Originally published at: http://boingboing.net/2017/02/15/interesting-in-ground-trampoli.html
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Boing! Boing!
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There were in-ground trampolines in the 60s at beaches, amusement parks. There should be some kind of safety statistics on them. The fact that for-charge places no longer have them is probably a good clue.
Trampolines are like the Super Stuff / Green Slime toy that pops up every five years until parents find out how fast it goes disgustingly moldy.
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bOING! bOING!
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Growing up in the 70s, I remember a mini-golf/trampoline park near my house - had a dozen rectangular trampoline pits connected via heavy springs to the outside. I remember wondering how many people got their legs caught in that gap on the way down.
Possibly less liability related and more business model related? We’ve had a bunch of warehouse-based trampoline parks cropping up round these parts of late. I paid a visit for the sake of nostalgia and boy howdy trampolining is exhausting when one is an old person. 
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They probably have the latest developments in legal disclaimer technology. 
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What do they do with the dirt? If I was the home owner I would want to keep it, assuming it is good soil.
Also, did they just cover up the bare hole? I’m not sure what else they could have done but it seems strange. What happens when it rains? Do you just get a muddy pond under your trampoline?
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I don’t know if that’s entirely true (that they no longer have them). Instead, trampoline parks have popped up, moving the whole thing indoors. The trampolines are on “ground level” in the sense that the floor is raised to trampoline level.
I wonder if instead the removal of older outdoor ground-based systems was due instead to maintenance issues.
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I want to build a whole sidewalk out of the individual-size trampolines!
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Hmm. So when it rains does the trampoline pit fill up with water? I would also presume debris and critters may end up in there. I don’t know if this is a particularly compelling solution. But then again i’d rather just not have one to begin with.
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In addition to the rain & critters issue, I would think that they would actually cause more injuries rather than fewer. When you’re on a conventional trampoline, you are mindful of the edges because you know how dangerous it would be to land wrong. But if the ground is at the same height as the trampoline, you don’t have the same internal fear factor of “falling”, so you’re more likely to hit the edge or even the ground…which do not give way like the trampoline does, so you’re more likely to break a foot or ankle in the process.
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My sister-in-law installed one of these in her backyard a few years ago. She lives near Albuquerque, so the weather isn’t usually too much of an issue. They did have a massive frog infestation under it one year.
My (old) neighbors bought one of those springless trampolines for their yard. Mostly I’m just glad my kids are at an age where they don’t want to jump on trampolines. In fact, it’s a violation of my current lease to even have one, or any other attractive nuisance.
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Why not take it to the next level, and have it down in a pit six feet below ground? It would be fun to jump in and out. You could embed the hard edges in the walls of the pit so only the bouncy part would be exposed.
True, people would accidentally fall in from time to time, but they probably wouldn’t be badly injured. And you would have to haul out the trapped dogs, cats, deer, etc. every once in a while. And leaves, grass, trash…
OK, add an elevator underneath it to lift it to ground level! That eases removal of wildlife and rubbish. Plus it lets you adjust the depth for the little kids.
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Do people actually like trampolines? For more than five minutes?
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If people == kids, then yes. When we were kids we used to jump on them for hours, and now when my kids go someplace that has a trampoline, they jump on them for hours.
If people == old farts like us who comment on BoingBoing, probably not…
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Oh lord, that trampoline is starting to reek! Kids, have you been cleaning the trampoline like you’re supposed to?!?!?
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What an excellent idea! But yea, insurance companies will be slow to change their rules.
Old skewl.
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I don’t think the “height above ground” is the problem with trampolines. It’s how high you jump, and whether you land on something that is not the spring surface you started with.
I have a traditional trampoline (our many kids love it), but with a very big and strong net that surrounds the bouncing surface, inside of the holding springs. It is virtually impossible to land “wrong” on the trampoline.
When we were shopping, I did actually call our home insurance company and they stated very clearly that our insurance rates would not be impacted, provided that it was equipped with a net. That’s all they care about. Not how high above the grass it is.
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