{{Short description|Action sport played with pogo sticks}} [[File:Xpogo Superman.png|thumb|right|Superman Trick in Hong Kong]] '''Extreme pogo''' is an action sport which involves riding and performing tricks using a pogo stick. The sport draws inspiration from other action sports such as skateboarding, BMX, and parkour. Athletes will have various focuses in tricks or street style bouncing using urban environments as obstacles. Extreme pogo can be seen in athlete exhibition teams,<ref>{{cite web|title=The Pogo Dudes Website|url=http://www.thepogodudes.com}}</ref> content on sites such as YouTube,<ref>{{cite web|title=Pogo GoPro|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxxm87yjzbE |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/cxxm87yjzbE |archive-date=2021-12-21 |url-status=live|publisher=YouTube|access-date=21 August 2012}}{{cbignore}}</ref> and also the annual Pogopalooza: The World Championship of Pogo, which has been held worldwide, although is currently based in Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania, home of Xpogo, a business which produces the competition and manages many properties in the world of extreme pogo.<ref name=autogenerated4>{{cite web|agency=Associated Press |title=HOME > AP > STRANGE Pogo Athletes Building Brand New Extreme Sport |url=http://www.ktvu.com/videos/ap/strange/pogo-athletes-building-brand-new-extreme-sport/vdcCL/ |work=KTVU |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131202232137/http://www.ktvu.com/videos/ap/strange/pogo-athletes-building-brand-new-extreme-sport/vdcCL/ |archive-date=2013-12-02 }}</ref>
==History==
===Beginnings=== The beginnings of Extreme pogo are contested, but it is acknowledged among the pogo community that Dave Armstrong from Provo, Utah, was likely the first individual in the 20th century to make a conscious and consistent effort to execute tricks on a traditional steel spring pogo stick, beginning in 1999.<ref>{{cite web|title=Xpogo Web Archive|url=http://www.xpogo.com/pogopaloozahistory/Screen%20shot%202012-08-14%20at%2011.14.25%20AM.png|access-date=2 September 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140626095013/http://www.xpogo.com/pogopaloozahistory/Screen%20shot%202012-08-14%20at%2011.14.25%20AM.png|archive-date=26 June 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref> Dave created a website named Xpogo.com around that time, to share pictures and videos of his bouncing. Shortly after Armstrong, several other individuals began to independently form the idea of creating an extreme sport around pogo. Among these were Nick McClintock, Nick Ryan, Fred Grzybowski, Dan Brown, Rick Gorge, and Matt Malcolm. Each believing they had solely created the sport, the collective founders of extreme pogo eventually connected via Xpogo.com.<ref>{{cite web|title=Xpogo Web Archive {{!}} History|url=http://www.xpogo.com/pogopaloozahistory/Screen%20shot%202012-08-14%20at%2011.14.25%20AM.png|access-date=2 September 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140626095013/http://www.xpogo.com/pogopaloozahistory/Screen%20shot%202012-08-14%20at%2011.14.25%20AM.png|archive-date=26 June 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref> Together they shared their tricks and associated media, effectively laying the groundwork for the sport. The first extreme pogo stick came out in 2004 that was able to carry the weight of an adult and reach heights of about 6ft.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sabar |first=Ariel |title=How the Pogo Stick Leapt From Classic Toy to Extreme Sport |url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/how-the-pogo-stick-leapt-from-classic-toy-to-extreme-sport-18123864/ |access-date=2023-03-07 |website=Smithsonian Magazine |language=en}}</ref>
===Classic sticks=== thumb|An extreme pogo exhibition in 2017. From 2000 to 2004, groups of extreme pogo athletes began emerging around the United States and other countries such as the Netherlands, inspired by Xpogo.com.<ref name=autogenerated2>{{cite web|last=Sabar|first=Ariel|title=How the Pogo Stick Leapt From Classic Toy to Extreme Sport|url=http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/How-the-Pogo-Stick-Leapt-From-Classic-Toy-to-Extreme-Sport-165593346.html?c=y&page=7|publisher=Smithsonian Magazine|access-date=2012-09-21|archive-date=2012-11-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121116103917/http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/How-the-Pogo-Stick-Leapt-From-Classic-Toy-to-Extreme-Sport-165593346.html?c=y&page=7|url-status=dead}}</ref> During this time there were no 'extreme' sticks, only traditional steel spring sticks that could be purchased at established retailers. Each group of jumpers took their own names and made associated websites to help differentiate themselves from the larger community. These groups included Team Xpogo, Team Hyper Pogo, Pogo Cult, Rittman Pogo, Grand Theft Pogo, Say No To Park, and The Pogo Squad, from York, PA.<ref>{{cite web|title=Pogo Links {{!}} The Pogo Spot|url=http://thepogospot.tripod.com/id2.html|access-date=2 September 2012}}</ref>{{Clarify|reason=Are these all groups from York, or just the latter? Please make it clear.|date=April 2024}}
As each of these groups developed and motivated other individuals around the country to begin bouncing as well, a core group of tricks were created that served as the building blocks for all trick innovation to come. A series of grabs, stalls, spins, and wraps utilizing the two foot pegs, two handlebars, and the frame of the pogo stick became the commonly executed tricks.<ref>{{cite web|title=Tricks {{!}} The Pogo Spot|url=http://thepogospot.tripod.com/id1.html|access-date=2 September 2012}}</ref> Simple descriptive names such as "One-Foot Peg Grab" or "Under-the-Leg Bar Spin" were used to describe some tricks, while others received more specialized names such as "Malcolm X" (180 no-foot peg grab) and "Candy Bar" (one leg between the handlebars while jumping).<ref>{{cite web|title=Grabs: Extreme|url=http://thepogospot.tripod.com/id200.html|work=The Pogo Spot|publisher=Tripod.com|access-date=2 September 2012}}</ref> Other tricks are related to BMX and skateboarding tricks such as "Can-Can" and "Heel Clicker."<ref name=autogenerated2 /> thumb|right|Peg Grab
Prior to the advent of social media sites such as YouTube and Facebook, the majority of the communication and media sharing among extreme pogo enthusiasts occurred on Xpogo forums where, by 2004, there were 50–100 dedicated users and many more casual or "silent" users.<ref>{{cite web|title=Xpogo {{!}} Hyberboards|url=http://pogo.hyperboards.com/action/view_topic/topic_id/2/start/31|publisher=Hyperboards.com|access-date=31 August 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150621231102/http://pogo.hyperboards.com/action/view_topic/topic_id/2/start/31|archive-date=21 June 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> Due to the continued growth of the online community and the sport as a whole, member Dan Brown decided to hold an event called Pogopalooza, where some of the top individuals in the sport could come together in person and hold a miniature competition and exhibition of the sport.<ref>{{cite web|last=Omalley|first=Ryan|title=Interview With Dan Brown|url=http://www.xpogo.com/node/69|publisher=Xpogo.com|access-date=31 August 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120715023115/http://www.xpogo.com/node/69|archive-date=15 July 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> In the summer of 2004, Dan Brown hosted Pogopalooza 1 in a church parking lot in Nebraska where about seven members of the Xpogo community appeared.<ref>{{cite web|title=Pogo Athletes Building Brand New Extreme Sport|url=http://orangeleader.com/v?vid=ndn-23788117&sid=AP%20Editors%20Picks|publisher=The Orange Leader|access-date=4 September 2012}}</ref> While the event was small and only attracted friends and family, it set the precedent to holding an annual event bringing together extreme pogo athletes from around the US (and subsequently from other countries).<ref name="autogenerated7">{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/espn/page2/index?id=5489084|title=Pogo Resurges as Action Sport|last=McCluskey|first=Jack|work=ESPN 2|access-date=28 August 2012}}</ref>
===Extreme sticks=== 2004 was the first year that "extreme" pogo sticks were made available.<ref name=autogenerated5>{{cite web|last=Sabar|first=Ariel|title=How the Pogo Stick Leapt From Classic Toy to Extreme Sport|url=http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/How-the-Pogo-Stick-Leapt-From-Classic-Toy-to-Extreme-Sport-165593346.html?c=y&page=4|publisher=Smithsonian Magazine|access-date=2012-09-21|archive-date=2012-08-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120827032317/http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/How-the-Pogo-Stick-Leapt-From-Classic-Toy-to-Extreme-Sport-165593346.html?c=y&page=4|url-status=dead}}</ref> Defined as being able to support riders of adult weights while carrying a height potential of 6+ feet, the first extreme pogo stick was the Flybar 1200, by S.B.I. Enterprises.<ref name=autogenerated5 /> Instead of using a traditional steel spring, the Flybar utilized giant rubber "elastomers," creating a bungee-like jumping sensation. The new height potential made possible by the Flybar allowed new tricks, such as the first full backflip on a pogo stick, by Brian "Chewy" Call in 2005.<ref>{{cite web |last=Call |first=Brian "Chewy" |title=Chewy Call Backflip |url=http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6026020541146868709 |url-status=dead |access-date=3 September 2012 |publisher=Google Videos |archive-date=7 January 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120107211257/http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6026020541146868709 }}</ref>
Shortly after the release of the Flybar, a company emerged in Southern California with the "MotoStik" pogo, which used a dual-spring technology with Moto X–style handlebars designed for cross-training.<ref>{{cite web|title=Motostik Website|url=http://motostik.com/|publisher=Motostik.com|access-date=2 September 2012|archive-date=26 June 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120626142040/http://www.motostik.com/|url-status=dead}}</ref> The next extreme pogo stick, the Vurtego, was launched in 2006. This produced the greatest height of any stick to date along with the greatest durability. The Vurtego uses pneumatic technology, being filled with compressed air and utilizing an air piston, allowing athletes to tailor the resistance of their bounces.<ref>{{cite web|last=Sabar|first=Ariel|title=How the Pogo Stick Leapt From Classic Toy to Extreme Sport|url=http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/How-the-Pogo-Stick-Leapt-From-Classic-Toy-to-Extreme-Sport-165593346.html?c=y&page=5|publisher=Smithsonian Magazine|access-date=2012-09-21|archive-date=2012-08-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120827032523/http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/How-the-Pogo-Stick-Leapt-From-Classic-Toy-to-Extreme-Sport-165593346.html?c=y&page=5|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2008, the BowGo, which had been in development since 2001 at Carnegie Mellon University, became available.<ref name=autogenerated3>{{cite web|last=Sabar|first=Ariel|title=How the Pogo Stick Leapt From Classic Toy to Extreme Sport|url=http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/How-the-Pogo-Stick-Leapt-From-Classic-Toy-to-Extreme-Sport-165593346.html?c=y&page=1|publisher=Smithsonian Magazine|access-date=2012-09-21|archive-date=2012-08-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120827032513/http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/How-the-Pogo-Stick-Leapt-From-Classic-Toy-to-Extreme-Sport-165593346.html?c=y&page=1|url-status=dead}}</ref> Using a giant fiberglass bow on the front end of the pogo stick which flexed outward with downward pressure and snapped back in to produce upward momentum, the BowGo launched riders higher and more consistently than any other stick to date.<ref name=autogenerated3 /> The TK8 pogo stick was another air compressed design launched in France and Andorra around 2010.<ref>{{cite web|title=TK8 Web site|url=http://batonsauteur.fr/TK8-Pogostick|work=Webpage|publisher=www.tk8.fr|access-date=28 March 2014}}</ref> The top extreme pogo US athletes worked in parallel with extreme pogo companies to help further development.<ref>{{cite web|last=DiClaudio|first=Christen|title=Pogo Stick Jumpers Turn Toy Into Extreme Sport|url=http://pittnews.com/newsstory/pogo-stick-jumpers-turn-toy-into-extreme-sport/|publisher=Pitt News|access-date=1 September 2012}}</ref> [[File:Xpogo Park City.png|thumb|right|Stickflip in Park City, Utah]] The majority of pro extreme pogo athletes currently ride Vurtego V5 pogo sticks. These sticks utilize an air shaft technology allowing for the highest recorded heights on pogo sticks.<ref>{{Cite web |last=admin |title=World's Best Pogo Stick {{!}} Vurtego Pogo |url=https://www.vurtegopogo.com/ |access-date=2023-03-08 |website=Vurtego {{!}} Extreme Pogo Sticks |language=en-US}}</ref> Guinness records recognizes multiple high jump techniques, which have resulted in multiple high jump records. Dalton Smith has the highest ever jump on a pogo stick, reaching {{convert|12|ft|3|in|m}} using a stick flip technique.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Highest stickflip pogo stick jump |url=https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/625012-highest-stickflip-pogo-stick-jump |access-date=2023-03-08 |website=Guinness World Records |language=en-gb}}</ref> Henry Cabelus has completed the highest straight jump, reaching {{convert|11|ft|2|in|m}},<ref>{{cite web |title=Highest jump on a pogo stick |url=https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/highest-jump-on-a-pogo-stick |website=Guinness World Records |access-date=27 January 2026}}</ref> and Tyler Phillips has the highest front flip, reaching {{convert|10|ft|2|in|m}}.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Highest forward flip pogo stick jump |url=https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/highest-forward-flip-pogo-stick-jump |access-date=2023-03-08 |website=Guinness World Records |language=en-gb}}</ref>
===Pogopalooza 6 and beyond=== By 2009, the extreme pogo community had grown into the hundreds, with hundreds to potentially thousands more followers and fans globally.<ref>{{cite web|last=Bushwick|first=Sophie|title=The Science of Extreme Pogo|url=http://io9.com/extreme-pogo/|publisher=io9.com|access-date=2 September 2012|archive-date=2 July 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120702005416/http://io9.com/extreme-pogo/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Xpogo.com Forum|url=http://www.xpogo.com/forum|publisher=www.Xpogo.com|access-date=3 September 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121001163730/http://xpogo.com/forum|archive-date=1 October 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> Pogopalooza had occurred 4 additional times in 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008, increasing in scope and attendance each year.<ref>Pogopalooza</ref> Pogopalooza 6, which was held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, saw the biggest turnout of athletes yet, over 50+ from across the United States, Canada, and England and involved the entire city through four days of events and competition.<ref name=autogenerated8>{{cite web|last=Maher|first=Kris|title=Boing! Boing! Boing! Boing! Boing! Boing! Boing!|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB125141751150065273|publisher=Wall Street Journal|access-date=3 September 2012}}</ref>
After Pogopalooza 6, national media began taking note of extreme pogo in the biggest manner to date. The ''Wall Street Journal'' ran a front-page article on the sport and numerous other countrywide and even international publications began covering athletes, events, and the growth of extreme pogo in general.<ref name=autogenerated8 /> With the media push, more athletes began to emerge around the country and the globe, pushing trick innovation to new levels.<ref>{{cite web|title=Pogoing on German TV News RTL II|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TByQKkvsP4E&list=UUQLnpnSqVA452uUdxQEmwQQ&index=3&feature=plcp|publisher=YouTube|access-date=3 September 2012}}{{cbignore}}{{Dead Youtube links|date=February 2022}}</ref>
===Xpogo LLC=== In June 2010, three of the sport’s original founders—Nick Ryan, Nick McClintock, and Fred Grzybowski—formed Xpogo LLC, a company dedicated to managing the global operations of extreme pogo.<ref name="autogenerated6">{{cite web |title=Xpogo LLC Linked In |url=http://www.linkedin.com/company/xpogo-llc |access-date=2 September 2012 |publisher=LinkedIn.com}}</ref> According to the Xpogo LLC mission statement, the company "strives to develop the sport of Xpogo through the management of competitions, strategic partnerships, merchandising and retail, talent, platforms, and content. The company’s ultimate goal is to grow Xpogo into a cultural staple."<ref name="autogenerated6" /> [[File:Xpogo Rio.png|thumb|right|No-Handed Backflips in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil]] Following the founding of Xpogo LLC, the infrastructure surrounding the growing sport became more defined. Pogopalooza 7 (Salt Lake City),<ref name="autogenerated7" /> Pogopalooza 8 (Costa Mesa), Pogopalooza 9 (Costa Mesa), and Pogopalooza 10 (New York City)<ref>{{cite web |last=Slater |first=Grant |title=Pogo Higher |url=http://vimeo.com/27270690 |access-date=2 September 2012 |publisher=Vimeo}}</ref> were of professional grade, drawing tens of thousands of spectators in total and earning hundreds of millions of media impressions.<ref name="autogenerated1">{{cite web |title=Pogopalooza 9 Sponsor Packet |url=http://issuu.com/pogopalooza/docs/pogopalooza9_sponsorpacket?mode=window&backgroundColor=%23222222 |access-date=3 September 2012 |publisher=Issuu}}</ref> Today, Xpogo LLC acts as the governing body for the sport, representing the top extreme pogo athletes worldwide, releasing and distributing professional content, and producing competitions and clinics.<ref>{{cite web |title=Xpogo About Section |url=http://www.xpogo.com/about-us/ |access-date=28 March 2014 |publisher=Xpogo LLC}}</ref>
===Pogopalooza 2014 and beyond=== After a widely attended and covered Pogopalooza 10 in New York City in 2013, the Pogopalooza competition expanded into a multi-city international touring format from 2014 – 2016. In 2017 no Pogopalooza event was held. It has since resumed and taken place in Xpogo LLC's home of Wilkinsburg, PA, just outside of Pittsburgh<ref>{{cite web|title=Pogopalooza Website|url=http://www.Pogopalooza.com|work=WebPage History|publisher=Xpogo LLC|access-date=28 March 2014}}</ref>
===Present-day pogo=== The expansion of competitions, the recognition of Pro Athletes<ref>{{cite web|title=Xpogo Pro Athletes|url=http://www.xpogo.com/jumpers/pro-team|publisher=Xpogo LLC|access-date=28 March 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140329042833/http://www.xpogo.com/jumpers/pro-team/|archive-date=29 March 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref> and Semi-Pro Athletes,<ref>{{cite web|title=Xpogo Semi-Pro Athletes|url=http://www.xpogo.com/jumpers/semi-pro-team/|publisher=Xpogo LLC|access-date=28 March 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140329003013/http://www.xpogo.com/jumpers/semi-pro-team/|archive-date=29 March 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref> many highly viewed commercials, music videos, and media featuring Extreme pogo athletes,<ref>{{cite web|title=Find Your Greatness - Pogo|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ux6PnAp483Q|publisher=YouTube {{!}} Nike|access-date=4 September 2012}}</ref> A new organization AllPogo, was founded in 2018 which is dedicated to maintaining the pogo community, publishing a "trick list" on their site, which hosts a comprehensive library of pogo tricks, as well as hosting various community events.<ref>{{Cite web |title=AllPogo |url=https://allpogo.com/ |access-date=2023-03-08 |website=AllPogo |language=en-US}}</ref> While not mainstream, the sport has made inroads, being featured on ''America's Got Talent'',<ref>{{Citation |title=Xpogo Stunt Team: Pogo Crew Flips Over Nick Cannon - America's Got Talent 2014 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6I4ZT5ECI4 |access-date=2023-03-08 |language=en}}</ref> ESPN,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Pogopalooza Cup 2022 {{!}} Watch ESPN |url=https://www.espn.com/watch/player/_/id/35264289-1b87-4625-88c1-204b07a2fade |access-date=2023-03-08 |website=ESPN |language=en}}</ref> and featured athlete collaborations with Dude Perfect,<ref>{{Citation |title=XPOGO Edition {{!}} Dude Perfect |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TziuG5LtEWY |access-date=2023-03-08 |language=en}}</ref> Braille Skateboarding,<ref>{{Citation |title=THE WORLD'S BEST POGO STICKERS |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eEyRbj44Rhc |access-date=2023-03-08 |language=en}}</ref> and Athletes like Dalton Smith and Xpogo have built large Instagram followings.
==See also== {{commons cat}} *Extreme sports
== References == {{Reflist|30em}}
{{Extreme sports}}
Category:Individual sports Category:Sports originating in the United States