Every Sunday, a group of Carnegie Mellon University students meet in this warehouse that holds trampolines, foam pits and crash mats. They're here to test the limits of gravity as members of CMU's Tricking Club.
Born out of martial arts, tricking is where gymnastics, breakdancing and parkour meet. Participants of this emerging sport, commonly referred to as trickers, perform acrobatic combinations of flips, kicks, spins and twists that wow audiences.
Tricking is relatively new to CMU — the club was founded four years ago. What started as informal practice sessions with a few friends on the Cut has developed into a recognized CMU student organization, committed to learning new skills and teaching others.
Interest in the club grew organically as passing students saw members practicing.
"I saw them out on the Cut throwing really cool flips, and that's something I've always wanted to learn," said Grace Lao, a sophomore in computer science and club president. "I just walked over and asked if I could join."
Lao has a few tricks up her sleeve these days. She can throw an aerial, a back handspring and a back flip. She's also learning a gainer (a back flip performed while moving forward) and a webster (a front flip performed by jumping off of one leg).