Pole Vaulting 30 Years Ago

This is me vaulting back in 1978... Senior year at Greendale High School. My Dad filmed me with his movie camera. The quality isn't the greatest, but you get the idea. Vaulting was pretty much the same 30 years ago. These are all about 12' to 12'6 vaults. Notice how small the pits were back then. At least we had fiberglass poles. I was using a 13' 140 Catapole. I know this because I vaulted with it 5 years ago ... at 11' and snapped it. I wasn't 140 anymore.
Sorry about the music... I had "Old Days" from "Chicago" as the sound track, but youtube shut it down

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• John
• Graham
• Pole
• Vault
• Greendale
• High
• School
• Wisconsin
• catapole

[nanachaym]

Hey I'm currently Greendale's vaulter and this past season, I'd just broken the school's record with a vault of 14'6". That vault ranked me 3rd in the state as a junior and I'm really excited to vault one more year here. I hope to vault in college.

[retrovaulter]

@nanachaym Actually I'm aware of that Tim. I know who you are. This is Coach Graham from Wisconsin Lutheran. I coached at Greendale before coming to Wisco. I was your Coach's (Dan) coach when he vaulted at Greendale. That is me vaulting in the video .... way too many years ago. You should have an amazing season ... including making it to State this year!

[ZipsDad1966]

@retrovaulter . I have a son Connor Messer who vaulted 11' last year as a 7th grader, he is currenlty 14 in the 8th grade and is 6'2". Went to his first VARSITY meet yesterday and borrowed a pole and finished 2nd in the Varsity meet, not vaulted since last May at State Meet. He is 6" off the Middle School State record in Kentucky. triple jumped 37 last year, high jumped 5'2", long jumped 16'10", runs Varsity 110 High hurdles and 300 Hurdles. 300hurdle was best at 0:48.00 last year as a7th grade.

[retrovaulter]

@ZipsDad1966. That's some crazy PR's for an 8th grader. I was watching his vault video and some of his football videos. He should have a lot of fun and success in high school and beyond. I love Pole Vault more than any sport now. Our High School track season started 2 days ago. I coach High School Boy's and Girl's Vault. I'll be watching for more vault videos of Connor. Best of Luck. God Bless.

[Bubba33Thomas]

Thanks for posting! That was my senior year . . . I got over 13' with similar technique.  What height was your highest!

Vaulting is still fun (entering my 50's)

[retrovaulter]

@Bubba33Thomas 13' in H.S. I just turned 50. I coach vault. I still vault every now and then ... mostly when the kids aren't there. It is still a thrill to bend the pole and do a real vault. You should do it again at least once before it's too late!

[Jptrappin32]

thats too funny, there is no difference between the equipment used in this video to the equipment i use at my school !

[bvreid18]

Checked out your video again. Manoman I want to vault again. I'm 50yrs old now. 35yrs since I vaulted 12' as a freshman in high school. Eventually went 14'6" as a senior. All the old stuff..metal crossbars and blacktop runways...falling in between the pits(too many times)...what memories. I ripped off 31 pullups a couple of months ago at age 50...I think I could still vault, but not nearly as high. I'd be happy doing 10'...great video Thanks!!

[DrPoleVault]

Heck no the pit I use is way worse, we don't even have a runway

[carefulcarpenter]

@ghostlaugh001 I've jumped 12' with a steel pole into sawdust. It was 1968-- I was a sophomore. Junior year I went 13' 1" with my first Skypole. Senior year I was 2nd in the Wisconsin State meet at 13' 6" with the same pole. If I had had a knowledgeable coach and a pole for my weight I could have gone much higher, easily. I played Big Ten football and was discouraged from going out for track. Started as a sophomore at flanker. 

[ghostlaugh001]

30 years before THAT, people landed in 1 foot of sawdust

[MNMSeaSurfer]

Great job! Actually, the pit that my school has now is pretty much the same size! We need to get a new one soon atleast, haha

(:

Thanks for sharing the video with us!

[j111oncher]

it is amazing that u got 14'6" with that press

[CheyTac2]

We have close to 100 pacers...and one Cata Pole. I really wanna jump on it once, but my coach wont let me. :(