Visits to Sky Zone Trampoline Parks Soaring

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Copyright 2014 Journal Sentinel Inc.
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Wisconsin)
MELISSA GRAHAM [email protected], Lake Country Reporter (Hartland, WI)
 

Have fun. Fly safe.

That's a motto of sorts for Sky Zone, a new trampoline park in Pewaukee. Operated through Innovative Heights LLC., the warehouse is 30, 000 square feet - with 18, 000 square feet of trampoline surface.

Sky Zone owner Bron Lunsby explained that trampoline parks were supposed to create a whole new, different type of sport. While the gladiatoresqe games and competitive races never took off, they did notice how frequently children would sneak in to jump on the trampolines.

First launched in Las Vegas in 2004, there are now more than 50 Sky Zones nationwide. The Wisconsin market, in particular, continues to grow. New locations could be in the works for cities such as Madison, Appleton and even farther south, such as Kenosha. Lunsby, his wife, Shawna, and their five children have followed the franchise all the way from Missouri - putting roots in Sussex and building a park in Pewaukee.

And Lake Country seems to like it. Sky Zone opened at W229 N1420 Westwood Drive in Pewaukee on Oct. 3, 2013 but they have already counted 40, 000 jumpers.

And the jumpers come from all walks of life. "You name it, we've had them in here From suburbs to inner city. From young to old. From people who come in by themselves to people in groups," Lunsby said.

He's not exaggerating either; he's already hosted a birthday party for a 65-yearold man. "I think it helps us all to be a little more active, to have fun," Lunsby explained. Sounds reasonable. So I decided to give it a shot.

Walking in, the first thing I noticed is massiveness of the place. Picture an airplane hangar filled with interconnected trampolines. They're on the walls, too.

"When kids come in they, they just smile from ear to ear. To them, it's absolutely huge," Lunsby said.

Hours and programs vary, but in general, you can openjump for 30 minutes ($10), 60 minutes ($13), 90 minutes ($17) or 120 minutes ($21). Open-jump allows access to the Sky Slam (slam dunk on the basketball courts) and Foam Zone (a deep trampoline covered in foam blocks), too.

SkyJam (ages 14 and older) is scheduled for Friday nights, and Toddler Time (ages 5 and under) is usually scheduled for Friday mornings. Special programs can also be arranged for home school groups, athletic groups, birthday parties, church groups and Scout groups.

Tournaments, like ultimate dodgeball and ultimate volleyball will be organized this year. (Lunsby hinted that the ultimate dodgeball is a popular sport among his own relatives).

For safety and cleanliness, socks must be purchased on site for $2 but can be reused for future visits. Mine were bright orange and had gripped soles. Lunsby explained that, as a parent himself, cleanliness and safety are hugely important for him; the trampolines even have safety nets beneath them.

I took my orange socks and walked over to one of the larger courts for a Skyrobics, a fitness hour on the trampolines.

"You can burn 30 percent more calories per hour on a trampoline than you can on a flat surface," Lunsby said. It's also supposed to be a little easier on the joints than a treadmill or a cement sidewalk.

Our instructor, Barbie Gonzalez, never stopped moving during the hour of aerobic and core exercises. When we weren't laughing, we were constantly jumping and kicking or doing lunges and burpees. (As I lunged with my class, I realized that when our trainer says glutes are the only muscle keeping us from falling flat on our faces - well, I wholeheartedly believed her.)

I understood that I was burning calories and building muscle, but in that moment, I felt like a kid.

Jumping was a blast. "It's all about being active and having fun. When you walk in, you can hear it. You can see it. See people falling into the foam pit, see people playing ultimate dodgeball when you walk in, you know exactly where you are," Lunsby said.

To learn more about this location, visit Skyzone.com or check out their Facebook page at Facebook.com/skyzonemilwaukee.

Copyright 2014 Journal Sentinel, All Rights Reserved.

 

January 15, 2014

 

 
 

 

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