Travel Story «Trapeze lesson!»

Australia | 0 Comments 26 August 2006 - Last Update 24 December 2006

Continuing my penchant for insane activities (See City to Surf  "Fun Run" story) a group at work decided it would be "fun" to book a Trapeze lesson for early saturday morning and I decided to throw my hat in the ring and so I joined the group thinking this would be something interesting to put on the blog - the things I do to entertain you people honestly.....

Well I am just back from the lesson now and the pain is increasing in the backs of my knees, I pulled a calf muscle on my first go up there and I just know the shoulders are going to be giving me hell tomorrow.  In spite of this it was brilliant craic and I would totally recommend it to people to try (maybe just once though)....

We arrived to see semi-pro's practicing in the distance and I felt my knees go weak at the sight of them FLYING through the air. Then one fell (ha ha ha!) and I felt better for a second until we saw her bounce onto the safety net and WAAAAAY back up into the air again.  Gulp.  Back to being mildly frightened I finally copped that these guys weren't wearing harnesses and therefore they were way out of our league. Phew! I mean I know I am good but hey, I'd still like a harness please.

I have to admit I had a sneaking suspicion that I was  going to be a natural at this trapeze thingy-me-bob-what-not - I mean HELLO! I did gymnastics as a child - that's like a lifetime (ago) of training! This sneaking suspicion was grossly inflamed after the recent trip to the Cirque de Soleil in the week where acrobatics was made seem easy-peasy by the flexible athletes who clearly have had their spines removed.  Easy. I'm a natural. Just watch me go.

Splat. Splat. Splat. And splat again. I sucked.  Really sucked.  We began with a demonstration on a small trapeze in the corner how to hold our hands (THUMBS FORWARD EMILEEEEY!) and how to jump up and dismount etc. And so the humiliation began - The gymnast girl of the gymnast couple (random couple in our group who had obviously met at a bar - (a crossbar not our kind of bar/pub) - at CIRCUS CAMP in the States (where else?) one summer - (I KNOW!) hopped up and although she struggled a small bit was graceful all the same.   Then there was me so up I stepped. Hup! On to the bar, and lift. No, LIFT Emily! Lift your legs up!!  Rodriguez, the coach, had to SHOVE my legs up for me by lifting my ass, which by the way, was facing the group and wriggling around while I attempted to heave my body upside down, and I am nearly sure that my tracksuit started to slip down a little because I could feel a draft....  Anyway, after my humiliating escapade the rest of the girls hopped up and down quite smoothly and then it was the guys turn. They seemed to have no trouble at all so I put this down to their greater upper body strength... that's my theory and I am sticking to it.

After our practice came the Real Thing. Gulp again. Who's going first? Cut to me edging away looking for the escape route. (It was then and only then I realised that we were fenced in - they are Pro's people, don't underestimate them.)  Thankfully Girl Gymnast stepped up followed by Boy Gymnast.  Shock horror they were flawless. Even their dismounts (oh yeah, I've got all the terminology now) were elegant.  Grrrr.. Then next was James (Hereafter to be called Brave James) who managed to make it look a little difficult yet he successfully completed the first task of jumping off the board, swinging your legs up onto the Trapeze and release your hands to hang upside down while swinging, re-grip and dismount. Then me. Oh how I would love to have been on the ground to watch my Elephant like elegance. Fear not, Laura recorded my humiliation on her digital camera. First of all - I didn't think I was afraid of heights but turns out that shaking is a sign that you don't like them.  It didn't look that high up from the ground but it certainly felt it when you were up there.  Once harnessed in securely, they hold the Trapeze Bar out in front of you with a long stick so you have to reach out and grab it with one hand and hold onto the pole beside you with your other so you don't go flying.  Then they tell you to reach forward and grab the trapeze with your other hand. Are you mad!? That would mean letting go and I would fall forward! I said to the woman prancing around beside me pretending to assist me. I have you she says while holding the back of my harness.  Well you can think again Missy, if you think you - you little whippet of a thing - can hold my body weight while I lean out at a 30oC angle over the(now very narrow looking) safety net.  In fact, should a safety net have holes in it...? It will all be fine she kept chanting - Listen to Rodriguez's instructions from the ground. Pah! Anyway, after more discussion and encouragement I jumped forward, swung out and felt the (scarily) heavy weight of my body on my hands as my palms started to burn under the strain. Somehow my legs swung up (some part of me thinks Rodriguez used that long pokey stick thing to assist me), I released my hands and hung down. Came back up and dismounted. I landed with a splat on the net, bounced and ran back to Laura and James like a child to her parents. I did it!!
Next we learnt to do a back flip and then after we were taught how to do the catch where you swing out, reach back and jump off into your partners hands (the pro stepped in here as the partner).  I failed on both attempts at the catch and missed a few goes on getting my legs up (it's really hard!) but my back flips were well practiced by the end of the morning.
Everyone else from our group managed to do the catch (secret Gynmansts) and we all had a brilliant time. See photo's for a giggle.  Hope you are all well - keep the messages coming!

Emily

 

 

 

 

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