Itty Bitty BC Pole Athletes Committee?

Some of my studio members and I were talking about how beneficial it would be to create a BC Pole Athletes Committee - BC PAC. From my first competition experience in BC/Canada, it is clear that the organizers need a lot more help and information about organizing a safe and inviting competition. Here are some constructive criticisms, which are a bit scary, as they mostly cover basics such as safety and scheduling.

• Providing the appropriate equipment: it is clear that money is a factor in trying to get the right equipment up for a competition, but that just means the organizers and athletes need to work that much harder to ensure they get stable poles, not stand alones. Financial planning, greater sponsor support, and fundraisers are all plausible ways of raising enough funds to get proper poles. Also, a venue that is large, but has maximum 12-13 foot ceilings, can accommodate the more affordable tension poles. STAND ALONE POLES ARE NOT SUITABLE FOR COMPETITION.

• Pole safety: the pole cleaners need to know what they are doing. The poles should be cleaned with an isopropyl alcohol + water solution, by using a spray bottle to "hose down" the pole, and then a clean cloth to wipe off the excess solution, oils, and grip. Pole cleaner body contact with the pole needs to be limited post clean/grip. Grip needs to be applied to the pole in a thin film and a "pawing" motion, not a quick "slide". If the pole cleaner is not tall enough to reach the top of the pole from the ground, the cleaning and "gripping" of it needs to be done in sections. The stage area needs to be flat and free of obstructions such as "x-stages" and "stabilization legs".

• Create a clear schedule and work hard to stick to it: Upper divisions deserve the courtesy to have an estimated time as to when they will be competing/performing. They should not have to sit in the uncomfortable green room and wait for 20 competitors of lower divisions before them to finish. Also, the competition itself NEEDS TO START ON TIME. If there is a schedule change, the competitors need to know as soon as possible so they can adapt.

• Appropriate venue temperature: The temperature was nice and cool in the venue, but some venues do not have air conditioning and cause competitors to sweat and slip.

• Respect the competitors: We respect each other and everything the organizers do for us, but as the ones who are immersed in the sport, especially such a new sport with little standards, 99% of the time we have viable and important suggestions that mostly apply to our own safety, and the organizers should make an effort to be professional in understanding our requests, as well as accommodating. Also, don't have the competitors buy their own tickets, come on, that's just in poor taste. Without competitors, there is no show. If you are hard up for funding, increase the application rate.

• Provide results of all the competitors to everyone who competed: We are doing this to learn, and we can't learn if we can't compare what it takes to be 7th, versus what it takes to be 3rd, versus what it takes to be 1st. The most valuable part of this is the experience and feedback, not the sparkly costumes, or the promotions, or the awards.

• Appropriate practice facilities/preparation opportunities: The ideal thing would have been to do a dress rehearsal the night before. Let the competitors get used to the stage and figure out their footing. If that is not plausible, provide practice facilities that mimic the staging, and give competitors lots of notice on stage environment, which should be accurate. These competitive routines are not ad hoc stripper dances that are made up on the spot; they require careful planning and due diligence.

• Be clear and concise in communications: Put in preliminary work on the rules. standards, and judging criteria, as well as the stage environment and any requests you have of the competitors. Send one or two emails, communicating all this, or better yet, make it available online. Also, there are plenty of competition organization examples on the net of past pole competitions, that can be used as reference.

• Get your details straight: The host of the BCPFA championships didn't know the date of the Nationals - which is October 13 in Vancouver at The Edgewater Casino. How does a detail like that get forgotten? What is the main purpose of the organizers of this event???

As someone who competed in track-&-field for ten years, I can consider myself a bit of an expert in how to make the athletes feel comfortable and help them perform their best. It would be great if we could all work together to improve pole and put it on the respectful world stage, where it deserves to be!