In the late fifties John Scurlock was designing and researching inflatable shelters for tennis courts when he noticed his co-workers loved jumping on the covers.
He was an engineer and had an interest in physics.
John Scurlock designed the first inflatable structure in 1959 in Louisiana, USA.
John led the way in inflatables; his greatest achievement has to be the invention of the safety air cushion that is still used by the emergency services to catch members of the public jumping from high buildings, attempting to escape from fires.
Many people owe their lives to Scurlock although it is likely that most people still prefer the bouncy castle.
He decided to create an "amusement bouncer" for children to play on.
John started out designing a giant air mattress, and in 1967 he decided to add walls.
The original designs were all enclosed in a bubble, and contained clear plastic windows.
Soon after animal shapes began to appear, leading the way for towards a myriad of designs, including the ubiquitous bouncy castle.
John's wife started the first rental company in 1969, under the names "Space Walk" and "Inflatable Zoo". The brand grew steadily, and by 1986 they had an all-inflatable theme park, named "Fun Factory".
Another park was opened in '87, named "Fun Plex".
Through the next decade, John's son Frank continued to develop new ideas, culminating in the creation of the first inflatable water slide in 1990.
In 1978, a Brit designed the first bouncy castle with 3 walls, with the other open for entry and supervision.
Unfortunately, he failed to patent the idea, and it became standard throughout the world.
The British also claim that the first recreational inflatable was designed by university students in 1961, originally intended for use at a fundraising event.
This claim is disputed and although they may have invented the original bouncy castle design, Scurlock certainly invented the concept of fun inflatables.
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