[Cinara]

Yep, I used to do trampolining, but my progress was severely limited by the fear factor. And I must admit, my experiences in trampolining make me a little emotional about the Olympics issue.

When I started there were a lot of people in their late teens, and a few adults and we were all really great friends, though the standard of trampolining was not that great. I had a tough time in high school, so I have some really fond memories of the friendships I made.

Then we had a new coach come from overseas and start making the sport very serious. Now anyone over the age of about 15 is made to feel very unwelcome, because they're taking up valuable trampolining time that could go to the "serious" competitors. So the average age of trampolinists is like, 12, which makes you feel a bit creepy and weird. Plus, if I didn't want to compete, I was only able to attend one 90 minute class per week, at one location in the whole state and no more. It just killed all the fun out of the sport.

But anyway, I hope it didn't come off as though I was trashing pole fitness (maybe I was trashing gymnastics a little…sorry), because the two types of pole dance seem to really just come down to dance styles, trick choices and costumes with a lot of blurriness between the two. So I love both, in as far as I can tell them apart 🙂

My only real concern is that there is sometimes an undercurrent (mainly on youtube, not here) of "We're not strippers, we're athletes" as though strippers or poledancers in clubs are inferior or trashy, and I would be concerned that if pole dancing became an Olympic sport it could further marginalise women who work in that industry.

[Cinara]

My apologies for not seeing your post on early and late specialization. I would guess that pole dancing would begin as a later specialization sport (mostly picking up the gymnasts-with-lumbar-spine-stress-fractures market, which in my experience is where a lot of sucessful trampolinists, divers and sports acrobats come from), but over time, the advantages of being younger would outweigh those of being older.

The lower body weight of being pre-pubescent would be just as useful as increased strength, and when you add to that the better natural flexibility, better neuroplasticity for learning complex moves and spatial awareness, better compliance with instructor directions due to less assertiveness and the lack of a day job, meaning more time to train, and less adult committments would eventually outweigh anything else.

There may be a bit of a cultural difference here. Are extra-curricular activities needed to get into university in Canada like in the US? Because in Australia, where tertiary education is based on academics only, if a fifteen year-old wanted to go to the Olympics she would almost always be training exclusively in that sport (with maybe weights sessions as well) by that age at the latest. But I guess in the US (and maybe Canada?) where you need to have well-rounded extra-curricular activities for tertiary education it would be necessary for a fifteen year old to train in multiple sports. 

The other cultural difference is that Australia is completely insane about sporting achievement. Plus with a small population, and therefore a small talent pool, we need to pour so much money, and heap so much pressure on our athletes to maintain our level of insanity.

You're right about sports that have an artistic component. I'd forgotten about them. And now I think about it, pole probably would have an artisitc component, especially because it is more likely to be accepted as completly independent sport than part of gymnastics. Gymnastics barely tolerates trampolining as it is, let alone something that comes from (gasp!) strip clubs. So maybe the artistry will stay, which would make a difference.

 

[Cinara]

I am absolutely 100% against pole dancing being an Olympic sport, and here's why: Who here ever practises at a physical studio, takes lessons in person, has ever been to a pole jam, or is rocking on the pole despite starting as an adult? If pole dancing becomes an Olympic sport, all of this could be gone.

Growing up, I did gymnastics, diving and trampolining. I competed in all three, because I didn't really have a choice. In Olympic sports, the people who do it for fun or fitness are treated like second-class citizens compared to those who have a chance of going to THE OLYMPICS!!!

This ranges from bullying and snide comments from the competitive athletes, being ignored or put down by instructors, and just plain lack of access to facilities. Generally, there is one practice time available per week for adult athletes and if you can't make it then (because, you know, you're an adult and have committments)  too bad. And if the coach leaves, or the timeslot is needed by someone else, guess who loses their only practice time?

When it comes to acrobatic sports in the Olympics, it's entirely about children and it is made clear that adults are not welcome to participate in the sport at any level. Why children? Because of the greater plasticity of the child's brain, the better natural flexibility, and the potential to delay puberty through overexercise and dieting, resulting in a lighter, smaller athlete. This all leads to more complex skills to wow the judges. Sure it can border on child abuse, and contributes to the obesity epidemic by making sure only naturally talented and rich children have access to that mode of exercise, but at least the viewers at home have something speccy to look at.

You may think parents would be uncomfortable with their small children poledancing – but trust me, the allure of sending a child to the Olympics will be much stronger for a lot of parents.

Well, now that I've accused the Olympics of causing child abuse and obesity :p, do I really think it will be that bad?

Maybe not. Maybe the legacy of poledancing in strip clubs will protect it from this fate. It may go the way of Tae Kwon Do and split into two streams:

Pole fitness at the Olympics (with 12 year old Chinese girls performing amazing feats for the gold, while Australian girls are hothoused and pushed to the point of nervous breakdowns trying to beat them out, rampant eating disorders, shoulder reconstruction surgery as a matter of course, and absolutely no artisitc merit whatsoever, but moves that make the spatchcock look like an intermediate move)

Pole dancing competitions in strip clubs (much older athletes, real dancing, but nowhere near as fancy moves, and probably a lot of slut-shaming coming from the Olympic Pole Fitness camp).

I suppose this would be a liveable solution, but I will not sign the petition because I've seen it all before and I just want to keep children off the poles (well, except in their parents houses/studios – that's cute!)

[Cinara]

I had this problem for awhile and it turned out that it was just that I was taking the wrong foot off the pole. As soon as I switched I could do it. If your right hand is your strong hand, invert with the pole on your right side, make your right hand your bottom hand, and take your right leg off the pole. (Or if your left hand is on the bottom, your left leg comes off, obviously.)

Otherwise, the only thing I can think of is an old gymnastics trick: Just try to tilt to the other side of the pole instead 🙂