BIDDEFORD — Students at the Biddeford Intermediate School oohed and aahed, cheered and applauded as they watched student visitors from South Bristol perform amazing feats with jump ropes Thursday.

The Biddeford students, in grades three through five, gave their undivided attention to the 10 members of the South Bristol Spindrifters, Maine’s statewide demonstration team for the American Heart Association’s Jump Rope for Heart program made up of fourth- through eighth-grade students from South Bristol Elementary School.

The jumpers performed individually and in groups using single and multiple ropes.

Some of the rope tricks performed by Spindrifters included the bionic jump, which includes regular and one-legged jumping; the rump jump, a trick that involves bouncing one’s body over the twirling rope while in a seated position; and the octopus, a trick that involves arms and legs moving in all different directions while jumping rope.

Sixth-grade student Tahlia Mullen, creator of the rump jump, has been jumping rope since first grade and joined the Spindrifters in fourth grade. She said the team is a lot of fun, and she enjoys traveling around the state and performing.

Abby Brewer, also a sixth-grade student, said she’s been on the team for two or three years. According to Brewer, students first start out in the jump rope club and once they master a number skills they advance to the team.

Brewer said she likes being a member of the Spindrifters.

“It’s fun,” she said. “I like to get new skills. I like to promote healthy hearts.”

The group performs five times a year at schools throughout Maine that have signed up to hold a Jump Rope for Heart event, a fundraiser that benefits the American Heart Association. Biddeford has held such events for more than 10 years.

Liz Giles-Brown, the physical education teacher at South Bristol, founded the Spindrifters in 1996. She said through the team and club, almost half the 66-member student body participates in jump roping.

Although it requires extra effort on her part, Giles-Brown says she runs the program for two reasons. One reason is for the team members: “It’s incredible to get kids out and perform something they’ve spent a lot of time mastering,” she said.

Another reason is to promote exercise to children around the state. It’s important for children to find some kind of physical activity they enjoy and to stick with it, said Giles-Brown.

BIS physical education teacher Don Whitten said he was impressed with the 20-minute performance.

“It was fantastic,” he said. “Most (students) haven’t been exposed to these kinds of tricks, and neither had I.”

Jump rope is one of the activities that takes place during gym class in Biddeford, he said. After watching the performance, he said he thinks his students will be more excited about jumping rope and may want to try some of the tricks they saw the South Bristol students perform.

Jumping rope is a great activity, said Whitten, because it involves so many body parts and muscles. It also has some advantages over some other types of physical activities because it can be done individually or with a partner rather than needing a whole team, and jump ropes are relatively inexpensive.

American Heart Association spokeswoman Brenda Vitali said it’s a good activity to do inside in the winter and it’s excellent for heart health.

According to one study, 10 minutes of jumping rope is equal to 30 minutes of jogging.

BIS fourth-graders Shantelle Peare and Megan Reed said they enjoyed the Spindrifters performance.

“I loved it,” said Peare.

“I thought it was cool,” said Reed.

Both said they’d like to learn some of tricks they saw and possibly perform them when the school holds a jump rope fundraiser for the American Heart Association on a date to be determined in February.

— Staff Writer Dina Mendros can be contacted at 282-1535, Ext. 324 or dmendros@journaltribune.com.