Are Powerskips Stilts an extreme sport?
Posted by zocalo on March 6, 2009
Exciting many across the planet is one of the newest extreme sports to appear in the athletic community: jumping stilts. The sport is currently gaining support across the globe as one of the most modern and exciting activities one can perform. Also known as powerbocking after its creator, Alexander Bock, these adjustable stilts enable the wearer to perform fast-paced and incredible acts of leaping and running.
Many liken the activities to those of people who traverse urban structures by running and leaping. For some, this fresh sport is simply like fads such as flagpole sitting and hula hoops. But to the advanced user, these devices allow an individual to perform some of the most amazing feats of aerobatics ever witnessed. Although there are quite a few professional styles, the most popular companies are those that are designed for the hobbyist.
Flying Locust, Skyrunner, Powerriser and 7 League Boots are a few of the most popular companies marketing cost-effective models. Because there are still copyright issues from the original invention by Alexander Bock, many of these companies either pay proceeds to the creator or are viewed as illegal in many nation. The design of the jumping stilts adds a foot pad that offers a snowboard-style fastener to hold the user’s foot in place. This pad is placed atop a foot-plate that is attached to a fiberglass leaf spring.
By applying their own weight, a jumping stilt-user can leap and maneuver nearly 3.5 feet off the ground and run up to 20 mph. The length between steps is also an awe-inspiring 9 feet. The creation allows the use of the human energy that is usually wasted on a day-to-day basis. As users walk, the foot is lifted by muscle strength and falls back down because of gravity. This makes the spring use that energy and forces the body back up into the air. Jumping stilts are made from strong metal springs that enhance a person’s natural muscle strength. They feature strong plastic buckle straps for ease of use and feature adjustable height to fit many different leg lengths.
In regards to health benefits, jumping stilts provide a strong cardiovascular exercise and promotes furthering leg strength. These devices represent the best in quickness and power for those curious about extreme sports. By allowing its users to perform amazing athletic feats, many of the world’s modern generation have become interested in the device. Racing at incredible speeds and leaping and hopping higher than humanly normal have made every one who loves adventure to take notice. They have been shown on commercials, concerts and halftime shows in sports. A small core of people have also begun to perform in a professional and semi-professional way at sporting events all around the world. Jumping stilts are now one of the fastest-growing extreme sports in the world.
