on to become a specialist gymnast who won several gymnastic championships in high school and University. Larry Griswold was his coach. Later both of these individuals worked together to build the first modern trampolines. Nissen then travelled to Mexico performing carnivals, where he heard the word Trampolin which he then used for bouncy equipment. He used the word in English and trademarked it. He was building trampolines while touring which helped him promote his products and helped the trampolines sales to increase. Then he and his coach set up a company in Cedar Rapids, Iowa called Griswold-Nissen Trampoline & Tumbling Company.
They made huge profit when their products were bought by US government to train the pilots for Second World War. After the 2nd World War Nissen travelled to Europe and then to Soviet Union to market the products. After the tour Nissen opened up a trampoline manufacturing company in Essex, England in 1956. He has always wished for trampoline to be a part of Olympic Games.
His wish came true in Summer Olympic 2000, in Sydney. Nissen then travelled to see his trampoline event to Beijing at the 2008 Olympics.
For several years Nissen’s company also worked in building trampolines of different sizes. 8ft trampolines, 10ft trampolines, 12ft trampolines, 14ft trampolines and mini trampolines were built for fun activities for children and serious fitness regimes for gymnasts. Safety was a problem with the trampolines but now all manufacturers are working in getting the safety right.
