Trampoline History

Dave Ross - The Craftsman at Work

A young man stepped onto the trampoline and within a few bounces he was as high as the rafters. He grabbed hold of one of the rafters, and swung playfully 24 feet in the air. Dropping to the bed of the trampoline, he threw his body into all sorts of somersaults, twists, and turns. He stopped momentarily, declared that he was warmed up, and was ready for his training session on the famed "Super Tramp."

The Super Tramp is 13 feet wide by 20 feet long (a normal competitive trampoline is 7 feet by 14 feet). Created by Dave Ross, you can see it and maybe even bounce on it in Ross' custom built "Skyriders Trampoline Place" in Toronto, Canada. The hand-woven string bed for this Super Tramp has "960,000 holes," according to Ross.

For the past nine years, Ross has created some of the finest trampoline beds in the world. The majority of them have been made to meet the standards of the International Federation of Trampoline and Tumbling. These competitive level beds have been used in many national and international competitions.

The idea of making his own trampoline bed came to mind in 1981, when he was coaching trampoline in Kingston, Ontario. A self-taught trampolinist, Ross' own competitive trampoline career began in 1972 while attending Queen's University. He finished second in the Canadian National Trampoline Championships, and eventually put his experience to work coaching an age-group program. When Ross told his trampoline students that he was going to make his own trampoline bed, they thought he was crazy. According to Ross, their response was, "Dave, you don't make beds, you buy them." But Ross was used to listening to his own mind. He created a crude loom using wooden boards attached to a trampoline frame. On this loom, Ross wove his first braided string trampoline bed.

During the next seven years, Ross researched material and design concepts. His Honors Degree in Physics, from Queen's University, provided him with insightful knowledge as he developed hundreds of computer designs and samples. One day, when he ripped right through a bed, he ascertained the exact breaking strength of the material by studying the strings around the break. He learned which materials hold up the best over constant use, and which materials will fail.

Ross was creative, yet practical when developing his beds. He wanted to create a bed with more stability and rebounding capacity, yet one that was not excessively different from the ones made in other parts of the world and used in international competitions.

In 1988, Ross went into trampoline bed production. A workshop, at the back of his rental property in Kingston, Ontario became his official production site. The space is just 19 feet wide, 26 feet long, and 11 feet high. Sitting at a large loom you will find one of his employees meticulously weaving strands of string, then pushing them together to form a closely interwoven surface. Hundreds of his high-performance beds have been created here. His double mini-tramp and mini-tramp beds are hand-woven in his basement workshop by another employee, Chris Mitruck (1996 World Double Mini-Tramp Champion).

A craftsman at heart, Ross remembers his beginning philosophy: "I should only sell something which I would be happy with myself." Ross' philosophy seems to have worked. His standard for excellence has made his products among the most highly desired in the world, presently selling faster than he can make them.

Ross has toyed with the idea of automating, yet it still seems to be a vague, faraway thought. His stitch-free, seamless trampoline beds are unmatched in their longevity. Although unable to keep up with demand, Ross hesitates to change his high-quality approach for the sake of greater production.

Ross' marketing plan typifies this low-key, high quality approach. He believes that his product should be good enough to sell without the typical advertising means. "The best sales technique is word-of-mouth, from satisfied customers," says Ross. Ross' products speak for themselves­there is no name imprinted on them for advertising purposes. Even the shipping boxes are void of any company signature.

Ross' full product line includes beds, springs and frames for trampolines, double mini-tramps, and mini-tramps. His beds are in high demand, with a current production of approximately 60 trampoline beds, 20 double mini-tramp beds, and 50 mini-tramp beds per year. His springs, which he first designed in 1980, sell at over 1,000 each month. And, in 1995, he began making frames. He is presently working on a competitive trampoline frame that meets FIT specifications, yet is reasonably priced. As Ross says, "I want to get the sticker price down on the basic frame." With that in mind, he is developing a standard, single-sided trampoline frame with options available at an additional cost. An example of such an option is an attachable double-sided frame.

Ross' company, Rebound Products Inc., has seen rapid growth and recognition. He now has dealers around the world. Fifty percent of his business is in the United States, with the remainder being in Europe and Canada. Besides weaving competitive level beds, Ross creates "hotter," customized beds for professional shows. The trampoline used in Cirque du Soleil's "Mystere," in Las Vegas, Nevada was woven by Ross. In it's upcoming production with Disney World, Cirque du Soleil has again chosen Ross to create a trampoline bed for them-this time a Super Tramp made to their specifications.

As demand increases, we may yet see Ross move toward automated production. But, be assured that if he does it will be at his own time and in his own unique way. In the meantime, Ross will continue with the process he knows best. A process which provides a unique spirit to each trampoline bed he makes.

Besides creating high quality equipment, Ross is the owner of Canada's first custom-built trampoline facility called Skyrider's Trampoline Place. It is home to 35 competitive and 250 recreational trampolinists. Equipped with five trampolines, including four competitive sized ones and the Super Tramp, many of the top trampolinists in the world train there. Ross, himself, maintains a trim physique by regular workouts of weight training, trampolining, and dancing. Although he retired from competitive trampolining for the fifth time at the age of 43, you sense that he may be ready for another comeback. In the meantime, as Ross coaches many fine trampolinists, you can't help but notice his easy, relaxed style as smiles brighten his face.

The young man, Matthieu Turgeon, who bounced on Ross' Super Tramp and played in the rafters, holds the highest degree of difficulty in the world on the trampoline. He has the confidence and ability to go higher and higher. Those same qualities are present in Ross, who many years ago passed beyond the rafters. A "skyrider" all the way, the only direction Ross knows is up. Air time for him is unlimited.

- by Lani Loken-Dahle
SOURCE: World Acrobatics Newsletter, vol. 2, issue 3, Fall 1997.