My First Pole Break

[rainbowgirl28]

I broke my first pole today

Last weekend, when I was in Florida, some friends of our family that live in Gainesville asked me to pick up some poles that my former teammate had left at their house. They have been sitting at the house for about 2 years, and I have not heard from her in about as long.

So I picked them up and took them to Athens. They were Altius 12'4" 115 and 125. I tried the 115 in practice from 3 lefts, and it was AWESOME. I was so excited, I had my new $$$$ pole (from 3 lefts).

I took about 2 jumps on it today at Clemson, and on the 3rd jump it BROKE

I got a bruise on my knee, face (I think from my knee hitting my face ), scrape on my thumb, and a sore hand.

My coach thinks it had a nick in it. It broke cleanly in one spot about 2/5 up from the bottom. I was bending it a decent amount, but it didn't feel like THAT much. Then again I have hardly ever jumped on Altius, so maybe they feel different? I think it was just a nick.

I went on to have a great competition and clear... oh wait nevermind I no heighted and it sucked. But hey... I broke my first pole!

[Bruce Caldwell]

I hate to see or hear of poles that break no matter the brand
BECCA congrats on your first experience I hear when this happens you learn to swing back better???.
OK fans I assure you I do not laugh when another brand pole breaks.

I do not like to see any pole break no matter the brand.

In today's technology, the glass manufacturers have to produce the glass we use for the aerospace industry, where tolerances are very strict. The advantage here is we get the best and most consistent glass and the best resin impregnations a company can offer.

That with the vast experience of all the 5 companies in the industry making poles and testing the product before it goes out the door, we will have a very stable and safe product.

IF one can keep the poles from hitting the standard, hitting the ground, away from spikes, and within their weight rating, the pole should support the vaulter’s efforts to excel

[rainbowgirl28]

Pretty sure it just happened because of a nick in the pole. It wasn't a new pole, just new to me. I should have inspected it better.

[achtungpv]

Pretty sure it just happened because of a nick in the pole. It wasn't a new pole, just new to me. I should have inspected it better.

Most breaks are because of damage to the pole. It's pretty difficult to actually overload a pole enough for it to break. Especially Altius, those things are nearly bulletproof! It had to have a pretty bad nick to break.

[OAKPV2004]

Yeah altius poles are probably the most durable poles you can get, but they are also the heaviest poles I can think of. I like altius poles as Short poles. I broke an Altius before, it was the first pole i ever broke.

[batvaulter]

hey you ok ? hows thats pretty face ;) i know how it feels the first time i broke a pole i broke my hand and the day befor that i was just saying i would never broke a pole and never will come to realize someone jumped on my pole with out telling me?
adam

[rainbowgirl28]

hey you ok ? hows thats pretty face i know how it feels the first time i broke a pole i broke my hand and the day befor that i was just saying i would never broke a pole and never will come to realize someone jumped on my pole with out telling me?
adam

I bruised my knee pretty good and my thumb hurts when I write but I'll live

[hurstiger]

Do thumb injuries get you out of any finals????

[Bruce Caldwell]

hey you ok ? hows thats pretty face i know how it feels the first time i broke a pole i broke my hand and the day befor that i was just saying i would never broke a pole and never will come to realize someone jumped on my pole with out telling me?
adam

Someone dropped your pole while using it or they overstressed it because they were over the weight limit, they did not break it but because it was cracked or over stressed when you used it properly it broke.

Yes that can happen!!!

Poles are very similar to the windshield on your car; yes glass the same stuff LOL

You have a ding on the windshield it does not fail, but as time goes on you see the fracture start to get a line or get bigger then one day the right vibration or stress you have the windshield in your lap!!!

But in the case of a fiberglass vaulting pole your lap goes flying into the pit under the bar!!!!

[rainbowgirl28]

Bruce I would hope someone who overbends a pole does not "overstress" the pole, unless it breaks... when poles are made they are always bent in a machine and it appears to me they are "overstressed" in order to make sure they are safe for the consumer.

Poles are designed to return to their original shape after each vault without losing any of their stiffness, right? I don't understand how someone who overbends a pole is causing permanent damage, unless they break it. Perhaps you can enlighten me.

I am certainly not encouraging people to overbend their poles, but I didn't think there was a magical point in pole bendage at which point there was permanent damage and the pole would never be the same. Err well unless it bends so much it breaks.

[Bruce Caldwell]

Unfortunately, It is possible for someone to overstress your vaulting pole if they overload the poles ability to support their weight. Any weakness that is placed on the pole may or may not break the pole on that occurrence. This weakened area may hold up until it is weakened further by normal loads, to the point that it will fail.
It might not break on that jump, but can break on subsequent jumps.

The flex machine that test the poles, bends the pole over the whole length of the pole and can determine if the pole has any defects in lamination or structural integrity. A used pole that is overstressed will break on the machine also if the weakened area is subject to failure.
A vaulter bends the pole differently than the machine and with a lever, they place the load in the areas we design the pole to accept the load. Yes if the pole is taken too far on the machine, it can overstress the pole.

If a 160 lbs vaulter uses a rated 130 lbs pole there can be problems that might not show up until a load passes by the weaken structure area on a later vault.

If the vaulter holds lower than the recommended grip area on the pole to provide relative stiffness to his weight he or she may overstress the pole in an area that cannot support the new load.

The same is with nicks and spike marks, failure may not occur until the fracture is weakened further on subsequent vaults.

I have seen poles with nicks that have held up for long periods of time, and I have seen poles that struck a standard but did not break until 6 vaults later.
The magic number is written on every pole's warning label. 90 degrees however poles today are made to accept a little more bending action say 100 degrees or more. Of course anymore degrees and you have the pole shooting you back down the runway LOL.

[fx]

I know this is an old post but I have a quick question about stressing the poles. If a vaulter is holding at the top of a pole that is rated at or above their weight, and they are jumping correctly, then is it possible to overstress the pole? Does "crushing" the pole, meaning that the pole is too soft for you, overstress the pole even if it is rated above your weight?