I’ve been at the World Pole Sports Championships in London all day watching the doubles, men’s and women’s preliminaries and will go back tomorrow to watch the finals. It’s been such a lovely day and especially great to be able to sit in a room with so many people who apprecaite pole for the skilled art that it is.
I’ve been able to go back this year and see familiar faces that I’ve met in previous years, or new ones who I have spoken to over social media, but never met. It’s putting faces to names and meeting the brains behind the pole websites I enjoy. I, of course, love supporting pole artists from all across the world – some of which I’ve been inspired by many times over, and some I’m seeing and loving for the first time.
The Personal Touch
When I go to pole events I really feel that the pole community comes alive. Over the internet everyone supports each other and will ‘like’ and comment on pictures, and supply advice and motivation as needed. In real life it’s exactly the same… times a thousand. Everyone has time for you and will happily talk pole with you. It’s nice to have a chat with the vendors and a few of them have become pole friends I enjoy seeing.
Not only do you get a chance to watch your favourite polers, but you get mingle with them too! You can be in touching distance from some of the world’s best pole athletes and only realise when you turn to see them sitting next to you.
This is one of the many examples in the pole world of when it’s perfectly acceptable to go up to a complete stranger and talk to them. An “I’ve been looking at your pictures on Facebook” no longer sounds creepy! You don’t even need to have any thing to say apart from ‘hi’!
What I love the most is hearing the reaction from the audience when watching people perform. As a performer no one judges you at all and despite the fact that you don’t know most of them, the audience will cheer and applaud for you. The best reaction is when people fall or slip. I hate seeing this (or having it happen to you) – and it makes my stomach lurch, but if it unfortunately happens, the audience is 100% behind you. No one laughs or cheers (think idiotic cheers when someone drops a pint glass!) but everyone gives the biggest applause of the night – because polers are awesome.
If we slip or fall, we get up and carry on, because we can.
As I write this, I’ve just read a message from a poler who I speak to over Instagram – hopefully we are going to be able to meet up tomorrow. I love that you can meet up with (virtual) strangers simply because you both love pole.
What a great community we have 😀
