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*Pole PSA* Please check and tighten your XPoles !!!
So after spending a few hours helping a friend clean up and board up a shattered picture window….please please please make sure you are checking and tightening your poles on a regular basis !!! Thankfully no one was hurt but it could have been an accident that ended in the ER not a funny “dumb pole mistakes” YouTube montage.
I personally have NEVER had my X-Pole slip or malfunction in anyway. X-Pole offers a safe & quality product but there is always the human error factor that ends up causing a majority of pole related accidents and injury.
Please check your poles ! ESPECIALLY if you have just installed it on carpet. The carpet needs some time to compress under the pole. What seems sturdy and secure immediately might not be so secure after a day or so.
For most of us that have been poling for a while this probably seems like a “ummmm…DUH !” moment but we can all forget and be excited to work on our hot new move that we forget to safety check. I know Im guilty of this.
If you are new to owning a pole – please read your instructions and if possible find someone who has a bit of experience with poles to help you out. There are tons of SV threads on this topic.
Most of us ladies check our girls to save the ta-tas so check your poles and save your windows ! 😛
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9 Replies
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At the very minimum I say they should be checked seasonally. Temperature and pressure variations can cause your pole to loosen just enough to make a difference.
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It's important to check on carpet, but also on hardwood floors. Particularly if they are creaky. That means they are flexing a lot.
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And this should be for ALL poles, not just X's.
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If you plan to leave your pole up – please install a ceiling plate support like XPole suggests. Just a simple circle of plywood was what my dad cut out for me and that sucker was SO snug I took the pole apart and the ceiling plate was still up on the ceiling. I had to pry it off with a spatula ! You will have a few screw holes to patch but its always better safe than sorry. Pole is so much fun and an amazing sport/work out but getting lazy or forgetting about safety is the easiest way to ruin it. We all need to remember to be respectful of our aerial equipment and of our own bodies (adequate warm ups, proper form, not attempting things we aren’t ready for even though it looks really cool) not only for our own safety but in my opinion, the integrity of our community. Many people are quick to point out all the “stupid girl falls off a pole” videos and base their stereotypes off the negative aspects of pole being dangerous and home poles being unsafe.
It seriously takes 2 minutes to check your pole…I know I spend more time than that farting about picking out leg warmers to match my booty shorts and flipping thru my playlists. And like ChemGoddess already pointed out – weather and the environment can have an effect on the metal. If the weather is changing your grip it is probably changing the pole just enough to double check it.
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Good PSA, Tansy. I have to say that I check my pole EVERY time I pole. Not only is mine on carpet, but it is in a room above my garage. My garage is heated, but only to 40 degrees. As Chemmie says, temperature and pressure are huge factors. No matter what time of year it is.
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Not just X-Poles: I have a PS that slipped out of my ceiling and landed my sister in the ER last month. https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_confused.gif (she's fine btw) I'm really vigilant about checking it now, EVERY time I use it for anything.
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Yeah I’ve had my c pole slip and my ps pole fall (which shocked the heck outta me…landed on my butt.)
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I moved a chair around the floor to use as a ladder to search for a ceiling support beam when we put my pole up. I throw myself at it every morning to test it. Pole safety is no joke.
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X-Pole recommends that poles are checked daily, especially in studios, where there are so many variables and the studio very often has no idea of what has been done to the poles during the day by the users, especially in an open studio.
In fact we say poles should be checked after every session in our instructions however, in a studio environment, we know that is not often possible but they should be checked daily – before use – especially if they are just pressure held without a ceiling plate or using a fixed/vaulted mount. Treat it as a ‘Pre-flight’, you’d never get in an aircraft without checking it the same should apply with a pole.
We have had studios that have not checked their poles for 3 months or in a couple of cases since installation!!! Pole checks and maintenance must be part of a studios operation manual and daily action list.
A ceiling plate, mount or safety fixing should be mandatory for pressure poles over 11’ (3.25m) in a studio. Yes, poles will work over this height but their safe use cannot be guaranteed and safety is the main priority. It is simple, the longer the pole the more flex even with dual lined competition poles. Flexing shortens the pole length and reduces the pressure between floor and ceiling and with the dancers weight on the pole it is the upper support which slips. It is not the pole that will break it is purely the reduction in pressure between floor and ceiling will cause teh pole to slip.
And with poles getting igher and higher this problem becomes of even greater concern.
With an X-Pole please note a ceiling plate should be screwed to the ceiling. Only 2 screws are needed, obviously 4 screws is preferable but 2 good size/length screws into the joist will be fine.
The aim is for the lip of the upper dome to be restrained by the plate of wood and this cannot happen if the piece of wood is free to move.
X-Pole Tech Team
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