Poweriser - Gymnastic Blades

[willystyle]

Hi All

 

For a show I am working on we are looking to source these - http://www.pro-jump.co.uk/

 

Obviously we could buy them, but as a low budget production we would preferably borrow or hire. I have spoken to local circus groups and asked around, but to no avail.

Does anyone have any experience of these, or have any idea of where I could borrow or hire some from? I have searched on google plenty, but still can't find anything.

 

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks

[Tom]

Can Circus Space not help or point you in the right direction?

 

I think the Nuffield Theatre in Southampton have a pair, you could try them.

 

T

 

PS - please add your location to your profile.

[ImagineerTom]

NEVER borrow stilts

 

The people that are wearing them need to be experienced and familar with them, completely comfortable with them and have absolute confidence in them. A tiny accident (like a stumble or trip) can result in dislocated knees and the end of a career. Stilts are calibrated and fitted to their user, you cannot "just borrow" someone else's and get straight on them.

 

If you're putting people in them who've never used them before then buy them and let them train with them for weeks or months. If they already know how to use stilts then they should have their own set and that is what they should use.

[kerry davies]

Solidly support Tom.

I have had to take experienced stilt walkers to A&E so please don't use anyone not already competent.

 

Lots of things look easy enough but as Arnie Palmer said about golf; "Yes, I am lucky. The more I practice the luckier I get."

[bigclive]

The degree of fine tuning for any form of technical stilt is very precise. I would strongly recommend that you don't use "borrowed" stilts of unknown history. The best option is an experienced performer who has their own stilts.

[callumb]

I have a pair of those and theres nothing "special" about them just a huge fibre glass spring on the back. You have to get the right spring for the weight of the user thats the biggest problem that you will come across. Thats the only "user calibration". Also it takes a bit of getting used to walking in them if you walk normal the springs can catch sometimes meaning you eat pavement! Pads are a must inside or out. Wrist especially.

[ImagineerTom]

Callum....

 

The weight (and weight distribution) of different makes of stilts is different and affects use - if you've trained on one brand you'll find it difficult to switch to a different brand.

The tension and stresses on the springs are unique depending on how the "normal" user of them walks and jumps - unless both users are exactly the same weight, height and trick-style.

If you're using that sort of stilt without any padding, adjustment to the multiple adjustment points listed in the instruction manual or secondary supports then you're putting unneccesary strain on your knee and ankle joints that you will pay for.

 

With specialist equipment where the misuse can cause serious, life-effecting injury the advice you should ALWAYS give is "get someone who knows what they're doing". When two people on this thread who know EXACTLY what they are doing say "don't borrow stilts, let the performers use their own" it's not a very good idea to contradict them!

[bigclive]

On a plus note, lightly used stilts are usually available on ebay. This is because people buy them, discover it's not quite as easy as it looks, injure themselves greatly and then sell them on to the next victim.

[dbuckley]

I am going to have to learn to not read Blue Room at the same time as consuming liquid. Fortunately, this time it was just water that needed wiping from the keyboard...

[alistermorton]

I am going to have to learn to not read Blue Room at the same time as consuming liquid. Fortunately, this time it was just water that needed wiping from the keyboard...

 

Old cix abbreviation for that scenario :

 

C|N>K

 

where C = coffee, N = nose, K = keyboard

 

 

[bigclive]

I should add that I got myself a fine and very new pair of drywall stilts off ebay in exactly that scenario, where the seller confided that she'd bought them (at full price) for performance purposes, but was unable to use them.

She shipped them fully assembled in their bag and it was VERY clear why she'd had difficulty as the main balance settings were at random extremes, and the leg supports weren't even at the same height.

 

You know what they say... RTFM.

 

And don't do this with drywall stilts (two pairs). (And most definitely not with poweriser stilts.) :unsure:

 

 

Of course... I want a pair this size.

 

[willystyle]

Hi

 

Thanks for all the replies, some more helpful and constructive than others. I will contact Circus Space and see if they have any suggestions. To clarify, I am in the Cambridge area, hence have already contacted our local community circus group.

We already have one set of these stilts, which the actors have been working with for some weeks. Yes, they fell onto the grass a few times at first, but that is half the fun of practice isn't it?

 

Both actors using this have experience with traditional stilts. No acrobatic stunts are being planned, they are being used simply to add height and a sense of bouncing and weightlessness. We are not expecting anything more from the actors than a simple bounce onto stage. Maybe I should have explained this in my first post.

 

I do appreciate your concerns about safety, but I feel that some people replying are getting overly concerned about the situation. We are dealing with adults after all, in a controlled, choreographed, rehearsed and ultimately risk assessed environment!

I will however be taking all this information back to our production management.

 

Thank you

 

Oh yes - And we already have been using drywall/plasterers stilts. They're great and very easy to use, but don't quite provide that added "Bounce"!

[bigclive]

You have to realise that we get a lot of people on the forum asking questions like yours, but then turning out to be schoolchildren trying to do something reckless for their school play. Unless you make it clear you are a professional performing group we have to assume the lowest denominator and avoid encouraging a child to kill someone.

 

On the other hand... If you really are a professional group then why can't you buy a new set and add them to your inventory. Particularly as you suggest that you use stilts in other productions.

[gyro_gearloose]

Yes, they fell onto the grass a few times at first, but that is half the fun of practice isn't it?

Right up until bones or ligaments get torn or broken. Its not so fun after that.

 

We are dealing with adults after all, in a controlled, choreographed, rehearsed and ultimately risk assessed environment!

And so were the cast and crew of the Spiderman musical yet cast have suffered broken wrists, concussions, and some cast have quit over safety concerns.

 

I'm not convinced that your show has been risk-assessed that well. You say that your cast have been practising for a few weeks, but you're only now going to take concerns raised on this forum to the production management? Surely that should have been done the other way round, and you should have done your homework before deciding to use the stilts? Given that your cast have already been practising with the stilts I'm going to guess that despite any concerns you may raise management will still go ahead with using them.

[ImagineerTom]

Like I said switching from one type of stilts to another is quite difficult to do properly and safely - the centre of gravity on a power-riser is very different to that on a Dura-Stilt. The configuration is different, the walking style is different; PLEASE if you're adament about doing this get the stilts to the performers ASAP and get a properly trained/experienced stilts person to work with the performers for a day to make sure they're using the right technique and not learning bad habits from the outset. You only find out the damage you've done from improper use / over-use AFTERWARDS when the damage has been done!