What am I presenting?

Pole Rental. N.d. Array. Patriot Pole Vault Club, Westborough, MA. Web. 4 Aug 2013. <http://www.patriotpv.com/photos/var/resizes/competitions/YorkBeachVault2010/YorkBeachVault2010-Misc/YorkBeachVault2010_Misc 014.jpg?m=1299372231>.

KevinCalhoun

8/5/13

ENGL 2116-020

Dr. Toscano

What is pole vault?

What are poles made of?

● Ash wood● Bamboo● Steel● Aluminum● Fiberglass● Carbon Fiber

Oldest

Newest

Who makes what?

UCS

Spirit

-

Gill

PacerFXSkypoleMystic

CarbonFXSkypole CarbonCarbon Mystic

ESSX

Power-X

Power-ForceCarbon Force

Fiberglass

Carbon Fiber

How much do poles cost?

UCS

618

-

Gill

537

682

ESSX

-

695

Fiberglass

Carbon Fiber

What do the manufacturers claim?

● UCS

– The legacy of Spirit sets the standard for excellence!● Gill

– PacerFX: Lightest carry weight of any fiberglass pole ever made.

– CarbonFX: The world’s lightest and strongest vaulting pole.

● Essx

– Smaller grip sizes, lighter carry weight and optimum performance

How do fiberglass and carbon compare?

● FiberglassSergey Bubka, 19936.15m = 20'2”

● Carbon FiberSteve Hooker, 20096.06m = 19'10.5”

What is my research question?

Do carbon fiber poles have benefits that justify their higher prices compared to their equivalent fiberglass counterparts?

What will I do?

● Quantitative

– Measure Weight– Measure Diameter– Measure Stiffness

● Qualitative

– Have vaulters use equivalent fiberglass and carbon fiber poles and provide their opinions