Pogopalooza comes to Pittsburgh this weekend
When Dalton Smith was 13, he broke both kneecaps.
“I was attempting a double back flip on a pogo stick,” said Smith, now 21, of Franklin, Tenn., outside Nashville. “I basically did a belly-flop knees-first on the concrete. I got up and walked, but the next day I was in a lot of pain.”
Smith will be doing back flips, and more, in Pittsburgh soon. He’s competing in Pogopalooza — the world championships of pogo stick jumping — held Friday through Sunday.
The event, which began in 2004, brings pogo athletes from all over the country to compete for minimal money prizes — and pride.
The competition will open at 5 p.m. Friday with a high-jump event in Market Square, Downtown Pittsburgh, and will continue from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday with qualifiers. The finals, best trick competition and an opportunity for children to try pogo will be from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday at Community Forge, a former school building in Wilkinsburg converted into a place for the community. Xpogo, the Pittsburgh amateur pogo team, is headquartered there.
The event is free.
The 25 participants will compete in pole vaulting, racing and jumping, as well as tricks.
Smith’s injuries at 13 have not held him back. Though one of his kneecaps was cut in half and the other was “cracked like a peace sign,” he didn’t need surgery but had to keep his legs straight for four months. While in a wheelchair, he learned to do wheelies. He was back on the pogo stick five months later.
The event has been held in other cities but has been exclusively in Pittsburgh since 2017 because it’s a place that is pogo-friendly, said Will Weiner, CEO and one of the founders of Xpogo. It also has a lot of space and many hills that are fun for pogo enthusiasts.
Air-powered pogo sticks, around since 2007, allow riders to reach greater heights. They are like air shocks on a car and are filled with a bicycle pump. They cost in the range of $400.
Most wear helmets, ankle braces and skateboard shoes.
There aren’t a lot of women in the sport. One of the best known was Haley Greer of Lehigh County the first female to do a back flip. She died unexpectedly in January at 20.
Proceeds from sales of T-shirts this weekend will be donated in her memory.
New to the Pittsburgh event is Duncan Murray, 20, from New Brunswick, Canada. He said being on a pogo stick is like jumping on a giant trampoline.
“Anyone can pick up this sport,” Murray said. “It takes practice, and all of us have fallen.”
Most have more than one pogo stick to be able to do different jumps, moves and tricks. The veterans help the novices.
“We’ve all had injuries,” Weiner said. “Some guys do things that make your heart stop.”
Drew McQuiston, 24, of Chester County says he has the Guinness record for the fastest mile on a pogo stick at 7 minutes, 40 seconds.
“Pogo uses every part of your body,” said McQuiston, who will defend the record Friday morning at North Hills High School stadium. “When people watch it, they are awestruck and wonder what the heck it is. It is incredibly fun, that’s what it is.”
“It is crazy and fun to watch because it’s visually impressive,” said Weiner, the Xpogo CEO. “It can be dangerous. It requires balance and power to reach heights and creativity to do things that are different.”
He said each trick competition is a way for the competitors to do moves that reflect their personality.
“I have strong legs, so I came back sooner,” Smith said. “I was a little scared at first to get back on the pogo stick because I thought I might have lost my edge. But you can’t allow fear to take over because it will cloud your decision making. You have to stay mentally focused. I feel like I had a new energy to keep doing it. I think I will try that double black flip again.”
JoAnne Klimovich Harrop is a TribLive reporter covering the region's diverse culinary scene and unique homes. She writes features about interesting people. The Edward R. Murrow award-winning journalist began her career as a sports reporter. She has been with the Trib for 26 years and is the author of "A Daughter's Promise." She can be reached at jharrop@triblive.com.
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