Not since Ben Stiller decided to star as a bad guy has dodgeball really found any relevance with a mainstream audience, and that was purely for comedy’s sake. For dodgeball enthusiasts, this is fine. Fringe sports aficionados are often a bit upset any time their little niche of fun is infiltrated by the masses, just ask American soccer fans. Dodgeball is no different. But what happens when a pastime/hobby/sport on the periphery of many, adds an even more obscure pastime to its midst. Well, then you have dodgeball trampoline, and there are very few hobbies that will make your heart race like this.

That’s right, it’s dodgeball…on a trampoline. If you thought the movements of dodgeball were relegated to the basic bounds of gravity, you’ve never played on a trampoline. The bounce of the trampoline lends a typical recreational dodgeball game an air of matrix-like creativity where spins, flips and massive jumps are added to the usual, floor-based feints to avoid the incoming ball.

When we’re younger, we’re often told to be careful on the trampoline by our parents. The risk of injury prevents us from executing all the various acrobatic maneuvers we can dream up on a spongy surface. There isn’t the same threat with trampoline dodgeball. There’s usually a cushion separating the teams, and there’s no edge to severe a spine on.

Also, the trampoline component of the court or venue isn’t limited to the ground. Often there’s a trampoline encasing the playing area on the sides as well, so a plunge on the outer perimeter of the playing field is, itself, a trampoline, and you bounce right back into the playing area; the side trampolines are angled away at steep planes forming a bowl-shape to keep players in the court. You can imagine how much excitement this adds to the game.

Rather than remaining limited to the parameters of a court or field, the playing area is just one big trampoline, or multiple conjoined trampolines with the sides protected with padding, and players bounce as they wait for the opposition to make their throws. This also means picking up a stray ball, and really, all mobility within the game, handicaps your reaction times. It’s like playing dodgeball on the moon. You’re bouncing away or towards an opponent and a stationary spot is hard when you’re fighting the urge to take flight. It’s not just a simple matter of staying still; you’re also eluding the balls flying at you.

If dodgeball or simply bouncing on a trampoline is a nice aerobic workout, then dodgeball trampoline is a heart-racing endeavor best left to the young or Adrenalists. The constant bouncing up and down, up and down, while simultaneously avoiding the balls splayed in your direction, is more than just a simple jog in the park. Think about how worn out you can feel after jumping rope or when you were playing a game of dodgeball growing up. Now combine those two activities. It’s a workout for the crazy among us; or a typical Adrenalist hobby.

One of the problems with dodgeball trampoline is finding the proper venue to participate. The infrastructure needed to house a game requires a large area and the trampolines mentioned above. The architecture involved in building a venue is remarkable in San Francisco and elsewhere, but there aren’t many around. Fortunately, there are a couple options if you’re feeling frisky for an anabolic surge.

One, The House of Air, in the Presidio of San Francisco has a multitude of cardio enhancing activities to supplement trampoline dodgeball. Participation for your children can help stop childhood obesity. There’s even a workout class. But, not every Adrenalist lives in San Francisco.  Sky High Sports has locations in California, but also Washington state, Tennessee, North Carolina, Texas and more.

We know the gym can be bland, and that’s not the true Adrenalist ethos. That’s why we recommend you play some trampoline dodgeball to unwind after a long week at the office.