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Pole dancing could be on track to becoming an Olympic sport

***Warning: The article at the jump has an auto-play video.***

http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/pole-dancing-track-olympic-sport-article-1.3569892

Pole dancing — which guys love to watch and girls love to try to learn at bachelorette party classes — may be looking at Olympic status in the future.

The International Pole Sports Federation (IPSF), which has officially existed since 2009, has been granted “observer status” by the Global Association of International Sports Federation (GAISF) which officially recognizes activities as a sport. This move will allow the pole sports federation to apply for the Olympics once they are full members. National pole dancing groups can now also apply for official recognition as a sport on the national level.

Pole dancing joins the World Arm Wrestling Federation, the World Dodgeball Association, the International Table Soccer Federation (yes, foosball), and a few other lesser-known sports as Observers in the global sports organization.

“We’re proving everybody wrong,” ISPF president Katie Coates told Times UK. “I’ve been told again and again by the traditional sports that it will be very difficult for us to be recognized as a sport, but that just spurs me on to achieve what they all say is impossible.”vPole dancing — which guys love to watch and girls love to try to learn at bachelorette party classes — may be looking at Olympic status in the future.

The International Pole Sports Federation (IPSF), which has officially existed since 2009, has been granted “observer status” by the Global Association of International Sports Federation (GAISF) which officially recognizes activities as a sport. This move will allow the pole sports federation to apply for the Olympics once they are full members. National pole dancing groups can now also apply for official recognition as a sport on the national level.

Pole dancing joins the World Arm Wrestling Federation, the World Dodgeball Association, the International Table Soccer Federation (yes, foosball), and a few other lesser-known sports as Observers in the global sports organization.

“We’re proving everybody wrong,” ISPF president Katie Coates told Times UK. “I’ve been told again and again by the traditional sports that it will be very difficult for us to be recognized as a sport, but that just spurs me on to achieve what they all say is impossible.”

Pole dancing has become popular as alternative fitness classes in recent years, but it is not easy.

“There are several reasons why pole, as a sport would be qualified as an Olympic sport. It requires strength, timing, coordination, flexibility and an extreme amount of dedication for it to be safe and to excel in the sport,” Wendy Traskos, the owner of NY Pole Dancing studio, which offers pole dancing classes, told the Daily News. Traskos is a 16-year veteran of the sport.

In order to move past Observer status, the International Pole Sports Federation must comply with anti-doping rules, fulfill GAISF compliancy of what constitutes a sport and increase global membership within two years.

“Myself personally,” Traskos said, “I don't really want pole to be in the Olympics. I like that it is a sport for adults. If it goes into the Olympics it will be overpowered by 16-year-olds. And there will be no place for mature adults.”

The International Pole Sports Federation is made up of 25 national federations including Japan and Mexico, with the U.S. and China looking to join next year.

“I like that pole incorporates resistance training with sensual dance,” Traskos said. “Keeps it very unique from other sports.”

That's great news, pole dancing is a very physically demanding sport and mad respect to anyone who can do it well!
 

xxracerxx

Don't worry, I'll vouch for them.
Shit takes incredible strength and agility to do it, I can see it being in the Olympics.
 
tumblr_n0mnznLqsu1r9nlfxo1_250.gif
 

Cagey

Banned
At first, I thought it silly.

Then I saw a pole dancing national championship in person and saw the professionals attempt to qualify.

Worst case, for my bias towards athletic achievement over the artistry, it's rhythmic gymnastics with more athleticism.

Best case, it's basically some combo of men's rings and women's uneven bars and made me feel woefully out of shape.
 
Sure...why not? I guess anything that involves physical movement could be an olympic sport, but I don't take any olympic sports that are based on subjective scores from judges too seriously anyway. It clearly takes a level of talent I could never have. I just think it's going to be one of those things where competition isn't really fair because the scoring would be so subjective (like a lot of Olympic sports).
 

chefbags

Member
This is a terrible idea and pole dancing is not difficult to that level of athlete.

Uhh why?

If its a skill you learn and seeing how it can be a source of fitness with the level of strength you need to even do it well I don't see why it can't be included.
 

darscot

Member
Uhh why?

If its a skill you learn and seeing how it can be a source of fitness with the level of strength you need to even do it well I don't see why it can't be included.

All it will do is drag gymnastics even lower into the pedophile cesspool it already is. People need to think a little about little boys and girls pole dancing. Its fucking disgusting, just because they keep their clothes on does not make it ok for children. Sure soccer Moms have a great time and all the power to them but it is not Olympic worthy.

There will be no challenge in this, for any elite gymnast it will be a joke.
 
Surely actual dancing should be in first. No?

If the olympics were about celebrating talent, as opposed to advertising and ratings, you could be right. People will tune in to watch women grind with a pole in a way they won't to watch them do a pirouette. I wonder why.
 

Theecliff

Banned
sure, that's pretty cool. i wouldn't be surprised if people dismiss this due to the association with stripping but it clearly looks like it takes a lot of skill and work. gotta have a damned solid core. pole clubs and workshops seem to be pretty popular at the moment - it's definitely been one of the more popular sports clubs at my uni.
 

Timbuktu

Member
Would be interesting how the men side of the sport develops. I mean, the disciplines in gymnastics can be quite different for me a do women.
 

Acorn

Member
"Beach volleyball federation goes bankrupt"

Nah, pole dancing takes alot of strength and flexibility to do well, probably more taxing on the body than rhythmic gymnastics etc.
 
All it will do is drag gymnastics even lower into the pedophile cesspool it already is. People need to think a little about little boys and girls pole dancing. Its fucking disgusting, just because they keep their clothes on does not make it ok for children. Sure soccer Moms have a great time and all the power to them but it is not Olympic worthy.

There will be no challenge in this, for any elite gymnast it will be a joke.

This mentality is part of the problem pole dancing faces today. Just because some strippers do it, does not make it sexual as a whole. Furthermore, if a person gets sexual ideas from watching children exhibit feats of strength, skill, and coordination then that says more about that person than it does the sport.

Professional pole dancing is a whole different class compared to what you would see at your local strip club. I'm sorry you cannot disassociate the two.
 

darscot

Member
This mentality is part of the problem pole dancing faces today. Just because some strippers do it, does not make it sexual as a whole. Furthermore, if a person gets sexual ideas from watching children exhibit feats of strength, skill, and coordination then that says more about that person than it does the sport.

Professional pole dancing is a whole different class compared to what you would see at your local strip club. I'm sorry you cannot disassociate the two.

The issue is I have an understanding of competitive gymnastics and understand exactly the skill required to do it. Sure pole dancing looks impressive but its really not on a level I think deserves to be in the Olympics. I would take silks way ahead of pole dancing. I also understand that the Olympics starts with very young children.

P.S. What exactly is a professional pole dancer?
 

PJV3

Member
It will fit in with the rest of the gymnastics, interesting to watch for 10 minutes before I get the urge to put the kettle on and do something else.
 
This mentality is part of the problem pole dancing faces today. Just because some strippers do it, does not make it sexual as a whole.

Professional pole dancing is a whole different class compared to what you would see at your local strip club. I'm sorry you cannot disassociate the two.

I'm not going to comment on the one part of your post I agree with, but come on, pole dancing started out in strip clubs. It's like saying beer pong has nothing to do with drinking. I think beer pong takes some level of skill too, but the fact is it has an association with binge drinking that should maybe put it lower on the totem pole (no pun intended) when it comes to being admitted as an olympic sport. Not that I'm comparing sex with binge drinking, but I'm just saying there are connotations to certain activities that go way back.
 
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