INDIANAPOLIS — For them, jump rope isn't about getting some exercise. The Indy Air Bears are perfecting their craft.
“These boys and girls have incredible endurance. I will put them up against any high school athlete," said Indy Air Bears founder and coach Niki Glover. "They love it, it gets in their blood.”
Glover founded the Indy Air Bears in 1986.
“We had VHS tapes at the time," she said. "I remember wearing out quite a few machines, you know back and forth slow motion, learning how to do this, the different tricks.”
The days of figuring things out are long gone.
Glover has coached Air Bears that have become national and even world champions.
Including a second-place finish in SR (Single Rope) Pairs and a third-place finish in team freestyle at nationals last month.
“I mean, this has been my life for 35 years. And to think of how we started as just a little elementary group back in 1986 and how far we've come, it's very fulfilling," Glover said.
The Indy Air Bears have performed at Indiana Pacers halftime shows and the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, but it's still a sport that not many know about.
“It's so different, it's crazy," said Blake Long with the Indy Airs Bears. "You grew up with the same sports, you have basketball or soccer. You don't really think about jump rope."
The Air Bears will hold a tryout this August and the team is open to all ages.
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