Tanner Braungardt is an Augusta local content creator and extreme sports athlete focused on the art of Freestyle Flipping. Photo submitted

Tanner Braungardt is an Augusta local content creator and extreme sports athlete focused on the art of Freestyle Flipping. What is Freestyle Flipping? Imagine gymnastic athletes flipping on a springboard; it’s kind of like that, except it includes extreme heights that involve Olympic trampolines, or high cliffs.

“I sort of just fell in love with this niche sport by doing flips on my backyard trampoline,” said Braungardt. “Then I started posting videos of myself doing tricks online and I found a group of friends that did the same thing.”

Braungardt started flipping around the age of 10 and fell in love with the sport quickly. Growing up in the age where technology can bring you closer to the world, he started making videos of himself performing flips off his mother’s balcony onto their family trampoline. What started as a unique hobby soon turned into his full-time job as a content creator.

The 22-year-old has made headway into the content creation and flipping scene by accumulating 4.39 million followers on YouTube and over 7 million followers across Twitter, Snapchat, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube combined. Saturday, Sept. 3, Braungardt opened his own flip pad in Augusta, faultlessly named The Flip Pad. He’s funded this fully with his content creation career savings along in sponsorship with North Trampoline. Around 60 participants signed up for hour-long flip sessions with the flipping star, coming from as far as Texas and Nebraska.

“I’m not getting any younger, and I thought if I had the opportunity to build a place that can foster people who may be interested in the same thing I am, then I thought that would be cool,” said Braungardt. “There aren’t a lot of options available for extracurricular sports except the traditional sports through the school. It’s a place for people with a niche interest to see if they like it.”

The facility includes state of the art equipment, including a 12-foot trampoline wall, 14×14 ft super trampoline, Olympic trampoline, 25×25 ft airbag, foam pit, parkour box, 30×40 ft air track, 28×40 ft spring floor and a lounge area. The facility will eventually be able to rent out for birthday parties and other occasions, but for now, it will be open once a month for open gym sessions for people that are interested in the sport of flipping.

“The intent is to have different flip tricks, cheer and other kinds of off the wall things done here instead of a traditional trampoline park for kids. It’s more for training,” said Kim Braungardt, mother of Tanner.

To find out more about future open gym sessions and learn more about The Flip Pad, you can visit www.tbraungardt. com.