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Alternative activity spaces bounce into town

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With three other trampoline parks already established in North Carolina, DefyGravity expanded again. Husband and wife team Paul and Lauren McCallum opened DefyGravity Wilmington two days before the start of 2015.

Occupying the former location of Britt Motorsports in the 6400 block of Market Street, DefyGravity Wilmington contains 24,000 square feet of indoor trampoline space with various different settings.

Lauren McCallum was the first hire by DefyGravity Durham when the company launched, and eight months ago the McCallums were asked to head the new Wilmington location.

“Overall the numbers didn’t make sense to come here with the population, but not having anything like this in the surrounding counties also made us think we could pull from those as well,” Paul McCallum said. “We were not expecting it to do what it has done. It has blown up in Wilmington and the area has been great to us.”

The building was the only available pre-existing structure in Wilmington that met the ceiling height requirement, 24 feet. The construction and installation crew spent more than two months remodeling and outfitting the space, which includes a large open area with more than 60 connected square trampolines, a trampoline dodge ball court, multiple foam pits with slack lines and trampolines, three party rooms and a lounge that overlooks the floor.

In addition to regular jump hours, specialty times are reserved for children ages 6 and younger from 9-10 a.m., special needs patrons every first Tuesday of the month and Club Gravity from 9-11 p.m. every Friday and Saturday nights for patrons ages 15 and older.

While it may be fun, the McCallums said constant trampoline activity is a workout in itself. Lauren McCallum developed the first trampoline-based fitness program for DefyGravity Durham and said GravityFit classes would begin in February at DefyGravity Wilmington. McCallum said the fitness program’s focus is cardio and endurance activities tailored to the trampolines.

Paul McCallum said they have received a number of inquiries about the fitness programs and will most likely run five classes per week. Patrons will either be able to pay per class or for weekly memberships, he said.

“It is not your typical treadmill, elliptical and weights in a gym,” he said. “If you do it properly it is very effective.”

Wilmington resident and American Ninja Warrior competitor Solomon Harvey now trains at DefyGravity Wilmington and Paul McCallum said Harvey’s ninja fitness program is soon to come after the ninja obstacle course is completed.

Since opening, McCallum said the space has been sold out every weekend and he is looking forward to seeing how busy the space will become during the summer tourist season.

Battlefield Live Wilmington  

The grand opening of Battlefield Live Wilmington Friday, Jan. 16 marks another new activity space. Battlefield Live Wilmington is a mobile laser tag business developing its own home base course in the 3900 block of Market Street.

Owners Magaly Chiprut and David Mark Chiprut started Battlefield Live Wilmington as an outdoor laser tag business that could be brought to parties and functions around the area. Now the business is opening its own outdoor arena behind Jones Plaza at 3910 Market St.

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