Are Adjustable Stilts an extreme sport?
Posted by zocalo on March 7, 2009
Taking the world by storm is one of the newest extreme sports to grace the athletic world: jumping stilts. The sport is presently gaining backing all over the planet as one of the most modern and adventurous activities one can do. Also called powerbocking after its creator, Alexander Bock, these adjustable stilts enable the wearer to perform fast-paced and terrific acts of jumping and moving.
Lots of people compare the actions to those of people who traverse urban constructs by streaking and vaulting. For some, this fresh sport is simply on par with fads such as Frisbee golf and handball. But to the advanced person, these inventions allow an individual to perform some of the most awesome feats of acrobatics ever witnessed. Although there are quite a few professional types, the most successful companies are those that are geared towards the hobbyist.
Flying Locust, Skyrunner, Powerriser and 7 League Boots are some of the most successful companies selling cost-effective models. Because there are still copyright issues from the original creation by Alexander Bock, many of these companies either pay proceeds to the creator or are viewed as illegal in many nation. The pattern of the jumping stilts includes a foot pad that offers a snowboard-style fastener to keep the user’s foot in place. This pad is placed on top a foot-plate that is attached to a fiberglass leaf spring.
By applying their own weight, a jumping stilt-user can jump and steer nearly 1.5 meters from the ground and run up to 20 mph. The length between steps is also an impressive 9 feet. The creation makes good use of the human energy that is usually wasted on a day-to-day basis. As people 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 utilize a person’s human muscle strength. They include strong plastic buckle straps for ease of use and feature adjustable height to fit a variety of leg lengths.
As far as health benefits, jumping stilts allow for a strong cardiovascular exercise and assists in furthering leg strength. These inventions typify the ultimate in speed and power for those interested in extreme sports. By allowing its users to perform awesome athletic feats, many of the world’s modern generation have become interested in the device. Racing at incredible speeds and leaping and hurdling higher than humanly normal have made every one who loves adventure to pay attention. They have been featured in commercials, concerts and halftime shows in sports. A small group of people have also begun to perform in a professional and semi-professional capacity at sporting events all around the world. Jumping stilts have become one of the newest extreme sports on the planet.
