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Grab some air: Let your kids climb the walls (literally) and other fun at Xtreme Air Sports

By Jessica Eyre | Daily Herald - | Feb 17, 2012
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Mikey Roberts, 6 (in blue), climbs above the rest on the climbing wall at Lowe's Xtreme Air Sports in Provo. Shortly after reaching the top of the wall, he jumped down into the foam pit below. Jason Bates/Utah Adventurer

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Mikey Roberts, 6, jumps down from the rock wall into the foam pit below at Lowe's Xtreme Air Sports in Provo. Jason Bates/Utah Adventurer

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Grace Eyre listens to instructions before swinging on a high bar into a foam pit at Lowe's Xtreme Air Sports in Provo. Jason Bates/Utah Adventurer

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Caleb Eyre (center in green) jumps on the trampoline with other children in the gated area specifically for kids under 5 years old at Lowe's Xtreme Air Sports in Provo. Jason Bates/Utah Adventurer

Tucked away on a dead-end street in Provo sits an unassuming building in the midst of a quaint little neighborhood.

But inside this building unfolds every kid’s dream come true — and even teenagers and adults will be racing to get in on the action here.

I’m talking about Lowe’s Xtreme Air Sports, a warehouse of sorts filled with trampolines, platforms and pits filled with blocks of foam. That’s right, I said foam.

Each session is 90 minutes. On our visit, which was for a birthday party, the kids bounced from one area to the next, and by the end of the session, they were flipping off the trampolines into the pit, running at full speed down the tumble tracks, and doing their best to climb up the climbing wall, although I think the most fun was had by letting go of the hand holds and falling back down into the foam.

The birthday boy, 6-year-old Michael Roberts, showed his climbing prowess and made it all the way to the top of the wall. The adults in our group were watching, and as he let go of the wall and fell down, down, down into the foam pit, our gasps were unnecessary: He was more than fine, he was exhilarated and proud.

Before entering for your session, every participant must fill out a waiver, or have one filled out by a parent or guardian. Once you’ve done that, the waiver is kept on file, so your next visit is a breeze. Also, be sure to wear soft clothes — that means no jeans, zippers, belts or other hard accessories — for your safety and the safety of others. Wear what you would to work out, play basketball, or if you’re my 3-year-old, what you would wear on any given day of the week.

Participants must also watch a brief video before entering that demonstrates the proper ways to use the equipment, and gym no-no’s to avoid, such as jumping on the mats and jumping from trampoline to trampoline.

Tips and tricks we learned in our group:

1. Keep an eye on your kids. This is a no-brainer, but sometimes they can get stuck in the foam and need a little encouraging to work their way out. My kids often needed to understand that they have had their turn jumping on the trampoline, and it’s time to jump into the pit and let the next person have a turn.

2. Jump in there with them. Kids love nothing more than their parents having fun with them, and if they’re a little bit older, they might enjoy watching you make a fool of yourself. It’s all in the name of fun, so let loose.

3. Adults who are inexperienced in maneuvering in pits of foam, beware. It can be a little tricky if you wind up vertical in the foam pit. With nothing hard to push off from, it can be quite a workout getting yourself up and out of the foam. Expect it to happen, and then just keep working at it.

4. Bring your little ones. There is a special, gated area for children under 5. With a small trampoline and foam pit, they’ll have plenty of fun without having to maneuver among all the big kids. There also are other toys for them to play on.

5. Bring your camera. If your kids are as big of daredevils as the kids in our group, you’ll love to capture their stunts with your camera.

What I loved about this place was that even though it was rather busy, it wasn’t so noisy that you couldn’t carry on a conversation. And the ventilation system was fantastic — no sweaty socks smell despite all the flushed faces I saw.

All the participants, including a wide variety of groups of  young kids, teenagers and college students, were courteous, friendly and followed the rules. Part of the credit for that surely goes to the facility, whose staff was available and attentive to facilitate the fun.

The gym has party rooms — and you can bring in whatever you want, including food, drinks, cake, etc. — and the staff does the setup and cleanup for you.

All in all, it’s another great option in Utah Valley for spending some cabin fever energy. Trust me, your kids won’t stop talking about it.

 

Lowe’s Xtreme Air Sports

Where: 1111 W. 100 South, Provo

Hours: Monday-Saturday 10 a.m.-midnight

Info: (801) 374-JUMP orlowesairsports.designitdigital.com

Etc.: You can print out a waiver from thewebsite and fill it out beforehand so you can take advantage ofyour full session time. Or Lowe’s recommends arriving 15-20 minutesearly to get waivers signed, admission paid and everything set upbefore your session begins. Sessions are 90 minutes. Check with thefacility either online or by calling for specific times to schedulea birthday party or to reserve for a large group. (Reservationsaren’t required).

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