Is the Olympic Inflate & Go PV pit really legit?

[KirkB]

In another thread (http://www.polevaultpower.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=50761), JumpingDr wrote:

Check out http://www.inflateandgo.com we sell inflatable pole vault and high jump pits. Easy to ship, easy to store and set up easier than a foam pit. Safe and proven to last. 10 year warranty

Interesting. I will certainly agree that this pit would be easier to ship, store, and set up than a foam pit. But is it as safe?

I haven't seen or heard of inflatable PV pits since the 1960s, when the Cloud 9 was a fairly popular brand. However, its popularity was short-lived, due to vaulters bouncing off of them or bottoming out on them. I used the Cloud 9, and personally experienced these safety issues.

What design improvements have been made to the Olympic Inflate & Go pit, compared to the old Cloud 9 pit design of the 1960s?

Safe and proven to last. 10 year warranty

When did this Olympic Inflate & Go PV pit first go on the market, in what states and to what schools or colleges, and are those pits still in good condition? I'm looking for some substantiation that they're "proven to last".

I'm only referring to the PV pits, not the HJ pits. From the vids shown, it looks like it may be a decent landing system for HJ, but I didn't see any vids on the website of it being used for PV. In fact, on the PV page, the text even still referred to HJ (not PV).

Product Specifications:
Delivers a world-class high jump landing system ... to maximize their high jumping results!

I'm also curious how close the metal blower box must be placed to the pit, and whether that's an adequate distance (according to NFHS or NCAA rules - or even common sense) to ensure that vaulters won't slam into it on a bad vault.

And how long must a vaulter wait for the pit to inflate again, between vaults?

Can you show us vids of college vaulters using this pit, with a vaulter clearing say 18 or 19 feet? I can't imagine the NCAA rules allowing a pit that might bottom out at any less than 19 feet.

I'm wondering if these pits meet all safety regulations. Strangely, I couldn't find anything on the manufacturer's website http://www.inflateandgo.com), so I went to the distributor's website (http://www.blazerathletic.com), and I found this statement:

Meets NCAA, NFHS & IAAF rules

I'm sure that Blazer Athletic Equipment wouldn't publish anything that's not true, but I would still like to know if the manufacturer agrees with their distributor's claim (that the PV pit meets NCAA, NFHS, and IAAF rules); what date their tests were performed re the NFHS and NCAA rules; who (which individual, company, or governing body) performed the tests; and what tests were actually performed.

My concern is that this new inflatable pit might still have some of the same faults as the old Cloud 9 pit re bouncing off or bottoming out. I haven't read the specific NFHS or NCAA or IAAF rules yet, but the depth of the pit sounds far too low for an air pit.

Overall Size when inflated – 22’w x 27’l x 32”-38"d (gradually elevates/front to back)

How much of this height (32"-38") is air, and how much is foam? What do the NFHS and NCAA and IAAF rules require?

· 10' x 6' foam collar that fits snug around vault box (no vault box collar needed).

No box collar needed? Really? So it's compliant with the new NCAA rules re box collars? What happens when the pit drifts? Are the hard edges of the box exposed? Or is there some mechanism to prevent the pit from drifting? Or is it assumed that PV pits don't drift?

Lastly, the brand name of this product (HJ and PV models) infringes on the IOC (the International Olympic Committee). You can't call it the "Olympic Inflate & Go" pits without authorization from the IOC. Even if you asked for their authorization, they wouldn't grant it for a commercial product like this.

Further to the copyright infringements with the IOC, there's an implication by using the word "Olympic" that this product is suitable for (or has been used in) the Olympics. Clearly, this is not the case.

This pit may be just fine as a back yard practice pit. But for NFHS, NCAA, or IAAF meets? I'm skeptical.

Kirk

[rainbowgirl28]

Uhhh yeah, you still need an ASTM compliant box collar to go with this pit for HS and college...

[vaultdad]

"Meets NCAA, NFHS & IAAF rules". So does Athletic tape, so that's Doubtful at best for an inflatable pit.

This pit is novel, but will present the same issues the Cloud9 did, only with newer materials, unless you can validate it actually works safely under ALL possible conditions.

This reminds me of clothing that used to sell with "Made in USA" on the tag, but the origin was really USA, Korea. So in the real world, those periods between the letters actually mean something.

Anyone can put a statement on a product making claims that are not true, but are "perceptions" leading the buyer to think the product has met rigorous testing. So, I hope their Liability Insurance is up to date.

Even today, we have a required product for PV that doesn't meet reasonable use requirements or actual testing requirements for absorbing energy, that is often installed improperly on top of everything else.

I'm all for safety, but things need to be tested, considered, tested again, and then eventually approved, Making some people money by "agreeing to agree" is not the right way to enhance the safety of this event.

IMHO

[Gary_vaulter]

Intriguing.

If the price were right this could make a good beginner's pit. As the current owner of a Cloud 9, I'd say the "inflate & Go"'s lower profile might solve some of the "land too close to the edge and get thrown out" issues that the Cloud 9 has.

If it is at least as good as the Cloud 9, I'd be comfortable in using it for vaulters up to 9' ... maybe 10'.
Certainly not 14'
Which raises the question, who would buy it? Middle Schools maybe?

[KirkB]

Which raises the question, who would buy it?

Maybe Masters with a Masters PR of 10-3 !

[Gary_vaulter]

Maybe Masters with a Masters PR of 10-3 !

Except this one has hopes of going 12' again