Made In East Texas: Altius Poles in Jacksonville
Published 12:02 am Monday, June 2, 2014
MAKER: Altius Poles in Jacksonville
PRODUCT: Altius Poles has supplied high performance fiberglass and carbon vaulting poles since 1990. The light-weight poles are for beginners, as well as more advanced pole vaulters and are popular with high school athletes, college track teams and vaulting clubs, according to www.altiuspoles.com.
HISTORY: Pole vaulting is a track and field event in which the vaulter uses a long, flexible fiberglass or carbon fiber pole as an aid to leap over a bar. Competitions were held by ancient Greeks, Cretans and Celts. Men’s Pole Vaulting has been a medal event at the Olympic Games since 1896 and Women’s Olympic pole vaulting began in 2000.
Poles were used to pass over natural obstacles, waterways, canals and marshy places throughout Europe. Venetian gondoliers use their punting poles to vault themselves to shore from their boats. History recorded an early pole vaulting competition at the Ulverston Football and Cricket Club, Cumbria in 1843. Modern competition began around 1850 in Germany and the modern pole vaulting technique was developed in the U.S. in the late 1800s.
The first competitive vaulting poles were made from solid ash. As the heights attained increased, bamboo poles gave way to tubular aluminum. Modern flexible vaulting poles made from fiberglass or carbon fiber allow vaulters to achieve greater height.
CONTACT: Altius Poles can be reached at 800-374-7653 or 903-284-6205.
To feature your company and its products, contact Business Editor Casey Murphy at cmurphy@tylerpaper.com.
