Taking flight: Competitors from across the U.S., Canada in Pittsburgh for Pogopalooza
They say it’s like flying.
“They” are athletes who jump on a pogo stick and spring into the air — reaching heights of eight to 10 feet and sometimes higher.
There was some flying happening Friday night at the 21st annual Pogopalooza — the world championships of pogo stick jumping — at Market Square in Downtown Pittsburgh.
It continues from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. today with qualifiers at Community Forge, a former school building in Wilkinsburg converted into a place for the community.
The finals, best trick competition and an opportunity for children to try pogo will be held in Wilkinsburg from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday.
Xpogo, the Pittsburgh amateur pogo team, is headquartered at Community Forge.
In Friday’s high jump event Dalton Smith, 25, from Franklin, Tenn., cleared 12 feet, a new Guinness World Record. The previous mark was held by Henry Cabelus, 22, of New Hope, Pa. He finished second.
Smith said, prior to the event, he cleaned his pogo stick.
“Yes, 12-feet is pretty high, but I wasn’t nervous,” said Smith, who competes and performs all over the country. “Pittsburgh has such great energy. This city embraces us. It’s fun to compete here.”
The height participants began to jump started at 7 feet and went up in half-inch increments.
They have a set amount of attempts to clear the bar with their pogo stick.
These aren’t every day pogo sticks they are using.
They have air-powered pogo sticks made by a company called Vurtigo. They’ve been around since 2007 and allow riders to reach greater heights. They are like air shocks on a car and are filled with a bicycle pump. The more air you pump into the stick, the harder it is to bounce, but the higher you can go. Some have 70-100 pounds of compressed air.
The cost of these pogo sticks starts as around $500.
“Being able to jump over a bar is a feat that you can say you’ve accomplished,” said Cabelus, who set a Guinness record in the 100-meter race on Thursday at Woodland Hills High School. He tied Duncan Murray of New Brunswick, Canada, for the least amount of bounces in a minute with 37.
Murray spent his high school graduation money on a pogo stick.
“I love this sport,” said Murray, 21, who is studying sports and recreation with a minor in business at the University of New Brunswick. “Flying in the air is wonderful. I try to learn new things to try and be the best.”
Throughout the weekend, there will be 20-25 competitors in each event. The competition, which began in 2004, brings pogo athletes from all over the country to compete for minimal money prizes — and pride.
“I love having the ability to fly,” said Konner Kellogg, 19, of Sandpoint, Idaho. “I am free.”
Connor Poe, 15, from Franklin, Tenn., first saw pogo on YouTube. The incoming high school sophomore said he practices daily. Pogo requires endurance.
“It is cool to be up in the air,” said Poe, who suffered a fractured skull and concussion last year. “Being part of Pogopalooza, we all learn from each other.”
Murray said being on a pogo stick is like jumping on a giant trampoline. Most competitors have more than one pogo stick to be able to do different jumps, moves and tricks. The veterans help the novices.
The participants will compete in pole vaulting, racing and jumping, as well as tricks.
Most wear helmets, ankle braces and skateboard shoes.
The event is free.
“Pogo is a mindset,” Cabelus said. “It’s kind of an obsessive action sport. The action sport community is wonderful because we all understand each other.”
Pogo has built a local following in Pittsburgh said Will Weiner of Braddock, who is CEO and one of the founders of Xpogo.
The event has been held in other cities but has been exclusively in Pittsburgh since 2017 because it’s a place that is pogo-friendly, Weiner said.
Weiner said pogo is fun to watch because it’s visually impressive. It can be dangerous, he said. It requires balance and power to reach heights and creativity to do things that are different.
It also has a lot of space and many hills that are fun for pogo enthusiasts who always want to try something different.
Just ask Smith.
“I want to jump over a school bus,” he said. “That would definitely be a challenge.”
JoAnne Klimovich Harrop is a TribLive reporter covering the region’s diverse culinary scene and unique homes. She writes features about interesting people. The Edward R. Murrow award-winning journalist began her career as a sports reporter. She has been with the Trib for 26 years and is the author of “A Daughter’s Promise.” She can be reached at jharrop@triblive.com.
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