Friday fun: Animals pole dancing

No explanations needed. Enjoy the pictures. Yeah, that looks more like Mallakhamb to me.                                     ...

Read more »

"Pole dancing, huh? You must get a lot of 'oh so you're a stripper' -comments?"

I've been pole dancing for two years, and so far not a single person has mistaken me for a stripper. However, I've lost count how often I've heard "Pole dancing, huh? You must get a lot of 'oh so you're a stripper' -comments?" Basically what these people are saying is "I'm so civilized that I know pole dancing is a sport but I bet there are a lot of people that are less civilized than me". Without meaning to question anyone's level of sophistication: No, there aren't. Not here in Helsinki, anyway. You would have had to live under a rock for the past two years in Finland to have missed Oona Kivelä's numerous appearances in magazines, newspapers, TV and radio and Henriikka Roo's performance's in Finland's Got Talent - She made it all the way...

Read more »

IPC 2012 Ultimate Champion Night Out @GYMi

Watching breathtaking pole dancing performances in high definition and drinking bubbly - Not a bad way to spend a Saturday night.  I promised you I'd visit GYMi this year, and an opportunity came up sooner than expected. This time I didn't go for a lesson, though, but instead to see all the 23 performances from International Pole Championship in Hong Kong. While we still have to wait for IPDFA to publish their videos, Oona Kivelä treated us to the videos her team had shot. It's a shame she can't publish them, and I won't pain you by describing the performances while you can't see them yet, but I will say this: The right people won. I was surprised that Chris Measday won Ultimate Champion in Mens Division, over Wilson Alexander,...

Read more »

Pole dancing in Tallinn

Pole Dance - It's Not Just For Strippers Anymore - holds true also in Tallinn. There were no platform heels or feather boas in sight at City Dance. I travel to Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, a couple of times a year for work or just for fun and when a friend mentioned that she wants to check out the pole dancing scene there I was in. Elina goes to classes at Pole4Fit in Helsinki and also teaches there every now and then and she was looking for a place to work out at while studying in Tallinn. Pole dancing, at least it's athletic variation, is only gaining popularity in Tallinn. City Dance was the most promising school we could find while searching online. The studio is only a 10-minute walk from Stockmann's, but it might be a...

Read more »

Friday fun: Mallakhamb

Mallakhamb is and an Indian sport, basically pole gymnastics on a vertical, wooden pole. It looks super impressive and videos of Mallakhamb players, as the are called, have been circulated at offices for some Friday fun. For pole dancers, however, Mallakhamb is more than viral videos. There are a lot of moves that pole dancers have picked up from either Mallakhamb or Chinese Pole. In the video below, you can see what pole dancers would call cupidos, ayshas and crusifixes. But take a look at what the first player does at 0:40. A shoulder mount, but instead of climbing up the pole he pushes his legs through and back down. Or how about that back flip straight into brass monkey at 1:40? Eat this, Anastasia Shukhtorova...

Read more »

So You want to Pole Dance in Helsinki?

This photo from Pole4Fit's gallery illustrates how literally supportive Pole4Fit's teachers are. As you know, I started pole dancing in March 2010 at Pole4Fit. Pasila was a convenient location for me; the studio is five minutes from the busiest railway station in Finland (three, if you're in a hurry to catch a train). Starting up, I had no idea I would become a member later on, but even back then I preferred Pole4Fit's fitness-oriented website. The oldest pole dancing school in Helsinki, Rock the Pole, seemed to convey a more sensual image. I soon learned that both schools have excellent teachers and that teachers and students from both schools have competed in Finnish Pole Dancing Championships - even though this year there were no less...

Read more »

Two amazing years of pole dancing for yours truly

I don't have much of a background in sports. In fact, quite the opposite. I've always loved working out, and I tried a range of sports in my teens and twenties, but always had to drop out after a couple of months as I had severe, chronic pain in my lower back. I saw dozens of doctors, physiotherapists and what not and finally four years ago there was enough progress that I could start taking a weekly dance class and keep it up. I know Oona Kivelä's mom through work and in January 2010 I happened to see her proudly showing this video from Oona's performance in PoleArt 2009 to a friend of hers. I stood there mesmerized looking at the 2" display of her pocket camera. Amazing, I thought, but then I immediately felt sorry for myself that I could...

Read more »

IPC 2012 video sneak peaks from Hong Kong

Apparently we have to wait two months for full videos of the performances in International Pole Championship 2012, which will then be published only at their own site. Luckily Poleranking has treated us to two exclusive previews. One with previews of all the performances  and another with focus on the Ultimate Champion (don't you just love that title?) Oona Kivelä Oona's victory was notified by German Spiegel Online and Danish News Break but apparently in the Ultimate Champion's native Finland only Voice found it interesting enough for their website - Despite statements and video clips sent to all media. I guess all the space was required for other Finnish athletes such as Kimi Räikkönen who qualified 18th in the Australian formula1 GP - right before another...

Read more »

Friday fun: Pole bruise map

When I went for my first pole dancing lesson ever this picture was taped to the wall in Pole4Fit's hallway. I studied it waiting for the lesson to start, thinking it was just a joke. Well, the funniest jokes always pertain to real life, don't they? After the first lesson I was already sporting bruises on my inner calves and foot arches. Since then I've had almost all the bruises in the map and many more. I think the only one I haven't had is one on my forehead, but I did have an imposing bump and bruise on my chin for weeks after a brass monkey gone wrong. Pole burn, "the mark of recognition" on my wrist will probably never heal, but to me that's more beautiful and tells more about me as a person than any tattoo ever could. (OK, basically...

Read more »

IPC 2012 results are here! Yet another win for Oona Kivelä!

Photo: www.oonak.com I've written about Womens Division, Mens Division and competition order in Hong Kong, but now I have something truly interesting to share with you: The results! Straight to point: Womens Division Ultimate Champion: Oona Kivelä (Editor's note: !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) Mens Division Ultimate Champion: Chris Measday Doubles Ultimate Champion: Carlie & Travis Disabled Division Winner: Deb Roach  Doubles Division Pole Art winner: Masayo & Kazuya Womens Division Pole Art winner: Laurence Hilsum Womens Division Pole Art 1st runner-up: Zoraya Judd Mens Division Pole Art Winner: Wilson Alexander  Mens Division Pole Art 1st runner-up: Patryk Rybarski Doubles Division Winner: Enchanted Doubles Division 1st...

Read more »

IPC 2012 in Hong Kong tomorrow

Tomorrow, ladies and gentleman, it's finally time for the long-awaited International Pole Championships in Hong Kong. The competition's own site hasn't been updated for a while, but luckily one can count on Poleranking to know, and share, what's going on in international competitions. Unfortunately there have been some cancellations. Alisa Pleskova, who I thought might be a strong contestant for top-3, can't make it. Neither can Cleo, the Australian rock chick who always puts on an interesting show. Neither of these ladies was my first choice for winner anyway, but Mens Division suffered a more serious blow as Saulo Sarmiento won't be able to compete due to an exclusive performance elsewhere. He was a clear candidate for winner! If I...

Read more »

IPC 2012: Ladies of grace

IPDFA’s International Pole Championship will be held in Hong Kong on Thursday. I previously commented on the somewhat disappointing male division, but the amazing ladies more than make up for it. Originally only six contestants were supposed to make it to the final, but somewhere along the way that changed to twelve. And what a breath-taking dozen they are! Laurence Hilsum, France, is almost in a league of her own. Almost. I saw Laurence in PoleArt 2011 in Helsinki, where only one contestant was her superior. Laurence is definite Top-3 material also in Hong Kong. Alisa Pleskova from Israel is also a strong contestant for Top-3. I lost count how many times she touches the back of her head with her toes. It's amazing, something I'm quite certain...

Read more »

Aerial Pole International 2012 results

As you know, I have my eyes already on Hong Kong's IPC 2012, as the Finn Oona Kivelä is competing there. But I couldn't just completely ignore another prestigious competition, Aerial Pole International 2012 which was held in Berne, Switzerland, yesterday. Nataliia Tatarintseva from Ukraine won Best Female and Dante Hernandez Villaverde from Mexico (last year's best costume winner), both taking home 2 000 CHF cash prizes (about 1 660 €). It appears that Nataliia didn't make it past the semi-final round in IPC 2012, or perhaps she didn't want to compete in two competitions within a week and dropped out of Hong Kong. The jury included Dominic Lacasse (who also gave a workshop on his specialty, the flag) and Elena Gibson. They gave out...

Read more »

Friday fun: Shit Pole Dancers Say

It's Friday. Pole dancers around the world are thinking about going out, but decide against it and stay indoors to work on that scorpio / handspring / death lay. At least a lucky few have a friend to practice with, preferably someone with an unlimited stash of Mighty Grip. Jenyne Butterfly and Steven Retchless have each other. It's Shit Pole Dancers Say: "I didn't fall, I graced the ground", "I don't like that move, it's ugly" and ultimately "Do you wanna go watch YouTube?...

Read more »

IPC 2012 IWD edition, a.k.a. Boys, Boys, Boys

IPDFA's International Pole Championship 2012 in Hong Kong are only a week away. Now we all know that Oona Kivelä is competing there, certainly about to make us Finns proud once again, like she did in Rio. But since it's International Women's Day, let's take a look at the male contestants first. The seven male contestants in random order are David Helmen and Chris Measday from Australia, Job Bautista from the Philippines, Colombian Wilson Alexander, Adam Tan from Malaysia, Polish Patryk Rybarski and French Saulo Sarmiento. It's International Women's Day. Here's a picture of Saulo Sarmiento for you that has nothing to do with pole dancing. David Helmen originates from Israel, where he studied classical ballet from the tender age of...

Read more »

Finnish Pole Dancing Championships 2012 make it to the 10 P.M. news... ...funnies

Half a million Finns tune in every night to watch the 10 o'clock news on MTV3. In a country of only six million people and numerous news broadcasts on several channels, that's a significant tradition. I missed the news broadcast on Saturday, as I was watching pole battle at The Tiger, but was glad to hear that the Finnish Pole Dancing Championships had made it to this most popular news broadcast. That is, until I heard pole dancing was not featured in the sports news but instead as the funny piece of news of the night - The last news slot reserved for cute baby animals born at Zoos, impressive bottle cap collections or wife carrying world championships. Screen capture from the news piece: Hanna Knihtilä doing a strong shoulder mount. This...

Read more »

Pole dancing @ Go Expo Helsinki

Kudos to Anne Laakkonen for a solid performance both in the Finnish Championships on Saturday and for a showcase on Sunday.  GoExpo is an annual trade fair show which brings together fitness, outdoor and bicycle enthusiasts. This year GoExpo joined forces with Photo&Camera Exhibition and Helsinki Horse Fair, all for one ticket. To call the crowd mixed is a understatement. I spent Saturday and Sunday at Ahlsport's stand promoting their Fitpoles. Basically I lured passers-by into trying firemen spins or challenged guys to show their strength with crocodiles and even flags. I think I managed to get at least a couple of girls and even one guy hooked on pole, pun intended. But I have to admit, 6-7 hours of pole dancing per...

Read more »

Oona K. feats: FPC 2012 AfterParty @The Tiger Helsinki

Other contestants look on grinning when Tommi struts his stuff. It's official: Oona K. sure knows how to throw a party. And a kick-ass pole battle with prizes that were far better than the ones that the Finnish Champion got earlier that day. 500 euros cash, a season ticket to Oona's PowerPole classes and a bottle of champagne made even yours truly think about enlisting. A freestyle battle in a nightclub allowed the contestants to be a little crazy, sensual or even downright sexy. Tommi was the most daring with his high-heeled boots and short-shorts that left little to imagination. He is clearly inspired by Steven Retchless but needs a lot of practice technique-wise. Anna-Katariina nailed the battle with not so much her skills, which...

Read more »

Anastasia Shukhtorova's workshops at Pole4Fit Helsinki

Anastasia kindly let us video her tutoring. Not for public use, sorry, but for future references. I'll get back to this stuff in a year or so... I had seen Anastasia Shukhtorova perform at PoleArt 2011 in Helsinki and when Pole4Fit announced that they had booked two exclusive workshops with her I wouldn't have missed it for the world. Anastasia is undoubtedly one of the most talented pole dancers in the world. This Russian belle placed third in the World Cup in Rio.  Anastasia held two workshops at Pole4Fit, intermediate/ level 2-3 and advanced/ level 3-4. Unfortunately I couldn't make it to the first one and hence attended the advanced workshop, which I knew would be too much for me. But Anastasia herself...

Read more »

Finnish Pole Dancing Championships 2012

Hanna Kunnas opened the Finnish Pole Dancing Championships 2012 amateur series  and  I heard the impressed audience gasping: "Oh I had no idea pole dancing is like this!" I've had the pleasure of watching Hanna progress from the first geminis to a captivating performer and all I can say is WOW. The Finnish Pole Dancing Championships 2012 were held at GoExpo in the Helsinki Exhibition Center on March 3rd. This was only the second time for official Finnish Championships, and it's been a year and a half since the first contest. In August 2010 the title went to Oona Kivelä - by a wide margin, I might add. But amazing things have happened in the Finnish pole dancing scene since then. Oona has improved tremendously, coming up with new...

Read more »