# How is this trampoline stunt possible where jumper easily returns to ledge he jumped from?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-this-trampoline-stunt-possible-where-jumper-easily-returns-to-ledge-he-jumped-from/679896
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [January 27, 2014, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-this-trampoline-stunt-possible-where-jumper-easily-returns-to-ledge-he-jumped-from/679896 "2014-01-27T22:36:22Z")
**Posts on this page:** 6
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)
#### Post date: [January 27, 2014, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-this-trampoline-stunt-possible-where-jumper-easily-returns-to-ledge-he-jumped-from/679896/1 "2014-01-27T22:36:22Z")
Re the highly imperfect efficiency energy of a trampoline how is this stunt possible where the jumper he glides back onto the ledge he jumped from?
[There are lots of examples in this video.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Q--xstAgl8)
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### Author:  [@DrCube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrCube)
#### Post date: [January 27, 2014, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-this-trampoline-stunt-possible-where-jumper-easily-returns-to-ledge-he-jumped-from/679896/2 "2014-01-27T22:46:00Z")
I didn’t watch the video, but the “it will never bounce as high as it started from” rule is for inanimate objects. People have legs, with muscles, that they can use to jump higher than they would ordinarily bounce. They can also jump _into_ the trampoline so that they land with more force than gravity alone could give them.
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### Author:  [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)
#### Post date: [January 27, 2014, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-this-trampoline-stunt-possible-where-jumper-easily-returns-to-ledge-he-jumped-from/679896/3 "2014-01-27T22:49:04Z")
For one thing, most of them aren’t \*falling \*off the ledge to start, they’re _jumping_. So they a) are above the ledge when they begin their descent and/or b) have more momentum than they would if they were simply falling off the edge. that alone is probably enough to give them enough momentum to return to their ‘starting point’.
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### Author:  [@leahcim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leahcim)
#### Post date: [January 27, 2014, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-this-trampoline-stunt-possible-where-jumper-easily-returns-to-ledge-he-jumped-from/679896/4 "2014-01-27T23:20:37Z")
Not to mention that a number of them “wall walk” up the wall under the ledge. That’s a little additional energy input.
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### Author:  [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)
#### Post date: [January 27, 2014, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-this-trampoline-stunt-possible-where-jumper-easily-returns-to-ledge-he-jumped-from/679896/5 "2014-01-27T23:30:52Z")
Even when bouncing with their back against the trampoline canvas, they can still add energy to the bounce by timing the way they move their legs (in the same sort of way that you can use your legs to increase the height of your swing on a traditional seat swing)
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### Author:  [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)
#### Post date: [January 27, 2014, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-this-trampoline-stunt-possible-where-jumper-easily-returns-to-ledge-he-jumped-from/679896/6 "2014-01-27T23:31:02Z")
> [@DrCube](#):
>
> I didn’t watch the video, but the “it will never bounce as high as it started from” rule is for inanimate objects. People have legs, with muscles, that they can use to jump higher than they would ordinarily bounce. They can also jump _into_ the trampoline so that they land with more force than gravity alone could give them.
This is why a guy on a trampoline alone can jump higher, and then higher still, and then higher yet. The sky (or ceiling) is the limit.
Lots and lots of kids find out how dangerous this is…