European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 03, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse A amps photos by Ken George Wall jumping craze hits Europe after a somersault from a trampoline a woman Sticks to Wall upside Down in velcro Wail lumping. At Rama teen a Germany a club Patron runs hits the trampoline and Springs into the air trying to snatch Money from velcro patches. By Anita Gosch staff writer Doug Evans said it Best Quot now know How a Fly feels on Fly paper or maybe a Roach in a Roach Evans a sergeant at ram Stem a Germany was talking about being a barfly. No not the kind that Sticks to a bar Stool drinking All night these bar flies take running jumps off trampolines and stick themselves to velcro covered Walls. Confused try Evans other description. Quot it s kind of like a car wreck you re moving fast you see something coming toward you you get excited there s a bump and a sudden Impact then you stick to the Wall a hopefully this strange sounding activity is velcro Wall jumping and it s the latest craze to forge its Way across the Atlantic. Last weekend the Ramstein a no club became the first military club in Germany to offer the event. The nocturnal diversion a some Call it a game others insist its a sport a sounds and looks simple enough. Participants slip into a lightweight velcro covered jumpsuit dash toward a mini trampoline jump hurl themselves at a velcro covered Wall and stick maybe the sticking is the hard part most beginning velcro Wall jumpers slither Down the Wall until they lie crumpled on the mat below Quot it s hard to stick to the Board because whenever you re jumping you always want to pull Back before you hit Impact and you done to get enough Torce to stick Quot said Ramstein s sgt. Mark Adams. Quot you have to Plant yourself real hard when you come off the at 6 foot. 9 inches Adams had the added problem of getting himself into the jumpsuit no one can say for sure when or where velcro Wall jumping began. But about seven years ago in a stupid human trick late night talk show Host David Letterman donned a suit with velcro loops and Flung himself against a velcro Wall. The idea apparently stuck. Velcro Wall jumping later became a hit in bars across new zealand Australia and the United states where competitions Are held regularly it soon reached England and now it s encroaching upon Germany. Beginning bar flies Start out with the Quot Flat splat hurling themselves Chest first toward the Wall while extending their arms. More experienced jumpers do Forward somersaults in which they land on the Wall splayed on their backs and hanging upside Down a provided they stick american Brian Hill is responsible for bringing velcro Wall jumping from England to Germany he recalled the first time he set up the equipment at a German club n Frankfurt just before Christmas. Quot the germans were a bit slow to taking to it but luckily there was a group of hispanic people there from Miami. They started into it and once they showed that it was t that difficult then the germans took to it. There was no shortage of willing jumpers on the i it of three nights that Ramstein a club offered the event the club added the Chance of grabbing Money concealed behind velcro patches and men and women lined up quickly to get their shot. Quot what americans won t do for fun Quot mused staff sgt. Laura Scarbrough As she awaited her turn to put on the velcro suit. Her advice to beginning jumpers Quot just run up there jump As hard As you can and a civilian Angelina Jones was determined to gel it right and to win some Cash she ran jumped As hard As she could a and crumpled pounding both fists against the Wall. Quot i was fighting. Boy i wanted to get that Money now i m kind of shaking All when jumpers fall they land on thick foam rubber mattresses. Two spotters also help keep things on track. Hili said there a no danger. Quot let me put it this Way we be never had any injuries doing this and we be been doing it for Over a year Quot in Case something does go wrong he added his company carries liability insurance. Perhaps the Only Clanger to jumpers is embarrassment just ask ram Stem family member Tama Clark. Quot it iwas embarrassing. It took a lot of motivation to get me up there Quot she said. Quot it s just when you get in front of All these people and you do something that you would t do in the privacy of your own Home much less in a group of people it makes you kind of nervous. Quot what a next on the bar scene sgt. Jennifer Butcher suggests another stupid human trick that she saw Letterman do on television. Quot you have to put Alka Seltzer on a person and then Dunk him in a Bunch of water then they d All she explained. Quot i d like to try that in robotic boxing the robots take All the abuse. Boxing without the pain idea where you re hooked to the Backol a loot the robot has hand controls which allow you to throw a punch at the other robot s helmet and the robots by Anita Gosch staff writer and in this Corner we have Box Irv Bob slugging it out against Duke Doug its a Quick but furious match the fighters deliver still armed punches to their opponent s midsection suddenly the Field is open Bob sees his Chance throws a Quick right Hook to the Chin. Doug s head reels Back. Bob gets his fifth Point the Bell sounds and it s All Over. Five to two. Quot thirty seconds is a Long time when you re going All out it was a blast Quot says Boxin Bob aka sgt Doug Lomsdalen of Ramstein a. Germany Dukin Doug alias sgt Doug Evans is exhausted a but there s not a scratch on him. Quot you d think just moving your arms boxing Back and Forth would t be that hard but after a while it does get strenuous Quot Welcome to the world of robotic boxing a sport a if you want to Call it that a in which a Boxer can get knocked out but walk away unscathed Jim Tiedeman who presented robotic boxing at the Ramstein a no club last weekend explains Quot for people who have always thought about boxing but did t Ever want to get in the ring and get punched in the head. They be come up Wilh this take All the abuse there s no Way to get hint with it Quot robotic boxing is yet another in a Long stung of relatively new products made Foi use by club patrons who Are tired of just sitting around and drinking it was invented about seven years ago Tiedeman says by Keith Namanny of Cumberland Iowa who fashioned it after an old children s toy it is being marketed m the United states in so called Quot sports establishments that Olteia both alcohol and Leer eation Quot basically it s a sport designed in release a Little bit of aggressions or just have a Little bit of fun. Says Tiedeman staff sgt Robert Bell who fought under the name Quot the fighting agrees that robotic boxing gives him something tie missed out on Quot i guess this gives me the Chance to live out my childhood fantasies and gel away with ii lakes More than just brute Force to win at robotic boxing the trick is to think before you hit Quot it s technique its timing it s positioning and says Tiedeman. Quot so there s a Little bit of skill to it it s harder than it looks As far As Surat orgy goes Quot but some real boxing experience under your Bell can help stall sol. Ron Foster who says he boxed in High school was the Champol the evening his secret Quot if you drop Back and you actually look where you re Gonna hit maybe you can get a second one in there Quick enough that you score two Points Quot fans cheer for their favorite robot at the Rama teen a no club. Page 14 the stars and stripes monday february 3, 1992 the stars and stripes Page 15
