PoleVaultPower.com

My journey into the vaulting world was an "If You Build It They Will Come" type of thing. The first voice in my head came from Bob Richards in his Wheaties Commercial of the late 1950's. (Yes I'm Old) You saw him Vaulting and then telling you to eat Wheaties and you too can be a Champion. I ran outside to find a pole to use. Found a piece of 3/4 inch conduit and tried to kill myself...LOL I was only 5 so what did I know. My Dad, the next day got me a piece of bamboo and wrapped it in cloth tape. That worked better and he put up a rubberband crossbar about 3 feet high between the house and garage. I had lots of fun but the Wheaties were not getting me any higher. The more I ate the worse I got.....Kids.......LOL
The next "If you build it they will come" moment came when I was growing up In Lake Tahoe in 1968. They held the Olympic Trials in the High Altitude of nearby Echo Summit. I saw Bob Seagren set the then world record and was just stoked and I had to do it again. Let me see...Hmmm...Bob Richards...Bob Seagren......Hey ! My Name is Bob ! Well the rest is history...........Oh Yes.....If you build it they will come??? I spent summers working at Dura-Fiber building pole vaulting poles and in the process meeting many of the days top vaulters and working with Herb Jenks the Father of the fiberglass pole. I never went very high as a vaulter (PR 17'4") in order to make the goal of Olympic Champion. But I did become the All Army and All Service Champion during my Military Service. My love of the sport has never waned. I got all goose bumps when I saw my first women vault on TV. Two things I love..Girls and Vaulting. BobInReno

Bob,
I could basically say "ditto" to your post. (except for the working at the pole vaulting factory and of course the 17' 4" PR)
I was 7 years old and living in Luck Wisconsin. My Dad was superintendent of the Duncan Yo Yo Factory there. He was also on the school board so we had access to many of the school's sports facilities. In short (in my mind anyway) I was a little "jock". I can remember watching Luck high school pole vaulter Glen Olson jumping with an orange pole into sawdust at the school and thought that looked veeeeeery cool. So home I went and , yes, got a piece of conduit out of the garage along with a bamboo fishing pole and two peach crates. I put the fishing pole across the peach crates and grabbed the piece of conduit (complete with a hook at the top) and started jumping over the crates. I even had my own track shoes. My Dad took an old pair of oxfords that I had and some how installed golf spikes on the front of them and removed the heel. Yep! I was pretty cool alright. Anyway, from 7 years on I always had a pit, some kind of pole, standards, and a crossbar setup in my yard or someplace close so I could jump. This was how it was all the way from 2nd grade through high school. Of course Seagren was my hero in high school. As a junior I busted the sky pole that the high school bought for me. They wanted to replace it with a wonder pole which was only $40 at the time. I told them I wanted a Catapole which was $54. They asked me why I wanted that brand. My response was "because that's what Seagren uses". We couldn't come to an agreement (that's a whole story in it's self) so I went and bought my own. I still have it. As to the "build it and they will come" part? After a 35 year vacation from the sport I started my own backyard field of dreams just the way I wish I could have done it way back in the ancient times of my youth. Check out http://www.bubbapv.com/Pages/BYVault-Mike.htm then go to http://www.myspace.com/mikesoulewyomingmn and watch the slide show. As it was when I was a kid, i did rely on a little ingenuity to get it built. Later..................Mike

Mike we have talked in the past. You actually inspired me to try vaulting again and I lost a bunch of weight and actually got a few 15 ft vaults at the age of 53. Then I tore my rectus femoris and now can barely walk a mile. Now at 55 I just watch my son and give him pointers. The fire that I had for vaulting wont go out. It is a sickness you know.....LOL I remember back in the late 70's I saw Vern Wolf with his so called "Long Bow" pole that he made and he seemed like he was 80 years old and was popping 9 ft jumps. I thought then and still do now hope to be vaulting till I reach heaven. Bob DeMuth in Reno

HOSS! I wondered where you went. Great to hear from you. Sorry to hear about your injury. There's that 18 year old brain on top of that 50 plus year old body thing again. I've got some issues with my back right now so my jumping is limited to non existent as well. I'm working with some high schoolers right now and enjoying the coaching opportunity. I'm really hoping that I'll be able to get back at it. Great forum topic. I'll be interested to read what others have to say. Later..............Mike

My mom always insisted it was revenge for all the things she wouldn't let me do as a child :-)

i was a chubby short little seventh grader, loved track, but sucked at every event. so my coach decided to put me in the vault since i couldnt do anything else. six years later i was jumping 14-6. a school district record and 31-5A district championship are a couple things ive put under my belt since then. i look back now and im really thankfull that i wasnt in better shape. i wouldve turned out to be a sprinter probably. how lame would that be. hahah