Flying high in E.M.

On a chilly afternoon, locals gathered in Eisenhower Park to fly high into the air.

“The straighter and tighter we keep our body, the easier this is,” said Anthony Rosamilia. “We don’t want wet noodles,” he said as he wiggled his body and the participants laughed.

I.Fly is the only trapeze company on Long Island, said co-owner Rosamilia, who recently moved the business from Rockville Centre to East Meadow

“Listen to my voice. I will tell you exactly what to do,” he said.

In the afternoon class last Friday, teens, elementary students and moms all participated in trapeze.

“I saw a sign and when we passed by, my boys asked, ‘What’s that?’” said Alison Thoben, a six grade science teacher at Woodland Middle School. She also invited her neighbors to come.

“The scariest part is the ladder,” said Diana Austria, Thoben’s neighbor. Austria and her two sons were all first-time flyers.

“It was the funnest thing ever,” said 10-year-old Charles Austria.

“Even better than Splish Splash,” added 7-year-old Thomas Thoben.

Within two hours, the elementary students were hanging by their legs about 30 feet into the air and doing back flips as they jumped smoothly down from the bar to the net. Diane and two older women each completed a catch, which involved Rosamilia catching the women by their wrists as they flipped from one bar to another.

“Your mom is kicking your butt right now,” joked Marco Rosamilia.

Westbury resident Elsa Javkin was walking by when she saw the trapeze and came over to watch. “Learning something totally new like that wakes up the brain,” she said, adding that she is thinking about taking her cousins when they visit from Argentina in the spring.

While trapeze may look and sound dangerous, there are many safety precautions in place, said Anthony. Aside from the landing net, either Marco or Anthony stand on the ground telling a flyer what to do and guiding the harness with a rope to control the speed at which someone lands.

Additionally, there is an expert on the high platform who straps on the harness and holds on securely until takeoff.

“We have lots of repeat flyers,” said Anthony, and just as many new-comers.

The first-generation trapeze artist said they love what they do.

Anthony and Marco both learned trapeze at Club Med and realized that others would like the sport as well.

The classes last nearly two hours and run until October. Participants range in age from four to mid-80s. Reservations are recommended. For more information, visit www.iflytrapeze.com.