MA Y2 0 1 2I S S U E WWW. T HE V A U L T E R MA G . C O M
T A B L EO FC O NT E NT S 8APRILSTEINERBENNETT B U B B AS P A R K S 1 2 HI G HHO P E S B YS T A F FWR I T E RD A NI E LD O NA Y R E
T HED E F I A NTG R I ND E R B YV A U L T E RMA G A Z I NE
1 6 2 2JACKWHITT J A NJ O HNS O N 2 4 J O A NAC O S T A 2 8 P O L ET I PR E V I E W 3 2
B E C K YHO L L I D A Y P O L EV A U L T I NGP I O NE E R B YS T A F FWR I T E RD A NI E LD O NA Y R E
V E R T I C A LV A U L T E RP HE NO M B YS T A F FWR I T E RD A NI E LD O NA Y R E
P O L EV A U L TS A F E T Y B YJ A NJ O HNS O N
B R A Z I L SC HA MP I O NP O L EV A U L T E R B YV A U L T E RMA G A Z I NE
T HER E V I E WO FT HEP O L ET I P B YV A U L T E RMA G A Z I NE
Ont hecover Apr i lBennet t Phot ogr aphby JamesPat ri ck
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F R O MT HEE D I T O R hi si st hef i r stpr i nti ssuef orVAULTER Magazi ne!VAULTER hashi ghhopesf ort hi s i ssueandonceagai ncont i nuest ost r i vef or successwi t hi nt heal r eadyt i ghtkni tpol evaul t i ng communi t y.Ourpl ansar et ocoverasmanyevent s aspossi bl eandbr i ngt her eaderupcl oseandper sonalwi t ht hepeopl et hatputt hei rhear tandsoul i nt ot hel oveoft hespor t . Hi ghschool ,col l ege,andel i t eat hl et esar eont he t opoft hescopef ort hi smagazi ne.VAULTER aknowl edgest hatt her eaderr eal i zest hatt he youngestat hl et ei sasi mpor t antt ousal laswel las t he90yearol dr ecor dset t er .Thi smont hwi l lbe packedwi t hpl ent yofbot hf ort heyoungandol d al i ke. Whenyouar eyoungandpol evaul t i ng,asi mpl epi ct ur eoft hest udentmaybeal lt hemot i vat i on neededt ohel pt hatst udentgett hr ought heyear . Her eatVAULTER Magazi newest r i vet oputa spot l i ghtont hesmal lt ownandl ar geci t ywheni t comest opol evaul t i ng.Whenyouseet hesmal l est ofvaul t eronoursi t eorpost edonTwi t t eror Facebook,know t hatonedayt hi scoul dbeyour nextOl ympi an. VAULTER Magazi nehadachancet ocovert heMt . Sacr el aysl astmont hi nApr i l .Thet i mewaswel l spentandt hehospi t al i t ywast opnot chf r om el i t e vaul t erGi ovanniLanar oandt her estofhi scr ew. AsIspokewi t hsomegr eatat hl et esandspr eadt he newsaboutt heupcomi ngi ssue,t hepol evaul t i ng cont i nuedwi t houtahi t ch. VAULTER Magazi newoul dl i ket ot hankal lofyou f oryoursuppor twhenaskedandyouri nspi r i ng wor dsaboutt hel aunchoft hi smagazi ne. DougBouma-TheVAULTER Magazi ne
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P a u lL i t c h f i e l d
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Hi g hHo p e sf o rA p r i ls t e i ne rB e nne t t B ys t a f fwr i t e rD a ni e lD o na y r e very j ourney hasa begi nni ng, f ut ure,neverf eari ng a chal l enge or and f orpol e vaul t i ng prof essi onal ,t hi nki ng i t ’ severt oo l at et o do someApri lBennet t ,t he questbegan as t hi ng bri l l i ant l y. a 12 yearol d wat chi ng t he Ol ympi csf ort he f i rstt i me.“Iwas “Pol e vaul t i ng di dn’ tcome i nt o my l i f e pret t y setatt hatpoi ntt hatI unt i lj uni orcol l ege, ”Bennet tsai d. wasgoi ng t o be i nt he Ol ympi cs When asked how she t ransi t i oned f rom i n some way. ”Thi sambi t i ousgoalneverpol e vaul t i ng t o bei ng a success atsuch a young age became t he i n col l ege Bennet tst at es,“Iwasa t heme ofBennet t ’ s l ong j ump t ri pl ej umperi n hi gh school , and t hathel ped i n pol e vaul t i ng. ” Havi ng a background i nt rack and f i el d, l i ke many pol e vaul t ers,Bennet t managed t oi mpl ementcert ai nt echni quesi nt o herpol e vaul t i ng successand i thasserved herwel l .Showcasi ng whatmany woul d consi dera l at e st art i n pol e vaul t i ng t o now an Ol ympi c at hl et e,Bennet thasdi smant l ed t he myt h ofneedi ng an earl y pract i ce of pol e vaul t i ng f rom a young age i n ordert o be a hi gh-prof i l e prof essi onal . “Ineverbel i eved i n‘ t oo l at e. ’ ” I n 2004,duri ng t hi st ransi t i on peri od, an unl i kel y opport uni t y became appeal i ng f orBennet t ,a chance t o be a cont est antand pot ent i alwi nnerf ort he f ad t el evi si on phenomenon,Fear Fact or.The di st urbi ng and att i mes di sgust i ng chal l engesofworm eat i ng and hei ghtf eari ng t askswere i n Bennet t ’ sway ofwi nni ng.Ast he show’ sf amouscoi ned phrase,f ear wascert ai nl y nota f act orf orBennet t who cashed i n $50, 000 f orbei ng t he l astone st andi ng i nf ourgruel i ng t askst hatepi sode.Thi sunusualdet our t o Bennet t ’ sj ourney t ot he Ol ympi cs report edl y hel ped f i nanci al l yf orf ut ure t rai ni ng and devel oped asan i nt erest i ng conversat i on pi ece.
Phot ograph by JamesPat ri ck
Wi t ht he 2012 London Ol ympi csi n si ght ,t here i sno bet t erachi evement f orApri lBennet tt o accompl i sh t han at t endi ng back-t o-back Ol ympi cs weari ng t he gl ori ousred,whi t e,and
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MA Y2 0 1 2I S S U E WWW. T HE V A U L T E R MA G . C O M bl ue uni f orm on t he runway.Prepari ng f ort he Ol ympi cTri al scan be a dai l y st ruggl e and put sany i ndi vi dual ’ sment al st rengt ht ot he t est .“Yourhead can real l y messwi t h you, ”Bennet texpl ai ns, “If eelmore experi enced and know what i twi l lt ake t hi st i me around. ” I nt he 2008 Ol ympi cTri al sBennet t pl aced 2nd t o earn hera spoton t he Ol ympi cst eam i n Bei j i ng,Chi na.At Bei j i ng post i ng a score of4. 55m, Bennet tt ook 8t h pl ace wi t h herf i rst everappearance i n an Ol ympi cevent . FormerUSA Ol ympi cpol e vaul t i ng Gol d medal i stSt acy Dragi l ai scurrent l y coachi ng Bennet tbri ngi ng hernumerous accol adesand ‘ been t here,done t hat ’ experi ence t ot ransf orm Bennet ti nt oa domi nantf orce i nt he pol e vaul t i ng worl d.Prai si ng hert al ent sand ment orshi p Bennet thappi l y makescl ear,“I t rai n att he Ol ympi cTrai ni ng Cent er wi t h her[Dragi l a];she‘ sa l egend. ” Wi t h any daunt i ng chal l enge Bennet t f aces,a sense ofsupportorout si de mot i vat i on pl aysa greatrol et o any Bennet tment i onsa pref erence i n i ndi vi dual ’ sconf i dence and f ocus.For o u t d o o r e v e n t s , “ T h e f o c u s i s mo re Bennet t ,she deepl y expressest he i mo u t d o o r s wh e n i t c o me s t o t r a i n i n g. pactoft he supportshe recei vesvoi ci ng ” A l t h o u g h h e r p e r s o n a l b e s t i s h i g ht hati t “t akesa vi l l age”t o make anye r f o r o u t d o o r e v e n t s , t h e c l o s e i n t hi ng successf ulhappen.Wi t houthesi d o o r s c o r e s h o ws a b a l a n c e d t at i on,Bennet tacknowl edgest he ormance wi t h no weakness supportofherhusband,“He i smy pi l l ar.perf wh e r e v e r s h e c o mpet es.“I ’ m pret t y He i sa sol i d husband who j ustget si t . c o n s i s t e n t d u r i n g t h e we e k d a y . Ihave a greatsupportbased group by tcont i nuesaboutherdi et , my f ri ends.My parent s,t hey j ustknew ”Bennet “ I e a t a h u g e g o o d b r e a k f a s t , a n d how t o handl e me wi t h my upsand eatl owercarbohydrat ef oods.Then downs.If eelso bl essed. ” atl unch t i me Ihave P90X shakes. ”Bennet tdescri beshow hercommi t These i ngredi ent sofsheert al ent ,t op t e d u s e o f t h e f a mo u s P 9 0 X wo r k o u t oft he l i ne coachi ng,and a support DV D h a s b e e n a b e n e f i c i a l t o o l t o group ast he i mpenet rabl e backbone, rai ni ng.“Idi dt he P90X workout Bennet thasshowed i mpressi ve numbers hert i n t h e f a l l a s t r a i n i n g .I ’ ve wi t h herpersonalbestof15’ 2½ f t . i mp l e me n t e d t h e p r o g r a m i nt o my out doorsand 15’ 1½ f t .i ndoors.These o wn wo r k o u t , ” B e n n e t t s i d e n ot es numbersare a resul tofsome of t hatt hey have a “real l y good setof Bennet t ’ sof ft he f i el d deci si onswhere a b d o mi n a l wo r k o u t s ” a swel l . hereat i ng habi t shave a cruci alef f ect on herperf ormance.
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MA Y2 0 1 2I S S U E WWW. T HE V A U L T E R MA G . C O M An unusualexperi mentBennet tconduct ed wasrecent l y swi t chi ng t ol ef t handed pol e vaul t i ng.Asa l ef t -handed i ndi vi dual ,Bennet thad been pol e vaul t i ng ri ght -handed by def aul tand had recent l y at t empt ed t o gi ve l ef t -handed pol e vaul t i ng a t ry.Bennet texpl ai nsherchange,“It ri ed pol e vaul t i ng l ef t handed t hi syear.Thatwasso much f un doi ng somet hi ng di f f erent . ”Al t hough she had f un wi t ht he swi t ch,she admi t st o changi ng back due t ot he obvi ous reasonsoff ami l i ari t y and pastsuccesst hatso f arhasnotdone herwrong. Bennet thasal so cont ri but ed t o gi vi ng back by coachi ng pol e vaul t i ng at hl et es i n severalcl ubsand camps.She sumsup i tsi mpl y,“Igett o hel pt he ki dsand real l y do l ove i t . ”Iasked Bennet twhatspeci f i cadvi ce she t endst o gi ve aspi ri ng pol e vaul t ersf rom herexperi ence and she conf i dent l y ref l ect s,“The bi ggestt hi ng f orme wasnevergi vi ng up.You real l y don’ thave successunt i l you’ ve had yourf ai l ures. ” I nt ense f ocusand account abi l i t yi ssomet hi ng Bennet tpri deshersel fwi t h,especi al l y when i tcomest o herat t i t ude and mi ndset on compet i t i on days.“Idon’ tchoke, ” Bennet tmade i tcl ear,“I fIdon’ tcompet e wel l ,i t ’ sonl y because Idi dn’ tprepare wel l enough. ” The ment al i t y ofa t rue prof essi onalwi t h t remendousat hl et i cupsi de,Bennet thas posi t i oned hersel ft o have t he opport uni t y ofrepresent i ng t he Uni t ed St at esf ora 2nd st rai ghtOl ympi cs.Wi t h hervi l l age of support erson t he si del i nes,t he sky i snot even t he l i mi tt ot he amountofsuccessyet t o come f rom t hi sprof i ci entvaul t erwi t h hi gh hopesahead.
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B U B B AS P A R K S–T HED E F I A NTG R I ND E R n 2003,ei ght mont hsaf t erhi s second Achi l l es surgery,Bubba f i ni shed runni ng 200sand not i ced some rustcol ored di rtbehi nd hi sl ef t l eg. He bentover t o rub t he di rtof f and a st ream of f l ui d came st reami ng outofhi sl eg. Two weeksl at erhe had an abscess i nsi de hi scal f , whi ch wasnow t he si ze ofhi st hi gh. Heavy ant i bi ot i cs saved Bubba’ s l owerl eg f rom amput at i on. He wast ol dt o nevert hi nk aboutrunni ng,and t hathe coul dn’ teven bi cycl e f orsi x mont hs. Pol e vaul t i ng? Done – FOREVER! He wasaboutt ot urn 50 and had been vaul t i ng si nce he was12. I n January of2005 Bubba wasi nt he backyard ofa 71 yearol df ri end who want ed t ot ry and geta medalatMast ersNat i onal si n Honol ul ui nt he summer. He asked Bubba t o coach hi m. Bubba di daf ew l i t t l e demonst rat i onsand sat down. The nextweek he vaul t ed 8’6”butcoul dn’ tmake 9’because he coul dn’ tgetvert i cal . Qui et l y overt he nextsi x weeksBubba st art ed hi t t i ng t he hi gh P-Barsand di daf ew easy grassst ri des. He j ustknew any day hi s l eg woul d bl ow up. I tdi dn’ tand he cl eared 10’6”. Long st ory shortBubba wentt o Honol ul u and vaul t ed 11’6”f ort he bronze medal ,whi l e hi s71 year ol df ri end won t he gol d. HE WAS BACK! Bubba descri beshi msel fasa guy wi t h very l i t t l e nat uralt al entbutst ubborn enough t o work real l y hard. Fouryearsl at er,i n 2009 he won Mast ersI ndoor Nat i onal sand t hen l at ert hatyear,won t he Worl d Mast ersGames(M55)i n Sydney,Aust ral i a wi t h a meetrecord. These are t he “Ol ympi cs”f ort hose over30 wi t h 28, 000 compet i t orsi n 28 sport s. He had i mproved f rom 11’6” t o 13’6”. Bubba i st rai ni ng t hrough 2012 t ryi ng t o gett ot he nextl evelf or2013,when he wi l lt urn 60 j ustbef ore t he Worl d Mast ersGamesi n Turi n,I t al y. Two
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mont hsl at erhe wi l lgo t o Brazi lf orWorl d Mast ersAt hl et i cs. Onl y one person 60+ i n hi st ory hasevervaul t ed 13’ . Bubba i st rai ni ng t hrough t hi syeari n an ef f ortt o vaul t14’ . He f i gurest hati swhati twi l lt ake t o gi ve hi m t he best chance t o become t he 2nd person t o vaul t13’ . On t he surf ace Bubba soundsj ustl i ke any ot hervaul t erwi t h bi g goal sand a greatwork et hi c. Hi sreal i t y wasdi scovered i n 2008 when he wasdi agnosed wi t h chroni canemi a,i n partbecause hi sbody no l ongermakest est ost erone. NormalT l evel sf ora 55-59 yearol d man i s552 yetBubba’ sl ab t est sshow <20. El i t e mast ershave drug t est i ng undert he same rul esasOl ympi ans,so even t hough he medi cal l y needssuppl ement at i on he cannott ake i t . Asa resul tBubba i sconst ant l yi nj ured,maki ng i ti mperat i ve t hathe i s overcaut i ouswi t h hi st rai ni ng and meetpl an. Fort hose who have vaul t ed wi t h Bubba orseen hi m vaul t ,you know t hati ti snormalf orhi m t o have t o wi t hdraw bef ore hi scompet i t i on j umpsare compl et e. He si mpl y knowst hat one more j ump wi l lputhi m outf orei ghtweeksso he st ops. Wi t h al loft hese “di st ract i ons”,you wi l lal waysf i nd Bubba upbeatabout vaul t i ng and t rai ni ng. Al an Launderonce sai dt hathe hasnevermetanyone who l oved vaul t i ng orvaul t ersmore t han Bubba does. He l ovesget t i ng emai l f rom ki dsofal ll evel s. I nf acthe st at eson hi sFacebook page t hathe j oi ned j ustso he coul dl earn more aboutt he up and comers. He sai d,“None oft he young ki dsknow much aboutt he ol dervaul t erswho came bef ore t hem,and f ew oft he ol d onesknow t he new onescomi ng up. Il i ke t o wat ch t hei r phot osand vi deosand hel pt hem cel ebrat et hei rPRs. Asvaul t erswe al lcan t el lyou t he det ai l sofourvery f i rst8’ ,10’12’ ,13’j umpset c. Ican remembert hatl i ke i twasyest erday so i t ’ seasy t o getexci t ed f orand wi t h t he ki ds. ” Bubba keepsa dai l y bl og,“A Day i nt he Li f e ofa Mast ersPol e Vaul t er”where he chroni cl eshi sef f ort sf ort he day. He’ svery honestwi t h hi sopt i mi sm as wel lasmany f rust rat i ons. He goest hrough hi srat i onal e ofhi sgame pl an et c.
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MA Y2 0 1 2I S S U E WWW. T HE V A U L T E R MA G . C O M Check i touthere -ht t p://mast erspv. bl ogspot . com.He sayshi sbi ggest surpri se i swhen he goest o meet sand peopl e come up and t el lhi m t hey read i tevery day. “Thatreal l y makesme f eell i ke I ’ m notoutt here spi nni ng my wheel sal lal one. Ican assure t here i snot hi ng speci alaboutme. I nf act ,I promi se you t hatevery vaul t erhashad t hese same t hought s,hopesand f ears; I ’ m j ustput t i ng t hem outt here ast hey come t o me. ” Bubba makesi thi s mi ssi on t o be a greatambassadorf ort he sporthe l oves. Cont acthi m at ht t p://www. bubbapv. com
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D a n i e l aH o e l l wo r t h
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oi magi ne a pi oneer,of any f i el df ort hatmat t er, at rai n oft houghtcomes t o mi nd ofsomeone pi ct ured asa “l egend”i nt hei rown ri ght f orbei ng partofa col l ect i ve movement ,regardl essof personalachi evement s.I tgoes wi t houtsayi ng t hatt he cont ri but i on t ot he Women’ spol e vaul t i ng emergence woul d have notbeen possi bl e and ongoi ng wi t houtt he cat al ystef f ort gi ven by Becky Hol l i day and hercommi t mentt ot op not ch at hl et i ci sm. Af t ert rai ni ng i nt he real m of gymnast i cs,Hol l i day deci ded t o ext end hert al ent si nt o an area oft rack and f i el d,more speci f i cal l y pol e vaul t i ng.A sportt hatwasmostl i kel y not goi ng t o hel p hercause f ort he vot e of“prom queen”atReed Hi gh Schooli n Nevada. Hol l i day’ sbol d choi ce of l andi ng an i nt erest ed i n pol e vaul t i ng wasdari ng and ambi guousatt he t i me f ori t s l ack ofpopul ari t yi n compari son t o presentday Ameri can sport s. Though a t ransi t i on f rom one sportt ot he nextf orsome i s t he equi val entofl earni ng a new l anguage,t o Hol l i day she conf i dent l y admi t s, “Ipi cked i tup pret t y easi l y. ”Thi sversat i l e abi l i t y wast he f i rstofmany admi rabl e at t ri but esshowcased by t hi saccompl i shed pi oneer. The f i rstgl ance di sadvant age ofHol l i day’ shei ght ,5 f eetand 3 i nches,onl y t ranscended t o a badge worn on herheartwi t h pri de.No sound ofa wari ness orconcern washeard.Onl y a voi ce ofconf i dence and chari sma si gnal ed t hrough t he t el ephone asHol l i day t al ked aboutherhei ght ,“Irepresental lof t he shortvaul t ersal laround t he worl d, ”Hol l i day excl ai ms.
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MA Y2 0 1 2I S S U E WWW. T HE V A U L T E R MA G . C O M I twasnotunt i lt he 2000 Ol ympi cst hat women were f i nal l y al l owed t o compet ei n t he pol e vaul t i ng event . When any t al entperf ormst o a crowd of several ,adrenal i ne hasnotmeti t st rue def i ni t i on.Once t he st age wassetf or t hese newl yf ound Ol ympi ansadrenal i ne reachest he poi ntofpressure and t he nextl evelofperf ormance i sneeded t o l eap overt he barri ersoff earand t he boundari esoft he unknown. Bei ng t here si nce t he ri si ng at t ent i on Hol l i day admi t st he qui ck growt h oft he sport ,“I tgrew so f ast ;t here i sway more pressure now. ” Whatseperat esa good at hl et ef rom a greatone i st he react i on and response t o t he ri se ofpressure and i ncreasi ng numberofeyeswat chi ng you,each st ri de down t he runaway asyou at t emptt o reach overt he barofsuccess. I nj ustherf i rstyearofcompet i ng, Hol l i day pl aced 4t hi nt he st at e. The f ol l owi ng year,one ofHol l i day’ sf i rst breakt hrough successst ori es,wi nni ng as a St at e Champi on wi t h a hei ghtof12 f eet and 3 i nches.Thi swast he st artofa very f ormi dabl ef ri endshi p wi t h compet i t i ons and hassi nce i mproved t o personalbest of4. 62 met ersout doorsand 4. 55 met ers f ori ndoorevent s.Great nesswas ori gi nat i ng. The Uni versi t y ofOregon wast he nextst op f orHol l i day,and accol adeshad j ustreached t he surf ace ofwhatwasa growi ng f ormi dabl ef ri endshi p wi t h successand a compi l at i on ofnumerousaccompl i shment s. I n 2003,Hol l i day t ook t he gol d ast he NCAA Out doorsChampi on (4. 41m)and wore t he si l veri n t he NCAA I ndoorsevent(4. 35m). Throughoutt hi sagenda oft ri aland error,t rai ni ng ofphysi calst rengt h and ment alawareness,Hol l i day’ sconsi st entdi ethaskeptherbody i n shape and mi nd di sci pl i ned.“I ’ m very st ri cton my di et ;Ieata l otoff ood,butt he ri ght f ood, ”Hol l i day expressest hatt he expl anat i on f oreat i ng “a l ot ”i st o ext end t he numberofsmal lmeal sperday she consumest o keep hermet abol i sm goi ng t hroughoutt he day.Thi sdoesnoti nf actt ransl at et o orencourage an eat i ng di etofan abundance ofburgersand f ri est o creat e an at hl et i cf i gure.
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Wi t h every greatat hl et e,t he gui dance and ment orshi p ofa coach hel pst o f aci l i t at et he perf ormance and det ermi ned resul t sofpersonalgrowt h and at hl et i csuccess.Hol l i day hasbeen t rai ni ng peri odi cal l y si nce 2006 wi t h Arkansaspol e vaul t i ng l egend,f ormerrecord hol der,and US Ol ympi c represent at i ve,EarlBel l .Wi t h Bel l ’ soverwhel mi ng experi ence,success,and knowl edge,Hol l i day f i ndscomf orti n a subt l et rai tdi spl ayed by hercoach, “He doesn’ tovercoach. ”Hol l i day al so acknowl edgescoach Bel l ’ sst at ure,“He wast he t op Ameri can At hl et e ofhi st i me. ” Wi t ht he Ol ympi cTri al si n si ght ,t hi sconf i dence expressed f rom Hol l i day t oward hercoach onl y amongstt he pressure t hatt he Tri al sbri ng t hemsel ves. Hol l i day t oucheson t he dai l y mi ndsetshe keepsup t ot he event ,“Idon’ t know,i t ’ shard.There i sso much pressure every day,butt hi si smy 3rd Ol ympi cTri al .Asl ong asyou do t he work,and know you do,t hen t he resul t s wi l lcome. ” When t he wei ght sofadversari alopposi t i on presshardert han i magi nabl e,t he supportofa speci alf ami l y member,f uelHol l i day’ smot i vat i on and i nspi rat i on t o cont i nue t o compet e ata hi gh l evel .“I ’ m t he onl y at hl et ef rom my bi g f ami l y,and my Dad i smy bi ggestf an, ”Hol l i day t hen sharesheraf f ect i on f or Hai l ey Bear,“I ’ m an ani mall over.My dog,Hai l ey Bear,gi vesme good l uck. ” Al t hough ani mal sare notal l owed on t he f i el d duri ng compet i t i ons,Hol l i day hast aken Hai l ey Bearon t he road wi t h hert o compet i t i onsi nt he past . Gi vi ng back t ot he communi t y and hel pi ng t o cont i nue t he growt h ofwomen’ s pol e vaul t i ng i si mport antt o Hol l i day and hasbeen a t remendousrol e model f ort he yout h.“LastyearIcoached atEastLake Hi gh School .I thel psyou as an at hl et et o coach and gi ve back t ot he communi t y, ”Hol l i day ref l ect ed,and had ment i oned an i mport antt opi cofadvi ce she t el l sal lpol e vaul t ers,and at hl et esf ort hatmat t er,“Rest .Nota l otofat hl et esrestenough ast hey shoul d. ” When we l ook back att he l egacy t hathasbeen scul pt ed by Becky Hol l i day, she hasbeen t he f i gure t o be f ol l owed by and recogni zed f orshapi ng t he sportofWomen’ spol e vaul t i ng on t he f oundat i on ofhard work,humi l i t y,and gi vi ng back t ot he communi t yt he t ool sand knowl edge t hathave made heran est eemed at hl et i cpi oneer.
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C h r i sS wa n s o n
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he f i ghtagai nstgravi t yi smerel y hal ft he bat t l ef orAmeri can pol e vaul t erJack Whi t tt o become Ameri ca’ snextOl ympi csuperst ar. Exceedi ng 5 met ersovert he bari n Nat i onalcompet i t i onsdoesnothappen overni ght .I nf act ,whatt akespl ace of f t he runway si gni f i cant l yi mpact sWhi t t ’ s at hl et i cperf ormance j ustasmuch,i fnot more,t han t he physi calt rai ni ng. Whi t texpl ai nshi snut ri t i onalhabi t ssi mpl y,“It ry and eatsmal lmeal st hroughout t he day every 2 t o 3 hourst o keep my met abol i sm goi ng,and Ieata l otofwhi t e meatand f i sh. ”Taki ng care ofyourbody can be di f f i cul tf orany di sci pl i ned at hl et e wi t ht he t empt at i onsoff astf ood and del i cat e dessert satevery corner.“[I ] st ay away f rom asmuch sweet sand sugar aspossi bl e,butIdo have a sweett oot h, ” Whi t tadmi t s. The young t al entbegan hi sat hl et i c pursui ti n Norman,Okl ahoma where he shat t ered t he hopesand dreamsofhi s compet i t orswi t h numerousaccol ades f rom bei ng a 3 t i me Okl ahoma St at e Champi on t o wi nni ng a Gol d medalatt he Pan Ameri can Juni orChampi onshi ps2008 i n Spai n. Whi t t ’ scoach duri ng hi shi gh schoolyears was1989 NCAA Champi on Ti m McMi chael who Whi t tment i onsas“one oft he bi ggest hel psi n my vaul t i ng career. ”I twaswi t h t he gui dance ofcoach McMi chaelt hat i nst i l l ed t he f ocusofWhi t tt ot he l engt hs ofconsi st entpract i ce and havi ng vi deos recorded ofhi sworkout sf oranal ysi sand cri t i que f orprogressi on. Usi ng a 5 met er12. 8f l ex UCS spi ri tpol e wi t h 16’ 1f t .gri ppi ng ashi sequi pmentof
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choi ce,Whi t thast reat ed i twi t h care and respect . “Ihave neverbroken a pol e duri ng an act ual compet i t i on ora seri ous vaul tpract i ce. ” Thi sf ocushascarri ed on t o Whi t t ’ sdai l y pract i ce, “Ipol e vaul tduri ng t he day unt i ldark,t hen go home and wat ch vi deo, t hen atschoolt hat ’ sal l It hi nk about . ”Thi s repet i t i on ofdet ermi nat i on and sel f -mot i vat i on creat ed t he i nt angi bl e qual i t i est hatbui l t Whi t t ’ scharact erbot h as an at hl et e and more i mport ant l y asa person. Whi t tdi spl ayed dramat i ci mprovement sf rom hi sage 15 personalbest s,where he peaked at11 f eet6 i nchesi n out doorcompet i t i ons,t ot hen onl y surpass hi srecord t o a st aggeri ng 16 f eeteven mark t he nextyear.Duri ng t hi st i me t he hi gh schoolphenom dropped al lsport st of ocuson pol e vaul t i ng.“Idi d pol e vaul t i ng of f -season,gai ned 20l bsand bust ed my but tal lyear. ” Hol di ng t he #1 ranki ng i n hi gh schooland #2 ranki ng (Juni or19 and under) i nt he worl d by 2009,Whi t thad successf ul l y ecl i psed a si gni f i cantmi l est one t hatnotonl y generat ed Nat i onalrecogni t i on and credi bi l i t y,butrej uvenat ed hi smot i vat i on t o push even harder. Now Whi t ti sat t endi ng OralRobert sUni versi t yi n Tul sa,Okl ahoma where he i st rai ni ng t o one day representt he Uni t ed St at esofAmeri ca att he Ol ympi cs. When asked whatmade OralRobert sUni versi t yt he mostappeal i ng ofchoi ces, Whi t texpressed t he f ai t h and cert ai nt y behi nd hi spot ent i alcoach,“Joe Di al cont act ed me and waspret t y seri ousaboutme comi ng. ” Now pi ct ure t hi s.Asa young aspi ri ng pol e vaul t eryou have t he opport uni t yt o be coached by a 4 t i me NCAA champi on and Worl d Record hol derf ori ndoor hei ghti n 1986;cl earl y one oft he st at esmosthi ghl y regarded pol e vaul t ers ever,peri od.The f ormerWorl d and Ameri ca record hol dercarri esbot ht he experi ence and ment orshi pt hatat t ract ed Whi t tt o hi scorner. Wi t ht he i nst rument alcoachi ng ofJoe Di al , by l astyearal one,Jack Whi t thas i mproved i mmensel y and hasi ncreased hi sst at ust ot he 21stranked pol e vaul t eri nt he Worl d.The numbersspeak f ort hemsel ves,and prai se f rom Whi t tt oward hi scoach speakseven l ouder,“Ihave t he pri vi l ege t o be coached by Joe Di al . ”
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Out si de t he at hl et i cworl d ofpol e vaul t i ng,Jack st i l lenj oyst he out doors duri ng hi sdown t i me,“Il ove t o huntand f i sh aswel lasspend a l otoft i me at t he l ake t ubi ng,wakeboardi ng,and swi mmi ng. ” Isuppose t hi shel pst o expl ai n why Whi t tpref erst he at mosphere ofcompet i ng i n out doorevent s.I n hi scareert husf ar,out doorevent sst at i st i cal l y have f avored Whi t tmore by havi ng hi spersonalbestout doorsbei ng 18’ 6½ f t . ,2 i ncheshi ghert han hi s18’ 4½ f t .i ndoorpersonalbest . Iasked Whi t tt o spi l lt he beanson where t he out doorsuccesscomesf rom and he wasj ustaspuzzl ed,“Ihonest l y don’ tknow,Ij ustrun bet t er,am more conf i dent ,and more aggressi ve. ”I roni cal l y enough,t he 2012 Summi tLeague I ndoorFi el d At hl et e oft he Yearwasawarded t o Jack Whi t t . I n ret rospect ,t he cl osenessand successofbot h scoresshowcase t he overal l t al entand versat i l i t yt hatWhi t tcan perf orm i n any set t i ng i ndoorsorout ,and hascl earl y been recogni zed f orhi sadapt abl e nat ure. Goi ng t hrough numerouscompet i t i onsand excruci at i ng daysoft rai ni ng and workout s,Jack Whi t tshedsa l i ghtofadvi ce f orany up-and-comi ng pol e vaul t i ng at hl et es,“Iwoul dt el la young at hl et et o vaul tasmuch aspossi bl e and t ry t of i nd a coach t hathassome vaul t i ng background, ”Whi t tadds,“Al so, f i nd a camera t o vi deo yourpract i cesand compare yourvaul tt o ot herhi ghcl assvaul t ers. ” Wi t h al lhi saccompl i shment sand breaki ng t he Okl ahoma st at e record f or hi ghestpol e vaul t i ng hei ghtat5. 45 met ers,i roni cal l y surpassi ng hi scurrent coach and pol e vaul t i ng l egend Joe Di al ,Whi t tgi veshi st ake on t he emergi ng pressure. “Ineverreal l yf el tpressure;Ij ustwentoutt here and had f un.WheneverI have a good t i me,t hat ’ swhen Ij ump my best .Knowi ng t hatt he road t ot he prest i gi ousOl ympi cst age i sa daunt i ng f eatwi t h seemi ngl y compl ex obst acl es i nt he way,Whi t tdrawst he road map si mpl y, “I t ’ sa consi st ency t hi ng;I t ’ s notabouthow hi gh you’ ve j umped,buthow hi gh you j ump t hatday [oft he compet i t i on]. ” Wi t h hi gh expect at i onsand i nevi t abl e scrut i ny,Jack Whi t t ’ sposi t i ve at t i t ude and hard work et hi ci st he spi ri tt hatwi l lcont i nue get t i ng hi m overt he bar and ont ot he t op ofan Ol ympi cpedest al .
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sportl i ke pol e vaul t i ng i sone oft he mostchal l engi ng and i ti sal so one where an at hl et e mustpay at t ent i on t o every move t o ensure t hatt here wi l lbe l essofa chance ofi nj ury.Current l y,t he I l l i noi sPol e Vaul t Associ at i on and t he nat i onalPol e vaul tSaf et y commi t t ee headed by Jan Johnson i si nvest i gat i ng t he possi bi l i t y ofmandat i ng a requi red l andi ng zone rul e. Because oft hatyou can be cert ai nt hatt here wi l lbe a l otofupdat es when i tcomest o saf et y and t echni ques;l i t t l e changest hatcan be made so t hatt he at hl et e’ ssaf et y can be made a pri ori t y whi l e noti nt erf eri ng wi t ht he hi gh l evelcompet i t i on. Al t hough i nt he experi ment alst agest he RLZ rul e accordi ng t o Jan Johnson hasgreatpot ent i alasa l ow costway t oi ncrease saf et y and reduce outof cont rolj umps.Recent l y severalexperi ment alcont est shave been conduct ed whi ch empl oy 15’ x15’requi red l andi ng zone box pai nt ed on t op oft he pi t . Duri ng t hese cont est sobservat i onshave been made i n a very cl osel y manner so t hatal lt he det ai l scan be recorded.Fort he resul t st o be val i d every move mustbe exactand so doesevery observat i on.Atone oft he experi ment al
cont est sconduct ed att he Sky Jumpers/ I l l i noi sPol e Vaul tCoachesAssoc.atPark Ri dge,I l l i noi st hi sFebruary i ncl uded a t ot alofseven caut i onswhi ch were t hen recorded i nt o a score sheet .A caut i on meanst hatt he vaul t erwentpastt he saf et y zone af t eri ni t i alcont actwi t ht he l andi ng pad.Dangerousvaul t swere al so recorded. Fort he t est s,t he l andi ng zone was experi ment aland t he l andi ng matwas 21’ 6”wi de by 16’ 10”deep back oft he st ri ke pl at e.The requi red l andi ng zone wasa box 15’15’begi nni ng bet ween 3 and 9”behi nd t he t op oft he back oft he pl antbox.Caut i onswere gi ven a C on t he score sheetnextt ot he cont est antevery t i me t hatone wasi ssued.Some compet i t orswoul d have been el i mi nat ed f rom compet i t i on due t ot he numberof caut i ons.Thatwoul d have been done due t ot he possi bi l i t y ofa compet i t orbri ngi ng dangert ot hemsel ves,whi ch some oft he compet i t orsdi d duri ng t he t ri al s. The j umpersand coacheswere aware of
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t he need t ol and wi t hi nt he saf et y zone so t hatt he at t emptwoul d be consi dered a saf e at t empt .Whi l e some oft he observersf rom t he I PVCA t houghtt hatt he box wasnotaswi de asi tcoul d have been,ot herst hought t hatt he si ze wasj ustri ght .The j umpersupon l andi ng were observed whi l e t hey di di nf actrol lback,butnotenough t o reach t he saf et y zone.One caut i on wasi ndeed i ssued when a j umperl anded wi t h hi sf eetri ghton t he saf et yl i ne.I nf actt he wi nneroft he cont estwasci t ed wi t h at ot alof3 caut i ons.He wasnotdi squal i f i ed f rom t he cont esteven af t ert ravel i ng i n what woul d be consi dered a dangerousmannerf rom si de t o si de on many j umps. Asf arast he f i nalobservat i onst he memberst hatwere j udgi ng t he j umps agreed t hatt he rul est hatcome asa resul tofsaf et y exerci sesmustbe cl ear and easy t o enf orce.I ft here i sroom f ori nt erpret at i on t hen t hatcan cause probl emsduri ng t he enf orcementprocess.A suggest i on wasmade by one of t he coachest hatshoul d a compet i t ordoesnotshow duri ng warm up t hatt hey can have a saf et echni que t hen t hey shoul d notbe al l owed t o compet e,but anot hercoach si mpl y suggest ed t hatavoi di ng warm upswoul d work t o avoi d bei ng di squal i f i ed. These t ypesofexerci sesand exami nat i on oft he rul esare prooft hatt he wel l bei ng oft he at hl et esi sal waysi nt he mi nd oft he t ournamentorgani zersand coaches.These t ypesofexerci sesand observat i onscoul dl ead t o rul e changes on t he j umpsand on t he l andi ng areast o make i nj uri esl essl i kel yt o happen. Expandi ng t he l andi ng areasand ensuri ng t hatt he j umpersexhi bi ta saf er t echni que may notbe popul arwi t h some oft he at hl et es,buti ft he rul ei s appl i ed t hen al lt he j umperswi l lbe compet i ng on t he same l evel . “We t hi nk we have a real l y good i dea.However,i tmustbe si mpl e and easy t o enf orce. ”Say Jan Johnson Nat i onal Saf et y Chai r. “We wantt o bri ng more at t ent i on t ol andi ng i nt he cent erof t he pads,and bri ng more cont rolt o t he sport .However,we do notwant t o make a rul et hati sdi f f i cul tt o enf orce.We wat ched t he pref erred l andi ng zone f or8 yearsand coul d notf i nd a good sol ut i on;we are way more comf ort abl e wi t ht he RLZ. More comment sand i nf ormat i on can be seen on t hi satJan Johnson’ sweb si t e undernewsl et t ers www. skyj umpers. com .
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J a k eB l a n k e n s h i p
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J O A NAC O S T AB R A Z I L J
oana Cost a st art ed runni ng t rack i n 1994 i n a proj ectcal l ed USP-XEROX, hel d atUni versi t y ofSão Paul o, sponsored by XEROX.Di rect ed by Pedro de Tol edo,coach oft he f amous t ri pl ej umper“Joao do Pul o”,chi l dren f rom publ i cshool sneart he uni versi t y were i nvi t ed t ot ake t he t estand j oi n t he group.Obvi ousl y Ipassed,or ot herwi se Iwoul d notbe here. Joana wentt hrough many event s bef ore pol e vaul t i ng,herf i rst i nt ernat i onalmeetwast he Sout h Ameri ca Champi onshi p,i n whi ch she t ook t hi rd pl ace.She al so compet ed i n t he l ong j ump,t ri pl ej ump,and hi gh j ump.There were age rest ri ct i onsf or gi rl spol e vaul t i ng unt i la cert ai n age due t ot he t hreatofi nj ury.But ,when i tchanged and i twasi nt roduced t ot he yout h cat egory someone had t o vaul t t o getmore poi nt sf ort he t eam att he st at e meet s. Once Joana real i zed t hi sshe st art ed t o expand herknowl edge i nt he pol e vaul t i ng worl d.Si nce she al ready had some experi ence i n Gymnast i cs,and wasgood att he j umpsshe pi cked up vaul t i ng rat hernat ural l y.Herdream wast o be l i ke Nadi a Comaneci ,but af t era whi l et hatdream changed i nt o ot herexampl esofworl d cl assel i t es. Joana di d wasnotbl essed wi t h good st ruct ure f orpol e vaul tduri ng her youngeryears.“I twasf un t o st art vaul t i ng wi t h a bamboo pol e,buti tdi d notl astt oo l ong when my crazy f ri ends Leandro and Marcosst art ed vaul t i ng wi t hi tt oo and broke i t . ”So hercoach Nei l t on Moura and t he proj ectmanager Pedro de Tol edo boughtmy f i rstpol e. Wi t ht hi spol e she made i tt ot he f i rstWorl d Yout h GamesatMoscow,i n 1998, where she saw Yel ena I si nbayeva wi nt he compet i t i on wi t h 4 met ers.
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MA Y2 0 1 2I S S U E WWW. T HE V A U L T E R MA G . C O M Once she f i ni shed school ,hercoach mot i vat ed her t o st udy abroad,so she coul dl earn engl i sh and hopef f ul l y woul d have more accesst o pol e vaul t i ng equi pmentand i mprove hervaul t i ng.I n 2000,she l ef tt he hotsummeri n Brazi land arri ved at Cl emson Uni versi t yi nt he wi nt er.Af t erherf i rst week,she wentt o a meeti n Vi rgi ni a,and she wi t nesssnow f ort he f i rstt i me.I twasa bi g change f orJoana,butatl eastnow she had pol es t hatshe coul d use t o perf ecthert rade. She f i ni shed schooli n 2004,and now she was goi ng back home wi t h a Bi ol ogy degree,some pol es,and much needed experi ence. I n 2004, she broke t he 4 met ermark and st art i ng vaul t i ng wi t h more consi st ancy.Jona hasa personalbestof 4, 40m,whi ch i sst i l lt he second besthei t hf or Brazi lf oral lt i me. I n 2011,she f i ni shed up hersecond degree i n i n Physi calEducat i on,and because ofherl ove f orgymnast i csand herl i cense t o be a physi caleducat i on prof essor(requi red i n Brazi l ),she had t he chance t o work wi t ht he ci rcus.Thi snew j ob wascal l ed t he “Casa do Ci rco“(The Ci rcusHouse),and i nt wo pri vat e school sasan al t ernat i ve sportcl ass.She st i l lvaul t s,butshe st i l lhast o work,so when i ti spossi bl e she vaul t sata f ew l ocalcompet i t i onswhi l e handl i ng herpresent at i onsand work. Joana bel i evest hatpol e vaul thasa l ong way t o go f ordevel opmenti n her home count ry ofBrazi l .Even t hough t hey have good vaul t ers,t he condi t i ons and t he knowl edge are shared by very f ew coachesand vaul t erst hathave t he ski l l srequi red t ot each.Pol e vaul t i ng i svi ew i n hercount ry asa di f i cul tand very expensi ve event ,so coachesdon’ teven at t emptt hi seventorhave t he mi ni mum condi t i onst o devel op t he t al ent . Pol esare notmade i n Brazi l ,so we have a hard t i me on buyi ng t hem.Pol e vaul tmat s are very expensi ve and donat i onsf orsuch come f arand f ew bet ween.Somet i mesone oft hem come i nl uck and a company suppl i es af ew pol es,buti n generali ti sa maj or i ssue f ort he devel opmentoft he event .“I ti s sad,because we have showed t hatwe have t he pot ent i al ,we j ustneed a bet t erst ruct ure and good prof essi onal sworki ng wi t hi t . ” Pol e vaul t i ng i srarel yi nt roduced t o chi l dren when t hey st artt rack,and f ort hi sreason t hey l ack t he i nt eract i on wi t ht he event ;pol e vaul t i ng of f ersa greatopport uni t yt o devel op body cont rol ,upperand l owerbody coordi nat i on,st rengt h,concent rat i on, courage,and many ot herbenef i t s.There are
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MA Y2 0 1 2I S S U E WWW. T HE V A U L T E R MA G . C O M many wayst oi nt roduce i tt o t hem,“i magi ne how f un i t woul d be f orki dsf ul lof energy,want i ng t oj ump t hi ngsf rom one pl ace t o ot her wi t h hei ghtand securi t y att he same t i me. ” Joana knowst hatshe l ovest he sportwi t h al lherheart .Pol e vaul t i ng i sherl i f e.Pol e vaul t t aughtheraboutcul t ures, l anguages,peopl e,and more. Thi ssportt ook heral lovert he worl d,and i tt ook herhere,so she coul d share a l i t t l e bi tof herst ory wi t h you al l .“My onl y probl em i s. . .how do I st op doi ng i t ? Idonteven wantt ot hi nk abouti t ! ”:)
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B r a dWa l k e r
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P O L ET I PR E V I E W T
he pol et i p st opperused t o make t he energy t ransf erf rom t he run t ot he pol ei scommonl y cal l ed t he pol et i p!There are many pol et i psmade,but where do you go t of i nd t hem and make t he ri ghtpurchase f oryourpol e? Whatare pol et i psanyway and whatare t hey made f rom? Usi ng t he pol et i pt o al t ert he vaul ti t sel fwasf i rst experi ment ed wi t ht he French Vaul t erswi t h a pol et i p t hatwashard on t he end and had a hol ei ni twi t ha screw t o mash t he sof tsi de down t o expand and f i tany si ze vaul t i ng pol e.Thusone t i pt of i tal lsi ze pol es! They used t enni sbal l scutand appl i ed t ot he pol et i pt o qui ett he i mpactoft he hard t i psbei ng produced.The sound oft he l exan t ype pl ast i cpol et i p sl ammi ng i nt o t he vaul tbox wasso l oud i tof t en setof fspri ntraces t hi nki ng t he gun had gone of f !Al ong came a sof trubber pol et i p.The 3-4 si zesf i t sal lpol eson t he marketand wasf unct i onalbutmany di d notl i ke t hem due t ot hei r abi l i t yt o di ssi pat e energy ret urn.
Then t he maki ng ofa vi nylt i p caused cont i nued repl acementprobl ems,butt hi ssmal lchange di d sol ve al lt he ot heri ssues. So here’ st he deal ;t he vaul t erowns$300 t o $500 vaul t i ng pol esand i ft he pol et i p breaksorwearsoutyou have an expensi ve vaul t i ng pol et hatcannot f unct i on!By t he t i me you ordernew pol et i psand t hey arri ve yourpol e has gat hered much dusti nt he wai t i ng game t o geta repl acement ! Bel ow we wi l lbri ng t hese pol et i p opt i onst o yourat t ent i on and l end some i nsi ghtf oryournextpol et i p process.
GI LL ATHLETI CS The f i rstpol et i p we wi l ldi scussi st he GI LL ATHLETI CS pol et i p used on al l Pacers,Sky-pol es,and ot herbrand vaul t i ng pol est hey make.The t i pi swhere t he pol e meet si t sf i rstst op,and i ti si n a way a bi tofa “shock absorber”and can i nf l uence t he f eeloft he pl ant .I t ’ sa very subt l et hi ng butsome at hl et es’ have a t i p pref erence based on how i tmakest he pl ant(hi t )f eel . The company cl ai mst hei rt i pi st he bestenergy t ransf ersyst em!The pri mary di f f erence i nt i psi st he densi t y orduromet eroft he mat eri al .Mostpeopl e woul d agree t hatt he Gi l lAt hl et i cspol et i psoft oday are t he “i n bet ween”t i p. I ti snott he very hard t i p ofUCS yeti ti snowhere neart he sof trubbert i ps wi t ht he st eelwasher.
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The ot heri ssue i swei ght .The t i pi st he worstpossi bl e pl ace t o add wei ghtt o a pol e.Mostoft oday’ st i psare very si mi l ari n wei ghtbutdependi ng on t he l engt h oft he pol ei tcan be a subst ant i alf eel i ng.Merel y addi ng a t i pt oa 15’ 6”pol ei ncreasesi t swei ght(f eelt ot he vaul t erhol di ng att he t op)by sl i ght l y more t han a pound (1. 02 l bs)even t hough t he t i p may onl y wei gh ounces. Easy t of i tt o ot herbrand pol es,howeverwe recommend you make sure t he end oft he pol ei ssanded t o remove t he sharp edge so i tdoesnothave a cooki e cut t eref f ect .
ht t p://www. gi l l at hl et i cs. com 800-637-3090
Thei rsyst em i savai l abl ei n 10 si zes, V-2= 1 ½”I D V-3= 1 7/16”I D V-4= 1 15/16”I D V-5= 1 3/8”I D V-7= 1 5/16”I D V-10= 1 ¼”I D V-13= 1 3/16”I D V-16= 1 1/8”I D V-18= 1 1/16”I D V-21= 1 1/8 “OD
ALTI US The second t ype i sa rubbert i p provi ded on t he Al t i uspol e.Thi st i pi smade t o cushi on t he i mpactoft he j ump f ora very sof tf eel .They are made of rubbermat eri alwi t h a met alwasherbui l ti nsi de t oi ncrease l ongevi t y.Thi s t i p seemst he f ast estt o be repl aced and i sby f art he cheapeston t he market ! The ori gi naldesi gn wasf rom Kj el lI ssakson and Hansl agerguesti n Sweden and redesi gned by a company cal l ed Fi berSporti nt he USA. The Swedi sh mushroom desi gn i st he currentdesi gn used and t hey are made i n 4 si zes. A-1 i sf orsmal lpol esand st ret chesovert he pol e end t of i tmostpol esup t o 125l bs A-2 i sf ormedi um si ze pol e and st ret chesoversi zes130 l bs.t o 155 l bs. A-3 i sa medi um 2 si ze t i pt of i tt hose i nt he gap f rom 145 l bs.t o 160 l bs. A-4 i st he l argestsi ze and l astonl yaf ew j umps,seemst o nothave a met al ri ng and f i tal lot hersi ze pol ef rom 165 l bs.on up t o 195 l bs. Easy t of i tt o ot herbrand pol es,howeverwe recommend you make sure t he end oft he pol ei ssanded t o remove t he sharp edge so i tdoesnothave a cooki e cut t eref f ect . ht t p://www. al t i uspol es. com 903-284-6205
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ESSX SPORTS Essx hasa red pol et i p wi t h a uni que desi gn cal l ed t he FLAME t i p wi t h af unny egg-shaped conceptt o creat e a great erangl ei nt he box f ori ncreased pol e l everage. The company hasresearch done by Dave Johnst on on t hi segg-shaped i dea i n a US pat ent #4468. 024 owned by Dave Johnst on.Engi neeri ng drawi ng are i ncl uded t o prove t he t heory. The manuf act urerst at est here are no t est st ot hi smat t erhowevermany vaul t ersdo f i nd t hey can use a st i f f erpol e usi ng t hi spol et i p. Thi sone i st he mostmodern ofdesi gnsand i sengi neered t o hel pt he vaul t er t o use a st i f f erpol e.The pol ymerused t of orm i thast he st rongestst rengt h on t he marketand t he pol et i p comeswi t h a 90 day warrant yi fyou bust t hrough i torweari toutt hey repl ace i t ! The company cl ai mst hei rpol et i pt ransf ersenergy t he best !There i sno t est i ng avai l abl et o subst ant i at et hatcomment ! Company cl ai mst hey have repl aced 8 t i psi n 5 years,i ti st he mostexpensi ve buti fyou neverhave t o repl ace i t ,t hi smay be t he bestval ue!Fl ame t i pi s avai l abl ei n an out si de desi gn wi t h no i nsi de f i t t i ng t oo f ort he bestf i tt o ot herbrand pol es! Easy t of i tt o ot herbrand pol es,howeverwe recommend you make sure t he end oft he pol ei ssanded t o remove t he sharp edge so i tdoesnothave a cooki e cut t eref f ect . PF FLAME #1=1’OD PF FLAME #2=1. 1”t o 1. 2”OD PF FLAME #3=1. 2”t o 1. 3”OD PF FLAME #4=1. 3”t o 1. 4”OD PF FLAME #5=1. 4”t o 1. 5”OD PF FLAME #6=1. 5”t o 1, 6”OD PF FLAME #6. 5 1. 6”t o 1. 65”OD
ht t p://www. essxsport s. com 877-367-3779
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CAL TRACK RECONDI TI ONI NG CalTrack Recondi t i oni ng (vi nyldesi gn mushroom) Si zes(conversi onsf orucsonl y) #1= t o ucs-21 #2= t o ucs18, 16 #3= t o ucs17,14,13, 10 #4= t o ucs13,10, 7 #5= t o ucs9, 7, 5 #6= t o ucs6, 4 #7= t o ucs2, 1 ht t p://www. cal t rackrecondi t i oni ng. com 800 -408-7225
UCS SPI RI T Pol et i pi smanuf act ured ofa hard resi l i entpl ast i cmat eri alused t o prot ect t he pol ef rom t he bl untf orce oft he pol e hi t t i ng t he box. Sl i desi nt he box wi t h very l i t t l ef ri ct i on and i savai l abl ei n 18 si zes. #02 i st he l argesthoweverwe f ound a f ew l argeronesnotl i st ed i nt he cat al og t ot he smal l estone #18. From t he research t hatwe di d,t hese t i psare hard t of i tt o ot herbrand pol es. ht t p://www. ucsspi ri t . com 800-526-4856
Pol et i psare one oft hose t hi ngst hatwe al lbuy once a yearf orourprogram. The i ssue off i ndi ng t he ri ghtt i pf ort he ri ghtcause hasal ways come up wi t h ourreaders.Wi t ht hi sart i cl e we i nt end t o hel p you f i nd your source when t hatt i me comesaround.
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