The advisory committee then decided that indoor sports could continue, but excluded trampoline parks, among other things. “This is not completely understood,” says Christophe Tasinon, managing director of Jumpsquare Group and spokesperson for the operators. “There is no doubt that trampoline is a sport. Anyone who has ever jumped on a trampoline for an hour would agree. We are even an Olympic sport and here and there we hear from political angles that this is undeniable. There is no reason or argument why we should shut down anyway and that tends to Especially because, for example, rinks, climbing gyms, indoor skiing and fitness can remain open. Also for recreational sports.”
very difficult
B Bounce, which includes trampoline parks in Bornem and Sint-Niklaas, has also joined the operator group. The trampoline park in Bornem opened in September, in St. Niklas a few days before the mandatory closure. “It hit it hard,” says Joris Tange, a director at B Bounce. “You don’t have to paint a picture that Christmas is the peak period for us. We’ve gone the extra mile to be able to open in Sint-Niklaas just before the Christmas holidays start. We’ve made a pretty huge investment in two trampoline parks, and the mandatory closure is a blow to us” .
“If nothing changes, we will remain closed until at least January 28,” Tangi says. However, during the previous lockdown, the lockdown was extended continuously. Hopefully there will be news sooner that we can still open our doors because with any compensation we may not be able to pay the rent.”
Access Control Permission
“We are also a solution, not a problem, in this pandemic,” Tasinon said. “No one can deny that the physical and mental health of children is important and increases their resistance. Trampoline parks have an area of 1,500 to 2,000 square metres, well ventilated with a height of at least eight meters and we have a more limited proactive capacity that we even guarantee more than ten square meters for each person “.
“We also have complete access control,” says Joris Tanguy. “We have reservation systems that allow us to perfectly control crowds.”
The United operators of trampoline parks are now looking for their chances of success if they start a procedure with the state board. “We hope that we can avoid this measure and that experts and politicians will recognize this error in the upcoming consultation committee and give children the opportunity to exercise freely and safely in our gardens,” the directors said.
The trampoline parks that united are Mega Bounce Antwerp, SuperJump Geel, Jumpsky Lochristi, Aalst, Hangtime Ostend, Level Up Edegem, Arenal Mechelen, Jump Univerz Schelle, Jump Factory Lebbeke, KoJump Brussels, Waterloo and Liège, B-Bounce Bornem and Sint-Niklas , Jumps Square Hasselt, Kortrijk, Bruges, Sambrivel.
