Saving the best for last in our 3 part series on gymnastics vault boards are our advanced, competition boards. Built for bigger, heavier, stronger gymnasts training and competing more difficult skills, these boards bring big bounce per ounce!

In gymnastics vaulting, timing is Everything! The more recoil you have in your springs the faster the gymnast gets off the board, onto the vault table and into the air. When you’re doing more advanced vaults — your Yurchenkos, Tsukaharas or Produnovas — every millisecond counts ’til you stick that perfect landing.

All of our advanced, competition boards measure 2ft x 4ft long and are 21cm high from the ground up. Beyond that, our boards vary by the type of covering on the platform and the number of springs. More springs beget a harder board. 

Some gymnasts prefer a softer board; whereas, other prefer a more firm flex and return. We carry several models from different manufacturers across the spectrum, so that you can cater to your athletes’ individual preferences.

Let’s get into the details, so that you can make the right choice for your gymnastics facility and the gymnasts you train.

AAI offers 6 different vault boards! All of which meet FIG specs for competition. The AAI 8 Spring Stratum comes covered in grey carpet with 1/2in. padding. Its springs are removable so you can fix the firmness to the needs of each athlete. The AAI 8 Spring TAC 10 LZT features the pebbly textured, basketball fabric that provides extra protection against slippage and offers a slightly thicker, more reactive padding and is one of our most popular. It also lets you remove springs to fit individual gymnast preferences for harder or softer. Both of these boards meet competition specifications set out by USAG, AAU, NCAA, FIG and NFHS.

In a busy meet or a high volume gym club, you might not want to take the time to adjust the springs. For that reason, AAI came out with their line of EVO boards that come color coded per preference from soft to medium to more firm.

Softer boards are great for younger gymnasts. They’re easier to punch, less jarring and less fatiguing when you’re hitting the board over and over trying to nail down that Yurchenko timing. Like so much in gymnastics training, evolution of skill happens in progressions. Move to the medium board once you’ve mastered the softer version and prep for the harder, faster recoil board. Or just stay there. With AAI’s EVO boards, you can have your pick of the litter!

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