Flying Trapeze Adventures
What to expect
Welcome to the wonderful world of Flying Trapeze! NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY. On your first class you will begin with a warmup and a full tutorial about how the class will run and what you will be doing. You will then have a hang on our low trapeze bar (just a jump off the ground). You will be harnessed into training ropes from the ground, up the ladder, onto the trapeze bar, into the net, and then back onto the ground again. We are understanding about fears of heights and fears of the unknown and do everything we can to encourage you and make you feel safe and confident. You will learn a trick called a 'Knee Hang', which by the end of the class you will have an opportunity to try and catch with a real flying trapeze catcher! You will feel like you are flying and will leave the class a trapeze artist. The only thing to worry about is the addiction to this amazing art that is quite contagious.
Who can do it
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Almost anyone
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Ages 6+
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Can hang on a non-moving bar for a few seconds
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Free from any serious heart conditions
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Not pregnant (the harness is tight around the stomach)
The Flying Trapeze Class
Is a standard trapeze class that has run the same way all over the world for decades. Flying Trapeze is included in numerous resorts including almost all Club Med’s, kids summer camps in the USA, and flying trapeze schools located in dozens countries. The way a first-timer flying trapeze class runs is universal. Each class requires a minimum of 3 highly trained staff members. Our trapeze and all equipment was manufactured in the USA – including a giant safety net, safety harnesses and safety ropes. The owners hold a combined total of over 30 years experience in the industry.
Here is a fun video taken from the catchers perspective. Everyone in this video is getting caught for the first time at the end of A Fun Fly Experience class.
Class Structure - Lets Fly!
To start – At Flying Trapeze Adventures you will be in a group class with no more than 9 other participants. All participants, regardless of age, learn the same thing in their first class – the “knee hang”. No matter your age, whether you are 6, 16 or 60, the class progression and the thrill is the same and unlike anything else you have done before. You take turns one by one up on the high flying trapeze (7m/20ft in the air) swinging back and forth attempting the “knee hang”. Instruction is catered to each student’s progression/pace and is thoughtfully tailored for every individual. You will receive multiple turns on the trapeze including several “practice rounds” and at least 2 attempts at “catching”. Remember- There is a giant safety net below you and you will be fully harnessed into safety ropes.
What is “catching”?
Have you ever seen a flying trapeze performance where one person (the flyer) takes off, swings on a trapeze bar, lets go and then flies over to another person (the catcher)? That’s catching! One of our highly trained staff members will be the catcher in your class and you will be the flyer. As you reach out with your arms in your knee hang the catcher will attempt to grab a hold of your wrists to make that mid-air catch. With any trapeze class or performance, catching is the goal! To get a good catch, we will teach you the correct technique and timing to achieve this all in your first class. This is why we have several “practice rounds” before catching – to teach each person what they individually need to do to accomplish the catch.
We also sell unique Media Packs of the class. Get that amazing shot from the catcher cam!
The general rundown of how the 1.5 hours will progress is as follows:
First the staff will introduce themselves, get you signed in and put safety belts on all participants.
Then the staff will provide a group stretch and warm up while giving you a short and surprising history lesson on trapeze.
Next each participant learns how to hang upside down by practising the knee hang one by one on our 2 meter (6 foot) high practice trapeze bar.
The staff will explain certain commands such as “Ready Hep!”, “Hang straight!”, “Legs up hook your knees!”, “Hands off!”, “Arch back and look up!” that the students will be clearly told to do while swinging on the bar. These are standard calls and commands that you will hear at any trapeze school all over the world.
The flying begins! Participants climb the ladder one at a time and are helped by a staff member on the platform. There is only ever one participant up on the trapeze at a time. They get clipped into the safety lines, “take off” from the platform assisted by a staff member and have their first swing and attempt at the “knee hang” on the flying trapeze. This is the moment everyone has been waiting for!
You get multiple turns in the class to practice your “knee hang” and not only that – we throw a little more circus in and teach a backflip dismount as well! Yes! A backflip! Believe it.
After several practice rounds the catching begins! You get at least 2 attempts to go for the catch.
Whether you make the catch or not, flying on the trapeze is guaranteed the most exciting thing you will do on your holiday and time on Koh Tao. It is the most unique feeling that cannot be replicated. It is the thrill of jumping, but the thoughtfulness of hooking the knees, and the determination of making the catch. You will surprise yourself, especially when you successfully manipulate yourself into a backflip mid-air!
This is a fun ride, a well thought-out class, and something you’ll talk about for years to come.
What to bring
Active wear please! You will be flying through the air and hanging by your knees, so anything comfortable to move around in. leggings are ideal, or anything to cover the backs of your knees. Shorts will work, but by the end of the class the backs of the knees might become irritated.
Bring water, sunscreen, small towel, a hat, and anything else to make you feel comfortable flying in tropical paradise.
Please bring any cameras or video equipment, your first flying trapeze class is an exciting thing to post about on social media. Your friends and followers will be amazed! And in years time you will have that first swing to look back on.