Trapeze School
by Dave

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Ever wonder what it's like to fly through the air like the circus acrobats you saw as a kid? Well here's your chance, real live trapeze school! I heard about this one from a friend here in San Diego who had a great time at the class and thought "That sounds like a fun date idea, but there can't be many of these around the country." Boy was I wrong. Can you believe that I searched the top 10 metropolitan areas and found trapeze schools in 8 of them? Plus, in the 2 cities without a school there were classes in a town not too far away. So I guess it's a date!

A beginning lesson generally lasts for 1 1/2 - 2 hours and starts on the ground with an overview, basic grips, and teaching students to hang from their knees. Don't worry, ground school only takes a few minutes and then it's off to the real thing to start your new career! With outdoor classes you'll train on a large metal rig, while indoor locations may hang supports from the ceiling, along with at least one 20-25ft. platform for takeoffs and a large safety net. You'll start by hanging from your knees on the first swing and then progressing through a few different positions, maybe a flip, and end with a full-on catch! The number of attempts varies by how many students are enrolled in the class, on a good day you may get up to 6 tries.

Some people wonder about safety issues. Don't. Students are secured by lines at all times when on the platform or in the air, and will always work above a net. There are also a number of experienced instructors on-hand to control the ropes and make sure safety is never compromised. Trust me, these companies wouldn't stay in business if people were getting hurt. Wear long, loose-fitting pants so that you're more comfortable landing in the net, along with an old t-shirt or long-sleeved shirt. Bring along a pair of flip flops or sandals too since you won't be wearing shoes while on the trapeze and it’s easy to kick flip flops off and on. One word of warning, make sure your date doesn't have any issues with heights before booking this one.

Schools offer full training, so if you get the bug feel free to come back and go ahead with your lessons. Full certification is something you could accomplish together!

This is a funny first try, and probably what most people can expect their first time: