'No regrets' for inventor of $50m Springfree trampoline who sold out years ago

When it comes to big ticket Christmas gifts for children it doesn't get much bigger than the trampoline.

For safety conscious parents one of the most popular options is the Springfree trampoline, which was invented by New Zealand professor Keith Alexander.

Solving a problem

Alexander came up with the idea for the Springfree trampoline when he wanted to buy a trampoline for his daughter.

"My wife said 'No you're not, they are too dangerous'," he says. "I looked up the research and found out she was actually right and that was even more frustrating. As an engineer I thought 'What can I do about this? There's a problem there and I can solve it'."

Alexander developed several versions including an inflatable trampoline with a mat stretched over the top but it wasn't bouncy enough.

So he turned to his "back stop concept" of a trampoline made using cantilevers or stretching rods rather than springs and worked with a trampoline seller and students from the University of Canterbury where Alexander worked to develop the concept. Read more