Jump Rope Videos

Belgian Double Dutch team DDF recently appeared on the tv show Supertalent in Vlaanderen. Supertalent is an American Idol style talent show where three judges watch your performance and then either like you, or they rip you to shreds. And I think one is required to say something like “I don’t know, dawg, it was a little pitchy for me.” Only on this show they say it in Dutch. Whatever language it’s in, DDF did an outstanding job. Nice work guys!

This double dutch video was apparently taken in 2006 at Club Asia in Shibuya. Shibuya is one of 23 special wards of Tokyo, Japan (Thank you wikipedia). The jumpers in this video incorporate hip hip and break dancing into their double dutch routine. It is well choreographed and looks like a lot of fun.

Here is an awesome routine from the Summerwind Skippers at the 2006 USA Jump Rope Championships at Disney World. Kelsy Moe, Shane Winsor, Calli Wold, and Lee Reisig won the Grand National Championship in double dutch pairs freestyle with this routine. This same foursome also won the Grand National Championship in 2005 for the same event. Summerwind team member Lee Reisig is also a member of the USA Jump Rope All Star team.

Here is a very old commercial from the 80’s for McDonald’s that features some girls jumping double dutch. Classic.

Here’s a cool little commercial for Converse shoes featuring some girls jumping double dutch in NYC.

Here are a pair of awesome jump rope videos demonstrating some cool single rope freestyle moves. There are some quality tricks performed by the jumpers in these videos. The guy does some difficult behind the legs crossing moves while jumping backward. The sequence with a combination of backward C.L., backward A.S., stall, forward A.S. cross-cross, forward C.L. is particularly impressive. He also does a nice one handed frog. The girl in the first video also has a nice multiple under sequence including a double-under T.S. and a double-under leg over cross.

This is at least the second run in jump rope has had with rock band OK Go. Recently I reported on Bouncing Bulldog and USA Jump Rope All Star Tim Martin jumping on stage with OK Go at SxSW. In their latest video for “Do What You Want” OK Go features an eclectic mix of performers. Among the performers are a group doing double dutch and a jumper doing some single rope freestyle. You have to watch for it since each is only on screen briefly.

With the recent success of the Disney movie Jump In!, a lot of people are looking to start jumping rope. In particular, there is a lot of interest in double dutch. People seem to have a lot of questions about getting started jumping double dutch. If you want to start but don’t know where to begin, I’ll try to help you out by answering a few common questions. Keep in mind that there are no absolute right answers here. You have to experiment to find what works best for you. There are many factors to consider such as what event you are jumping in, how many jumpers are in the ropes, etc.

How long are double dutch ropes?
Double dutch ropes are typically 12 to 16 feet in length. For speed events you should use 12 foot ropes. For freestyle you would typically use 12 foot ropes for 1 jumper only, 14 foot ropes for 1 or 2 jumpers, and 16 foot ropes for 2 or more jumpers.

What kind of rope works best for double dutch?
There are 4 different basic styles of jump rope: Licorice/Speed ropes, cable/wire ropes, beaded ropes, and cloth ropes. Each style of rope has its pros and cons.

• Licorice/Speed ropes: These are good multipurpose ropes. They are good for speed and are usable for freestyle. The downsides are they stretch, they are hard to see, and they are not as easy to control as beaded or cloth ropes.
• Cable/Wire ropes: These have very small diameter and are excellent for speed. They do not stretch like licorice/speed ropes. They are not good for freestyle. The top speed scores are typically obtained using this style of rope.
• Beaded ropes: These are the easiest to see and are therefore most often used for demonstrations or teaching. The colors of the beads can also be customized to match team colors. The downside is that they are the heaviest ropes and can have a little “bounce” when they hit the ground.
• Cloth ropes: These are the easiest ropes to control and don’t “bounce” when they hit the ground. They are decently visible, but not as visible as beaded ropes. These are the ropes we used for double dutch freestyle routines on the Texas A&M Jump Rope team.

Where can I buy double dutch ropes?
There are several shops on the internet that sell ropes. Jumprope.com and buyjumpropes.net are both official suppliers to USA Jump Rope.

Where can I learn how to turn/jump double dutch? Where can I learn new double dutch tricks?
Jump rope workshops or camps are a great place to start.

• Workshops are often conducted by local teams as fund raisers. Single day workshops are an excellent chance to “jump in” and get your feet wet. Contact a team near you or check out the calender on the USA Jump Rope website.
• Camps are an excellent chance to really dive in and improve your skills by learning from some of the top jumpers in the world. USAJR holds jump rope camps each summer. They are a ton of fun.

If you have more questions that were not answered here, please leave a comment and I’ll do my best to answer them.

Today’s Jump Rope News Roundup is in celebration of The Disney movie Jump In! being released on DVD. The DVD will be available Tuesday, April 3rd. There are several reviews of the new DVD. Also, be sure to check out the article from the Contra Costa Times which features interviews with members of Jumping For Joy.

People flocking to learn the ropes: Sport’s popularity is jumping - CONTRA COSTA TIMES

“This is competitive jump-rope — a jaw-dropping, high- speed athletic event that’s suddenly all the rage, thanks to the new Disney movie “Jump In!”
…
The Disney movie’s January premiere drew a record 8.2 million viewers; millions more have tuned in with each repeated showing. And with Tuesday’s release of the DVD, loaded with “how to double Dutch” extras, more converts will likely be wooed.”

Jump In!: Freestyle Edition DVD Reviews:

• CONTEST: Win Jump In! on DVD! - MovieWeb
• DVD Review : Jump In! - MovieVine
• Jump In!: Freestyle Edition DVD Review - UltimateDisney

Here’s the latest promotional video for the Japanese Double Dutch Team Kurui. They won the double dutch holiday classic at the Apollo in 2005. The Bouncing Bulldogs from USAJR placed 2nd in that same competition with their amazing double dutch routine.