collectibles from ebay

A forum to discuss pole vaulting related things of a historical nature.
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Pogo Stick
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collectibles from ebay

Unread postby Pogo Stick » Tue Aug 04, 2009 6:11 pm

Few pole vault collectibles from e-bay:

http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=360148412610
Look at hands position. The add is from 1968, so I am assuming this is just "Photoshopping". I can imagine that first fiber vaulters just used the same technique from rigid pole including moving bottom hand up, but not in 1968. Does anyone know more details? At what year moving hands was banned?

http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=360083133526
Does anyone has that book "Hints for Pole Vaulters" mentioned in add? What is looks like? Who were the other bamboo pole manufacturers?

http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=370207547399
Kirk B. is that you with pole :)? I know this was after your prime time, but the stamp was issued 1975 and probably designed even before. Do you recognize other athletes?
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Re: collectibles from ebay

Unread postby KirkB » Wed Aug 05, 2009 1:32 am

I like the Thermo-Flex ads, but I have some comments ... and complaints!

First of all, I want my money back! My first pole was a Thermo-Flex ... bought in 1966. It broke into 3 pieces in 1967, so I'd like my money back. The ad sez there's a 2-year warranty on these beauties. I sure don't remember any "warranty instructions" on the label. If I'd only known back then ...

Second, that's a left handed vaulter, and his left hand is above his right one. That's still legal. It's only if you move your bottom hand ABOVE your top hand (i.e. climbing the pole) that it's illegal.

Third, I like how they rant about the "uniform diameter end-to-end in a TRUE ARC -- not like a fish pole". I guess times have changed!

And finally, Pogo, as you say, the bottom hand slid up to the top hand was NOT the conventional technique in 1968. 1963 was the break-thru year, when all elite vaulters converted to fiberglass, and the 1964 Olympics had ONLY fiberglass pole vaulters that qualified. Back then, the wide grip was already commonplace, so 4 years later, the narrow grip shown is totally incorrect. Thermo-Flex should be embarassed to even have let this photo get published. I have no idea why the vaulter's grip is like that. My only guess is that maybe this is a 1962 pic of John Uelses, who was the first to clear 16 feet?

Pole climbing (moving bottom hand higher than top hand on the pole) was banned over 100 years ago.

No, that's not me on the stamp ... I retired 4 years earlier. It's not Bruce Simpson or Ken Wenman either (Canada's 1976 participants), so I'm thinking that it's not anybody in particular. My apologies if it's Bruce - it sure doesn't look like him.

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Re: collectibles from ebay

Unread postby vaultmd » Wed Aug 05, 2009 2:35 am

It looks like Spock.

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Re: collectibles from ebay

Unread postby dj » Sat Sep 05, 2009 10:30 am

good morning

i think i remember that thermo-flex add in Track and Field News... i actually think that was a drawing done for the add, not a photo.. the artist obviously didn't know "jack or jan" about pole vaulting.

i believe John Uelses or Dave Tork had a close grip and actually bent the pole "back" toward the runway under their left arm.

Broke my first and only thermo-flex the first time i used it.. after my 5/6th vault going for a PR. it broke in 8 pieces most baton size..... the joke was "coach you don't need to buy batons.. just poles.."

don't think that is Bruce but maybe the French-Canadian decathlete.. name? Joc?.. he trained at Florida part of the time.. somebody here will have the name..

i had dinner with Dave Roberts and Mike Cotton two nights ago... Dave was talking about Fred Hansen when he first started using fiberglass.. (he also mentioned Uelses or Tork's odd bending pole.. i remember the picture from the LA times..) i have film somewhere that was put together by Dave Butler that shows a little about Hansen's progression and his type of hand grip "thinking" and progressions from close to wide, to medium to wide to close.. etc..etc.. Interesting stuff..

Ron Morris can give you the absolute best info on that time in vault history... he did an on camera segment for the first beach vault i did at Manhattan Beach, CA.. (1989-90?) that video may still be out there somewhere.. check with Anthony C. at UCLA

dj


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