The pogo stick, a spring-loaded device used for vertical jumping, has been part of toy culture for over a century. Although its exact origins are debated, the first recognised patent for a pogo stick-like device was granted in 1919 to two German inventors, Max Pohlig and Ernst Gottschall. Their invention – a spring-powered jumping apparatus – was designed to assist walking or jumping using a single foot platform and pole. The name “pogo” is thought to be a combination of their surnames: Pohlig and Gottschall.
In the early 1920s, the pogo stick garnered attention in the United States, where it was adapted and commercialised. They were somewhat the rage, and quiet the topic of conversation for a while there. The Ziegfeld Follies used them, and the New York Hippodrome chorus girls performed entire shows on them. There were Pogo marriages with wedding vows being exchanged on them. Back then it was a craze.
American toy entrepreneur George B. Hansburg is credited with refining the design, replacing wood with metal for greater durability and adding a rubber tip for better grip and safety. He received a patent in 1957 for his updated version and is often referred to as the inventor of the modern pogo stick. [Ed: Something interesting to be famous for, that's for sure.]
The contraption made a come back, rising in popularity in the mid-20th century, this time primarily as a children’s toy, frequently appearing in department store catalogues and toy shops. It was marketed as a way to develop coordination and balance and was seen as a wholesome, active form of recreation. During the 1950s and 1960s, the pogo stick also became the subject of world record attempts, with individuals seeking to achieve the most consecutive jumps or the longest distance travelled on a pogo stick.
In the early 2000s, a new form of high-performance pogo stick was developed. Notably, the Flybar, created with input from skateboarding champion Andy Macdonald, replaced traditional coil springs with adjustable elastic bands or compressed air pistons, allowing for significantly higher jumps. Another version was the vurtegopogo. Check out the video to see a demonstration of the latter.
These advanced pogo sticks gave rise to an action sport known as Xpogo, which includes extreme tricks, flips and stunts. Annual events such as Pogopalooza, first held in 2004, have brought together competitive pogo athletes from around the world. In addition, the pogo stick has been adapted for fitness routines, with certain models marketed as low-impact cardiovascular exercise equipment.
Guinness World Records has established a category – highest jump on a pogo stick – the current record holder for which is Henry Cabelus who cleared 3.53 metres (11.58 feet) at Pogopalooza in Pittsburgh in 2024.
Do you pogo?
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References
wikipedia.org/wiki/Pogo_stick
wikipedia.org/wiki/Pogopalooza
esnpc.blogspot.com/2016/02/hopping-stilts-and-chorus-girls-history
smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/how-the-pogo-stick-leapt-from-classic-toy-to-extreme-sport
Images
1. German Patent DE 352704A, Gottschalk and Pohlig and Biff Hutchison setting the then World Record for High Jump on a pogo stick during Pogopalooza in 2013. Photo credit: Whentherewasrain
2. Pogo stick at New York Tribune, 24 September 1921
3. Pogo stick ad
4. English kids on pogo sticks
5. Video: "Meet the Vurtego V4 | Extreme Pogo Stick", vurtegopogo, 2016
6. Pogopalooza Crowd Shot, 2013. Photo credit: Whentherewasrain
7. Foam pogo stick for kids
