KEARNS, Utah – October 19, 2015 (Gephardt Daily) – Mary Jefferson released her death grip on the trapeze, allowing herself to fall to the rope net below, her 20-feet descent slowed by a harness and rope.
Safely on the ground, Jefferson beamed, the width of her smile nearly squeezing shut her twinkling eyes.
“Well, that was really terrifying,” she said, her smile never fading. “It felt like I was going to die up there. It was great.”
Terror is one of two reactions Jason Klein expects to see when novices come down from their first swing at Utah Flying Trapeze, located inside the Olympic Oval, in Kearns.
“They’re either thrilled or terrified,” said Klein, one of several partners who opened their fantasy business about a year ago. “It’s always one or the other.”
Jefferson, the Bountiful resident who seemed both thrilled and terrified, was one of several dozens Utahns to take advantage of Utah Flying Trapeze’s first “free swing,” held Oct. 10 as part on an open house for the Olympic Oval, where the Kearns business is housed. High energy music played, and hockey players hurrying toward the ice rink glanced over to see what was happening.
At Utah Flying Trapeze, would-be flyers awaited their turns, and were strapped into a waist harness that could be latched to different safety ropes on the way up. After climbing a 30-foot metal ladder, each novice stood on a small platform for instruction and help from a staffer, then gripped the trapeze for the ride. Employees below acted as spotters and helpers, keeping flyers safe.
Nathan Schilly, 14 and from Sandy, had been pretty sure a Boy Schools rope course he had completed would prepare him for the trapeze experience.
“It’s not the same at all,” he declared after his free swing. “The ladder was scarier. But once I was on the platform I felt safe. And swinging, the air felt cool on my face. I would recommend it to anybody.”
Schilly’s 14-year-old sister, Taylor, is a moguls skier, and came to see if flying would make her more comfortable with heights.
“I always wanted to be in the circus,” she said. “Now I know more what it would feel like. It’s like floating in air. I liked it a lot.”
Utah Flying Trapeze bills itself as good for age 4 through 104. Klein has not yet seen his first flying centenarian, he confessed.
“But we’ve had people in their 80s,” he said. “We get bucket list flyers who come once, people who come back every week for classes, and everything in between.”
Klein and his wife first tried a flying trapeze while on a resort vacation. Back home to New York City, they sought out a place to continue the hobby.
“It’s fun, athletic, and an adrenaline rush,” he explained. “It’s a little bit complicated, which I like, and it’s not only athletic, it’s also art.”
When the two moved to Utah a decade ago, they and several like-minded friends talked about opening their own business. Utah Flying Trapeze opened a summer ago in Pioneer Park, and moved to its current, indoor location last spring.
“This is a great location, but less visible,” Klein said. “We are still trying to let people know we are here.”
Jacque Tietjen, 25, of Sandy, said she aerial experience on poles, silks and a stationary trapeze, but wanted try something new.
“It was awesome,” she said, of her swing. “It was even better than I imagined. It felt like I could fly.”
Kyle Packey, 29, of Taylorsville, has a lifelong love of heights, he said.
“I climbed trees as a kid and had a trampoline,” he said. “I’ve gone cliff diving. When I heard about this even, I thought ‘I’ve got to try that.’”
Jumping from the platform, he said, “… felt like you’re in a plane and turbulence makes it drop, or you’re in a roller coaster that drops. But it was OK. I put my faith in the equipment.”
Evan Sharp, 9, of West Jordan, summed it all up.
“I didn’t like the ladder, but then I wished I could swing to the other trapeze, and around the room,” he said, smiling.
“It looks super scary, but it’s super fun.”
For more information on Utah Flying Trapeze, located at 5662 Couger Lane, visit www.utahtrapeze.com or check out its Facebook page.
