Trampolining: NZ bounces back

If ever a sport could be said to be bouncing back, it is New Zealand trampolining. After some heady years - in particular the three world titles won by the now-retired Kylie Walker and the 1998 world championship win by the team double mini-tramp - trampolining has had a quiet time of it.

But the 25-strong age-group team which heads for the Holland world championships next week and the two-man team competing in the open category, 18-year-old Aucklanders Ben Windsor and Lance Henry, are the beginning of what insiders say is a rebound by the sport.

Windsor, a trampolinist, and Henry, a double mini-tramp exponent, have never competed at this level before and will not even have a world ranking until after they compete in Eindhoven from September 16-18.

But they have come through the same age-group mechanism which is seeing such a large contingent head off to Eindhoven for the age-group championships. These take place at the same venue the week after the open-grade athletes have competed and it is here that trampolining believes New Zealand will reap the benefits in years to come.

"Everyone is dying to see how Ben and Lance get on," said Carole Henry, executive member of Trampolining New Zealand, assistant manager of the age-group team and mother of Lance, "but we will be very interested to see the results from the age-group team." The recent New Zealand national championships produced a bumper crop of young men and women whose presence cheered the sport and helped form one of the biggest teams New Zealand has ever sent to a world championships.

"We had 23 men competing in the elite double mini-tramp whereas 10 years ago we only had about 10," she said. "It's the same in trampoline - we had 19 competing this year and there are kids on the way up."

Of the two open-grade athletes, Ben might have the tougher job as trampoline is the apparatus favoured by the strong European nations who often dominate the sport.

Double mini-tramp has, however, been something of a New Zealand speciality and Lance Henry will compete in that discipline in Eindhoven.

"But it's the younger kids who are coming up well," said Henry. "We are forming a strong base and things are looking up. By the time the next worlds roll around [in 2007], we will really be coming along, we think."

Double mini-tramp has traditionally been New Zealand's strongest focus but trampolining has been making a comeback at club and national level. The success by New Zealanders and others at the double mini-tramp led to the world body taking a long, hard look at the sport and toning down the physical nature of the moves and concentrating more on form.

"New Zealand kids are often up to give anything a go and that was a real strength," said Henry. "But the Europeans got a bit worried it was getting too dangerous but, now that we have entered a new Olympic cycle, they have changed it back again and that should be good for New Zealand."

Henry said the age-group teams always returned with at least one medal and hopes were high for a bigger haul this year. Kimberley Shea and Emily Laing (both Christchurch and both in the 15-16 age group) are among the prospects as is Callum Schmidt of Waihi (13-14).

Many of the team are relatively new to the sport and come from gymnastics, like Nicky Press, also of Christchurch, and who follows Lance Henry's example by being one of a number of age-group representatives who have made their way to the worlds after only a year in the sport.

- HERALD ON SUNDAY