Rectangular Trampolines

The rectangle is the original shape for trampolines and therefore rectangular trampolines have been around since the very beginning.
George Niesen invented the trampoline in its modern form in 1934 having been inspired by a performance by trapeze artists he saw in his youth. He stretched a piece of canvas over a rectangular frame and attached it with the use of inner tyre tubes and then later metal springs as we do today.
In 1937 after graduating from the University of Iowa in Business Studies he formed his own rebound trampolining act called "The Three Leonardos" and performed in Mexico. It was also around this time he trademarked the word trampoline which is Spanish for "diving board" minus the e.
Rectangular trampolines would later go on to be used for training for the US airforce pilots to improve their fitness and acclimatise themselves to being in the air during the Second World War They have also been used to prepare NASA astronauts for going into space.
Eventually because of their fantastic expressive bounce, rectangular trampolines were used during the Sydney 2000 Olympic games when trampolining was introduced to the world as a sport. They continue to be used in competitions and meets to this day.

The bounce on Rectangular Trampolines is different to round trampolines simply because of the shape of the frame. When a person bounces on a round trampoline then all the springs move at once. Because they are all pointed in the same direction the momentum is carried towards the centre of the mat. This means the bouncer will find it harder to bounce the further away they get from the centre.
A rectangular trampoline has four straight sides which means that the springs are pointing in a different direction. Depending on where the person is bouncing on the mat will affect the extent to which the springs stretch and generate momentum. If a person therefore bounces in the top left hand corner of the rectangle then the springs on that side of the trampoline will stretch more to compensate for their position there. The result will be an even bounce where the user isn't pulled into the centre. This is why the rectangle is perfect for doing acrobatic moves that are judged at the competitions.

It is the combination of the straight sides and the ideal spring to bounce mat surface area ratio on our trampolines which means they are just as comfortable in the garden for casual bouncers as they are being used by people who compete in trampolining.