Webmaster just answered this question this morning. As for the bottom loading question, ALL XPoles are now bottom loading.
"Our orders ship directly from the X-Pole warehouse and are transmitted there immediately after you place your order. Typically it takes about 2 to 3 days for X-Pole to ship the pole at which point you will receive tracking information for your order.
Once it has shipped it will take between 2 and five days to arrive at your door.
@littlelindsay – Our Canadian orders actually ship from X-Poles Canadian warehouse and have the same shipping times associated with them. The difference with canadian orders is that it can take two days longer for us to get shipping informaion. Often times our Canadian friends have their poles before tracking info is available to for the pole."