Shakedownsports.com

ESPN really dropped the ball on this one. In an era when they’re willing to put almost anything or anyone on TV (see: Lopez, Mario) they somehow overlooked the wondrous events of the World Eskimo-Indian Olympics. The games were held last week in Anchorage and they featured grueling competitions such as the greased pole walk.

Here’s the drill: A wood pole about 12 feet long and perhaps 10 inches in diameter is lathered in Crisco. The bare-footed athlete steps onto the pole with the assistance of two spotters, one in front of them and one behind, finds balance with the arches of their feet on the pole, then lets go of the spotters.

Then begins the fun, and the slip-sliding away. The athlete must step sideways — either ankle-to-ankle in small steps or, for the more adventurous, by stepping sideways in a crossover maneuver, until slipping off the pole. The distance traveled is measured to judge the performance.

The all time men’s record is 13 feet, 6 inches, which means that actually getting across the pole is no easy task. While it may seem like a fringe sport, I think the greasy pole walk has a real future. It’s fun, challenging, and there’s no easy way to cheat with performance enhancing drugs.

1 Comment »