Bamboo, Metal and Fiberglass

[roger/over]

The last time I remember having this discussion about the relative advantages and disadvantages of bamboo, metal and fiberglass was in 2001. I just ran across a letter I wrote to another geezer-vaulter at the time. Those who have never tried to vault with a bamboo or metal pole might find parts of it of interest . . .

(The vaulter) asked whether I thought the metal poles Richards used were better than bamboo. My response:

I'm not sure what the "early metal poles" Richards used were made of. We had an aluminum pole when I was in high school that *nobody* would use. It was the same diameter from bottom to top, heavier than bamboo, and had no bend at all. You might as well vault with a piece of iron water pipe. (Which I once saw some big farm kid do.)

I vaulted with bamboo (into sand) through my first year of college. For my weight and handgrip, bamboo was much lighter than that old aluminum. Bamboo had three big problems, though. The growth pattern of bamboo is such that it is much heavier at the butt end than an equivalent steel or fiberglass pole, making it heavy to run with. The joints of the bamboo made it much more difficult to shift the lower hand up (not a problem for fiberglas technique, of course) than on a metal pole. And of course, as bamboo dries, it splits. I'm sure that was a bigger problem in dry Kansas than in some other places, but I can't believe anyone was able to use a bamboo pole for more than two years. (N.B.--This has to do with news reports that Warmerdam used the same pole for each of his records.) We tried everything--wrapping the pole with cloth and dampening it from time to time, hanging the poles down an abandoned well, taking the adhesive tape off and painting it with a penetrating sealer. I used one pole for two years by doing that, then rewrapping each joint with silk thread, like a bamboo fly rod and painting a layer of lacquer over. The third year, it was dry and broke the first time I used it.

My sophomore year, we saw Bobby Smith using a Sky-Pole at the Texas Relays. Coach Welch ordered one the next week, and that was my choice of pole until two years after I graduated, when I moved to Lawrence, and started using K.U.'s Seefab steel poles.

Some people were using the Gill aluminum alloy poles at the same time I was using the low-density fiberglas Sky-pole. The Sky-pole was easier to bend than Gill (but not as easy as bamboo), and when it broke, it just folded over like a cardboard mailing tube, with no sharp edges like the Gill or later high-density fiberglas poles. The main advantage of the Sky-pole was that its weight was better distributed than bamboo, so it was easier to run with, and of course the hand-shift was much smoother than on bamboo.

I think Richards, the only time I saw him vault, at the 1957 National AAU in St. Louis, must have been using the Red Gill pole. His main competition, Don Laz, I think was using Seefab. I don't remember the poles nearly as well as I remember Richards taking a folding chair out to sit near the end of the runway, behind Laz, to "coach" him, as Laz was preparing to vault. Who else besides Richards would they have let get away with that?

I don't remember that the Gill was made in more than a single weight/flex dimension. It certainly wasn't made in a model suitable for a 5'9"/132# vaulter. For me, it was just another piece of water pipe. For taller, heavier vaulters, it was lighter than an equivalent bamboo, but harder to bend, and when it was over-bent, the bend stayed permanently. The vaulter I remember best using the Gill pole was Don Carroll, of Oklahoma U. He was big and tall and could bend the Gill. Unfortunately he also is remembered as the vaulter who didn't believe in check-marks, being absolutely convinced that he could walk as far up the runway as he thought necessary for the particular height and adjust his stride pattern as it seemed visually necessary. Carroll must have gone through 10 Gill poles, leaving permanent bends, his senior year.

As far as I'm concerned, I think the real break-through was the black Catapole of about 1964. That was the first pole you could put a real bend into before leaving the ground and, hence, didn't need to shift the lower hand. It put the priority on runway speed and strength; not height and weight. It was available in multiple weight/handgrip styles. It combined all of the advantages of light weight, easy to bend, and hard to break. If it had any disadvantage over earlier models, it would be a tendency to shatter, not just break, when over-flexed. I can remember landing with one part of a Catapole in my right hand, a different part of it in (and through) my left hand, and two more pieces under me in the pit.

The Pacers were simply an improvement in flexibility and strength over the Catapoles; as one might expect, since they were product of the same designer. The only thing they might have lacked over the Catapoles was that Catapole, in its last version, produced a pre-bend model that gave an easier and more predictable initiation to the bend. They made one of those especially for me in a 15'6 model. That was to be my sixteen-foot pole. Unfortunately, it arrived the summer before I ran out of knee cartilages and I never vaulted with it in competition. It did come in handy, a few years ago, to push drainage holes through the snow-pack on the roof. I still think the pre-bend was a good idea that never was adequately tested.

Cheers

[souleman]

Wow Roger! You have been around this sport along time. I thought I was the Grampa of the forum. I was in grade school the last time I used a Bamboo pole. About jr high on, my brother would borrow the old orange Gill pole from the high school for our summer back yard vaulting. When I was in 8th and 9th grade I used the red Gill aluminum pole and did 10'1" with it. Frankly I don't remember it bending at all! The school record holder at that time did 11 something with it until the school bought him an orange Thermo Flex pole for which he did 12'3" and held the record for 4 years until I broke it with a 12'7 1/2" jump in 1970. I did it with a black 1550 Cat-a-Pole. I still have that pole. I got the Cat-a-pole after I broke the brown skypole that the school got me my sophomore year. They were going to get me a wonder pole cause it was cheap ($40 vs $54 for the Catapole) but I wanted the Cat-a-pole and told them to keep their money and I'd go buy my own. What I did like about the Cat-a-pole was it's rebound. The sky poles of the day were kinda mushy (not in the way the kids call "mushing a pole"today). The old sky pole would bend slow and come back slow. Cripes, it felt like you had to hold on to the pole for an hour and a half before you were up by the crossbar. The cat-a-pole was "right now". It also had a great snap right before you launched yourself off with your push off. As I've said in a couple of other threads, I'm going to try a comeback and do some vaulting again (I'm 53). I've been trying to get some insight on the poles that are out there now a days. I've got a feeling that I'll want something that will "snap" like my old Cat-a-Pole did, rather than the slow huge bend like I'm reading that the UCS's do or even the new Cat-a-poles. Now I don't think I've commented one bit in regards to the whole purpose of your thread, but it has been fun just musing about a sport that I'm determined to do again. Later............................Mike

[rainbowgirl28]

I'm sure all the poles made nowadays will feel pretty "snappy", as long as you are on the right size pole for your speed and grip.

[cdmilton]

I've been trying to get some insight on the poles that are out there now a days. I've got a feeling that I'll want something that will "snap" like my old Cat-a-Pole did, rather than the slow huge bend like I'm reading that the UCS's do or even the new Cat-a-poles.
Mike

If you want a pole that will bend and unbend quicky check out Pacer FX Carbons. They don't make them any shorter than 14-6 though. I have jumped on some UCS Spirits that were 16's cut to 15's and 15's cut to 14's and they come back pretty quick with the higher sail piece. So if you think a pole is too slow you could always chop some of the bottom off and see if it improves things.

[souleman]

cd, I've seen the term "sail Piece" mentioned a couple of times as I've gone through this site. What does that mean? As I have said, It's been awhile................later.............Mike

[cdmilton]

cd, I've seen the term "sail Piece" mentioned a couple of times as I've gone through this site. What does that mean? As I have said, It's been awhile................later.............Mike

I'm no expert but the sail peice is a piece of fiberglass that is in the shape of a sail on a sailboat. This piece is then rolled in with the rest of the sheets. The cut of this sail piece determines where the bend of the pole is.

[souleman]

Cool! That makes sense. Thanks for getting back to me about it. Later....Mike

[woodtoaluminumtoglassvaul]

Greetings I just discovered this site and am curious how the "geezer" has done who was making a comeback after 20 years. As someone who started vaulting when Ike was president, I can relate. I would like to see a runway built with a conveyor belt like in airports. Then maybe I could wobble fast enough to get off the ground.

[spike gibeault]

Greetings I just discovered this site and am curious how the "geezer" has done who was making a comeback after 20 years. As someone who started vaulting when Ike was president, I can relate. I would like to see a runway built with a conveyor belt like in airports. Then maybe I could wobble fast enough to get off the ground.

you remind me too much of my father, every time we are in an airport he always says, we should sink a box right here!! i thought he was crazy...untill now

[woodtoaluminumtoglassvaul]

Vaulting s is too much fun to be stopped just because you can't run.

[master]

Greetings I just discovered this site and am curious how the "geezer" has done who was making a comeback after 20 years. As someone who started vaulting when Ike was president, I can relate. I would like to see a runway built with a conveyor belt like in airports. Then maybe I could wobble fast enough to get off the ground.

There are a lot of us "geezers" who wear that tag proudly Which one were you referring to? I've personally watched vaulters up to 85 years old compete... and set age group records!

Here's a link to a recent record for a 70 year old.
http://polevaultpower.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=13998
It includes links to video I took of his jumps.

- master