It was in 1959 when John Scurlock, of Shreveport, Louisiana, USA, invented the first inflatable building. He was experimenting with inflatable coverings for tennis courts when he realised that his staff were really enjoying jumping on the covers. He worked as a mechanical engineer and had a strong interest in physics. Mr. Scurlock was a pioneer in the development of inflatable structures such as inflatable domes, inflatable tents, and inflatable signs, but his greatest accomplishment was the invention of the safety air cushion, which is used by fire and rescue departments around the world to catch people who are jumping from buildings or heights.
A rented factory in New Orleans, USA, housed the world's first space walk manufacturing facility, which also stitched horse pads on the side. It was his wife Frances who founded the first inflatable rental firm in 1968, and it was their custom-built factory in 1976 that was used for both manufacture and rental of the items. Children's activities such as birthday celebrations, school fairs, and workplace picnics were targeted as potential venues for the space walks. These early inflatables did not have the protective cage that is seen on modern inflatables, posing a potential safety issue.
Their son, Frank Scurlock, took their rental concept and spread it throughout the United States under the brand names Space Walk and Inflatable Zoo, respectively. On Thanksgiving Day 1986 in Metairie, Louisiana, Frank opened the world's first indoor play park that was entirely made of inflatables, which he named Fun Factory. In 1987, Fun Plex, a second location in Memphis, Tennessee, opened its doors for business. Both locations were forced to close once the property's value grew to be too high to sustain the activities. The Space Pillow, which was the first inflatable mattress with no sides, was an open-top mattress with no sides. In 1967, a pressurised inflatable top was installed, which needed the operation of two fans and became quite hot in the summer, similar to a greenhouse. That version was dubbed Space Walk, and the name of the firm was derived from it.
In 1974, a new product line named Jupiter Jump was developed to address the heat problem. Jupiter Jump has inflated columns that support netting walls that enable air to move through. Additional modifications to this design have been created, such as a series of castles and animals known as the Inflatable Zoo, which are available for purchase. The Aqua Tunnel, which Frank invented in the early 1990s, was the first commercially available inflatable water slide. Space Walk was the first firm to introduce an inflatable to the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) convention, Showmen's Club, and the American Rental Association.
In the 1980's and 1990's the popularity of bouncy castles started to really gather momentum, and a children's birthday party would not be complete without a bouncy castle or other play inflatable. The term "bouncy castle" also became a household name, and their popularity has continued to be steady - and doesn't look like abating any time soon. This is because all children, the world over, just love to bounce.
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