Ultimate Crash Stories?

[bvpv07]

I've been pretty lucky with this sport....only a few minor complaints pain-wise, since most of the things that I am dealing with are remnants from old gymnastics injuries (a few unruly popping joints, etc.). Today was kind of interesting, it wasn't a crash or anything like that at all, but after I had done a drill that had me land on my back on the pit, the pole came out of the box, flung into the air because of the bungee that we had up, and then landed veritically (plug in the air and the top without a cap) on my knee. I didn't really think anything of it, but it felt kind of weird so I rolled up my spandex and saw that I had this upside down U gash on my knee...pretty deep and bleeding...from the pole where it landed on me...it's swelled up around it and opens up when I bend my knee...strange....not an "ultimate crash" but definitely weird or at least that's what everyone that saw it thought at the time.

[GirlPoleVaulter87]

O man that sounds rough!

That made me remember something. Haha it was soooo funny! I was at PV camp over the summer, sitting on a bench in front of the box. Some kid got rejected and let go of their 14 foot pole, and some how it got launched 20 feet back straight at me, and smacked me in the head! It was the funniest thing ever! (Despite icing it all day and the huge lump on my head)

Surprisingly I spent the rest of the day vaulting. hehe

[bvpv07]

What else can you do? I was having a good day so I kept on vaulting till the end of practice and didn't mention it to anyone. Once practice was over and my mom saw it she freaked out. She doesn't like blood...or at least with me - in gym my foot slipped on a dismout (I was doing a round off layout full or something) on the beam, my leg slid down to the bolt that was at the cross support of the beam joints and my shin got ripped in a large U (probably 5 inches across, 4 inches down) deep enough to see the bone. Basically, it took about 50 stitches inside and 25 outside to close it up. I came back to gym the next day, and kept doing that until my regular doctor told me I should keep walking to a minimum for 2 weeks. I didn't see the big deal...I mean it looked horrid (why must they use black thread for stitches?) but I hadn't really cried at all when it happened, and the people around me were more freaked out than I was. Oh yeah, this hapened when I was probably 11 and, even after laser treatments, I still have the scar to prove it.

[APKpolevaulter]

What can i say, im perfect. i never mess up.

Ive only been rejected once on a 12' 70 (i weigh 120) or something, it was a morning practice instead of afternoon so my body just wasnt too up for it. luckily, im part asian so i rolled out of it like a ninja!

Also, if anyone has ever seen or heard of the drill thing where you like swing from a high box or something over a bungee. I just did that once and the highbox was too close and i was conscious of it, so i hesitated to let go and was pulled slightly back towards the beginning and did a belly flop in the box. it was fun

[GirlPoleVaulter87]

12' 170???? Haha .... u need some 13 foot poles!!

[APKpolevaulter]

Rawr that drives me crazy! My coach seriously has like every length pole, every weight, anything.

That was just a while ago, i have just been really really working on my form, after the break, i am moving up big time on poles so i can show my real potential at the january meets.

[blazerunner121]

okay ... usually vaulters would crash when they are ... say ... off the ground and high. i made the most embarassing vault ever. i was showing a new pole vaulter how to do a one step swing drill to the pits. so when i started to run and plant, i slipped (on something i don't know) and fell on the hard, asphalt on my back. it was so bad, and the vaulter i was showing must have thought " oooo great, i need to go find someone who can actually jump higher than 0 feet" ... so it doesn't matter if ur gripping low (which in my case happened) or high, all people are bound to crash!

[ILUVPOLEVAULT]

Yah so i was working out last yr and trying to get on my 13' pole. Even though i was coming from being on a 12' 100 to a 13' 110 my coach said go for it. Needless to say my take off was fine but i was not able to hold out for the bend and the pole totally rejected me. I rolled backwards to the thirty on the runway...yah totally fun!

[lonestar]

Yah so i was working out last yr and trying to get on my 13' pole. Even though i was coming from being on a 12' 100 to a 13' 110 my coach said go for it. Needless to say my take off was fine but i was not able to hold out for the bend and the pole totally rejected me. I rolled backwards to the thirty on the runway...yah totally fun!

Couldn't have had anything to do with the fact that you went up 30lbs in relative stiffness at the same handgrip!

[MightyMouse]

Yah so i was working out last yr and trying to get on my 13' pole. Even though i was coming from being on a 12' 100 to a 13' 110 my coach said go for it. Needless to say my take off was fine but i was not able to hold out for the bend and the pole totally rejected me. I rolled backwards to the thirty on the runway...yah totally fun!

Couldn't have had anything to do with the fact that you went up 30lbs in relative stiffness at the same handgrip!

Thats a real common problem at schools around here, coaches dont know what 10 lbs or even 30 lbs of pole means so they say "go for it" and the athlete gets hurt,
I would put 90% of the blame on the coach in that situation

[Skyin' Brian]

Yah so i was working out last yr and trying to get on my 13' pole. Even though i was coming from being on a 12' 100 to a 13' 110 my coach said go for it. Needless to say my take off was fine but i was not able to hold out for the bend and the pole totally rejected me. I rolled backwards to the thirty on the runway...yah totally fun!

Couldn't have had anything to do with the fact that you went up 30lbs in relative stiffness at the same handgrip!

Thats a real common problem at schools around here, coaches dont know what 10 lbs or even 30 lbs of pole means so they say "go for it" and the athlete gets hurt,
I would put 90% of the blame on the coach in that situation

well, the problem there seems to be resources and often high school athletes have to go by weird pole progressions. i would just be happy that the athlete her was supervised.



once i had to move from a 14' 130 to a 13'6" 160 while in high school because that was what was available. of course now in college im spoiled with poles, but always be thankful for the stix that youve got.

as for the crash thing i was once vaulting as a sophomore with the bar at like 10-6 and a vault went off to the right i could have bailed out of the vault and hit mat or cleared the bar and see what would happen. i chose to go for the bar, cleared it and missed the mat. went on to pr by 3 inches jumping 12-9. i was sore the next day though.

the next major crash i had was when i got hung up on 16' my freshman year in college to crash down on my side in the box. i was ok though and vaulted the next weekend.

the worst vault injury ive had was from the drake relays last year, landing on my ankle on the collar and spraining the hell out of it. was able to jump at d3 nationals 6 weeks later with pain. but it took the whole summer to heal.

the funniest crashes are when people land on the crossbar. it is safe since they hit the mat, but just painful enough to be humorous
i also enjoy poles flying into the air so long as it doesnt damage the pole or hit anyone.

[vaulter870]

well i have one that may take the cake. yesterday a fellow vaulter from my school who will remain nameless (dan coleman) almost succeded in harming him self my pole he was jumping on and several people running the meet. He took off and hung on the pole almost breaking it so he being the genius that he is lets go and ends up kicking off the crossbar that almost hits several people. then after he almost broke the pole he kicke/ hit the standars that fell and almomost took out a meet worker. then Jim Davis took the pole from him to keep farther damage from happening and he ends up dropping the pole on some poor guys head. that is one of the best things i have seen in my life its not exactly a crash story but its close enough.