By KAREN RAPOLLA
Staff Writer
Knockerball New Jersey is a new, indoor entertainment center located at Monmouth Mall in Eatontown that offers a fun and unique experience for all ages with giant, inflatable balls.
Mike Cannizzaro, and his father, John, both of Holmdel, started the business two years ago, as a mobile business, and Mike is excited to serve as the host to the first location of Knockerball at the Jersey Shore.
“We brought in the knockerballs to parties and hosted the activity. We will still be offering that mobile service for parties and events off premises. We are an independent, local company, Knockerball New Jersey. Knockerball is the trademark name of the ball we employ in our business,” said Mike Cannizzaro. “Knockerball is like a huge human bumper car. Players will strap on a giant inflatable ball of air like a backpack, leaving your legs free to run, roll, jump and most importantly bump into other players on the field.”
Knockerball has been enjoying a lot of national press coverage of late, including being featured on the Today Show, Fox & Friends and Good Day NY. Commercials can be frequently seen on ESPN, MTV, Fox News and Spike TV.
Knockerball started on a Norwegian gameshow, spread through Europe and is now gaining fast popularity across the United States.
“They did it on the game show as a goof and people really liked it, and it grew in popularity throughout Europe and Asia,” said Mike Cannizzaro.
While not hard to play, Knockerball will give you a tremendous workout. Between running, getting hit and carrying the weight of the ball on your shoulders, you will find the hardest part about it is trying to stand back up after you get knocked down because you are laughing too hard.
The sport is designed to be enjoyed as a group and therefore has gained fast popularity among birthday parties and other themed parties, corporate team-building functions, family fun and festivals to name a few.
A new, upcoming trend which has gained popularity are Knockerball fundraisers. The new sport has been quickly gaining popularity on social media feeds with a lot of viral videos.
Some of the games you can also play are Last Man/Team Standing, Head to Head Jousts, Rolling Relay Races, Protect the King, Knockerball Rush and anything else you can imagine. Most people just enjoy bumping and rolling around. Whether you play or just watch, it promises to provide great laughs for all ages.
You can try Knockerball during open play that will be available most days for $5 for five minutes co-mingled with other customers. If you want to play longer with a group, you can reserve a private field for 90 minutes for up to 30 people (two fields for larger groups), which includes a private party area with tables and chairs for drinks and food.
All Knockerball private reservations include Giant Connect Four, Giant Jenga and Pie Face to keep your guests entertained while they take a break. You can also upgrade your experience by adding the Human Foosball field or Hungry Hungry Humans game to your package.
“[The] minimum height for Knockerball currently is 48 inches to be able to maneuver on their own. If [children] are under 48 inches, an adult must escort them on the field to assist if they need it or they may roll them around as well,” explained Mike Cannizzaro. “If they are much shorter than that, they may have some trouble maneuvering with the weight of the ball on their back and it may drag along the floor. For our younger Knockers, they usually love when they climb inside the ball and get rolled around by their parents.”
While risks apply with Knockerball as with any other full-contact sport, it actually is very safe because the majority of your body is protected by a giant air-filled ball.
“There are always going to be risks with any contact sport, but Knockerball so far has a very safe history, and many parents love it because they often wish they could wrap their kids in bubble wrap so this is as close as they can get. Aside from that, we are fully insured and licensed in the state of New Jersey, and any venue can be added to our policy as needed. All players are required to sign a standard waiver prior to playing, and anyone under 18 must have it signed by a parent or legal guardian,” said Mike Cannizzaro.
In addition, the new Knockerball facility will be offering a variety of games that include Foot Darts or Soccer Darts, a mash-up of soccer and darts where you kick fuzzy soccer balls at a 10-foot-tall Velcro dartboard.
Foot Pool is another hybrid game of soccer and billiards. Instead of using a pool cue, you will instead use your feet to try to sink your group of balls before your opponent does. Slightly modified versions of 8-ball are most commonly played, but you are welcome to modify any normal billiards game however you like. Human Foosball is not so much a hybrid as it is just a fun and hilarious life-size version of something we have all seen or played before.
Basement Bocce is an old favorite that is popular among adults. You must roll your ball down a 48-foot carpeted pit and try to be the closest to the little white target ball to score the points for the round. The other offerings Hungry Humans, Box Hockey, Giant 4 in a Row and Giant Jenka are also available to add to private reservations.
For more information, call 732-690-5670 or visit www.KnockerballNJ.com.