Jumping Machine: Rene Bidaud Skips Her Way to Superfit Shape

Rene Bibaud recalls the day her father taught her how to jump rope. “I was five years old,“ says Bibaud, “and the main thing I remember was that fast-paced sound of ‘whap, whap, whap‘ as the rope hit the ground.“
Decades later, Bibaud is picking up the pace with some noise of her own in the highly competitive but ever-expanding fitness industry. She‘s taking that old school training tool of rope jumping and adding new school twists that make for an exceptional workout. Bibaud will launch two nationally-marketed videos in the coming months, one of which will be produced in Northern Michigan.
Making her second trip to the region since January, Bibaud will host an event at the Grand Traverse Resort & Spa in Acme on Wednesday, May 26 at 7:30 p.m. Locals will have the opportunity to see this jumping machine in action as she demonstrates the skills that won five world championships, set a world speed-skipping record of 756 jumps in two minutes (six times per second!), land an on-air job with ESPN, get recruited by the renowned Cirque du Soleil, and most recently, perform workshops and halftime shows with the WNBA. During the event at the Resort, Bibaud will perform demonstrations to music and discuss her experiences. Attendees who would like to jump rope can join in and receive instruction.
“We‘re excited about having her here,“ says John Corriveau, Grand Traverse Resort and Spa‘s director of recreational activities. “Clearly she‘s on the way up and we‘re happy to provide the venue for folks in the region to see what this is about.“

DOING IT RIGHT
“Nearly everyone has jumped rope,“ says Bibaud. “But few of us were taught correct form or how to use the rope for a low-impact and sustained workout. With proper form, the impact on the body is equivalent to walking. But -- and this is a big ‘but‘ -- you have to develop solid technique and variation to your jumping.“
Despite being low impact, medical studies have documented that rope jumping is up to three times more efficient than running.
“I‘m cautious with information like that,“ says Bibaud. “I don‘t doubt the studies but there are just too many people selling the easy way out. I hate hearing about anything that ‘delivers twice the results in half the time with no effort.‘ That‘s goofy. Exercise is effort and that‘s a good thing. I happen to love jumping rope, so I‘d like to help more people get into it and have fun. I try pointing out the obvious benefits without the hype.“
The benefits Bibaud lists are compelling: it‘s inexpensive, engages the upper and lower body simultaneously, can be used anywhere there‘s a flat surface, and the variations with footwork and arm movements are extensive.
“It also challenges the mind-body connection much like playing a competitive sport,“ adds Bibaud. “Most cardio gear and running can‘t offer that advantage to athletes in team sports or folks who want to maintain agility or an athletic edge.“
In addition to the event at the Grand Traverse Resort, Bibaud will perform at a dozen elementary schools in front of thousands of kids and will conduct seven sports clinics for hundreds of area athletes and coaches. Long-time area basketball coach, Jim Anderson, has been instrumental in bringing Bibaud back to the area.
“When she was here in January, a friend told me about her school assembly program so I took my grandkids to one at Willow Hill Elementary,“ says Anderson. “I expected to see a fun show with some entertainment and athleticism, but she absolutely blew me away. I‘ve seen NBA players use rope training for workouts and thought I saw the best. But she took it to a whole different level. And to top that, I‘d probably say her greatest talents are communicating and teaching.“

JUMP TEAM
Bibaud‘s fitness resume is unsurpassed. She began touring the country when she was 10 years old as part of a rope-jumping team under the direction of long-time mentor, Bob Melson. That experience put her on national television numerous times and she remembers shaking hands with Johnny Carson on the Tonight Show.
Later, Bibaud won five world championships in freestyle rope jumping, set a world record for speed, and then became the color commentator for ESPN as that network began hosting rope jumping championships.
Cirque du Soleil, the famous troupe that employs Olympic-caliber athletes to perform a dramatic blend of circus and street acts, caught Bibaud on ESPN and recruited her. For four years, Bibaud toured the world with dual responsibilities as coach and performer with the Quidam Act of Cirque du Soleil. Again, she found herself a frequent guest on national television, even making a return trip to the Tonight Show and meeting Carson‘s replacement, Jay Leno. The Quidam Tour was often televised on Bravo Network and was the subject of a feature film.
Two years ago, Bibaud left Cirque to form her own company, Ropeworks. “I loved Cirque but it took me out of the country for months at a time,“ said Bibaud. “The experience is an education that‘s hard to match... traveling the world with 150 amazing athletes and staff, and being one of only 3 Americans on the tour. I wouldn‘t trade those times for anything, but I‘m also happy to have my own business and spend more time at home.“

ATHLETIC EDGE
Seattle is Bibaud‘s home, but she‘s quickly becoming familiar with Northern Michigan. Besides performing here in January and May, Bibaud plans to be back at least three more times this year. She‘ll return in July to work at Jim Anderson‘s All-State Basketball Camp and possibly host a local jump rope camp for kids ages 6-13. She‘s signed on to do another 20 school assembly programs in the area during November of next school year. And she plans to work with Brauer Productions of Traverse City on a video tentatively titled The Athletic Edge.
Bibaud will also be featured in an upcoming video series entitled, Superstars of Fitness. The Los Angeles-based production will profile five top athletes representing their training disciplines – Pilates, Yoga, martial arts, strength training, and rope jumping. Bibaud will be featured in the advertising campaign for the video series.
“I‘m hoping for success with both videos,“ says Bibaud, “but really, they‘re very different projects. The L.A. shoot will be geared towards adult fitness and combine various disciplines. The one we tape in T.C. will focus exclusively on rope training to enhance performance of competitive athletes. I think coaches will love it.“
In addition to the new videos, Bibaud already has two teaching videos available – one for kids and one for adults. Both can be found on her website, www.jumpropenet.com, where she sells other rope products and her various performance services are described. She will add sign-up details for her Northern Michigan jump rope camp when the time and location are determined.
Will Rene Bibaud and rope jumping reach the masses like aerobics, tae boe and pilates?
“That would be fantastic,“ says Bibaud. “The potential is certainly there. It‘s about exposure and getting people to give it a try. Rope jumping isn‘t rocket science, but there‘s a lot to it in terms of technique and variation. It certainly works for many elite athletes as well as folks just looking for a break from today‘s cardio gear or running. I‘m hoping to show the way to as many people as possible.“
So when Rene Bibaud says, “Jump in,“ she means it literally.
“Corny joke,“ says Bibaud, “but I hear it often enough that a few people must know what I‘m up to.“

Tickets for the Wednesday, May 26 jump rope event are $8 and the event will be at the Village Health Club at the Grand Traverse Resort and Spa. For more information, call 938-5416.

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