Leap Year Blow Out in Louisville

After seeing JUMP! at the Los Angeles Film Festival last summer, a restaurateur and raconteur named Lynn Winter approached me and Jeff saying that she was determined to bring us to Louisville, Kentucky.

A few months later, she phoned me and asked "What do you think of when you think about leap year?" Excitedly, she continued: "Leaping! Jumping! I'm going to create a Leap Year Blow Out!" And she has done just that.

Today, Leap Year 2008, Jeff, Nick and Tori -- all jumpers featured in the film -- plus Kaylee and Andrew of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, are calling themselves EXTREME HEIGHTS as they introduce competitive jump rope to over a thousand kids in assemblies at several schools.

And, thanks to Lynn, tomorrow JUMP! is screening to a sold-out audience of 650 people at the Kentucky Center for the Arts' Bomhard Theater. Following the film, EXTREME HEIGHTS will perform with The Louisville Leopard Percussionists, a dynamic group of musicians (ages 7-12) that are as innovative and inspiring as the jumpers. The band and their awesome teacher, Diane Downs, were recently featured in their own sweet documentary titled "The Music in Me" (HBO Family).

This show is bound to be truly spectacular. I've always loved the musicality of jumping -- the sounds of the whooshing ropes and feet hitting the floor. It is going to be great to witness the athletes and musicians riffing off one another and taking each other to, cliché as it sounds, new heights.

You can read about the Leap Year Blow Out and here. Again, thanks to Lynn & Patty at Lynn's Paradise Cafe and to Jeff for putting this together.

updated 3/2/2008: here is another article with two videos about the Leap Year Blow Out.

updated 3/3/2008: rumor has it that a girl fainted when Nick ripped off his pants to jump at a school assembly! (yes, he did have shorts underneath.)