Competition Pearls

I recently blogged about things I learned from judging.  It got more attention than I expected and I’m so glad that it seemed to resonate with people.  Thanks to all of you who shared/commented.  As I got to thinking about it, I realize that I have learned valuable lessons from competing too.  Mind you, I’ve come in first (Ms Virginia Amateur) and I’ve come in dead last (SPC) so I like to think I have some perspective here.  As a disclaimer, the following thoughts are derived from my own personal experience, which involves competing as a hobby and not as a job.  While some of what follows may apply to those men and women who are professional polers, my perspective is completely different from theirs.  I imagine that competing takes on a whole new light when your income and professional reputation are all wrapped up in there!

Competition Pearls:

1.     Everyone likes winning but you should have another reason to compete: Because you won’t win all the time.  Even the best in the world don’t win all the time.  In fact, you may win none of the time.  As competitors, we put a lot of time, effort, and-yes-money, into preparing for a competition.  If the only way you are going to enjoy it is if you win, you are going to be a sad puppy if it doesn’t work out that way.  There are myriad reasons for competing (more on this in future blogs) and I recommend engaging in some introspection and honest assessment of why you’re doing it.  Think about it: you’re backstage, you can hear other people competing, you have on your sparkly bikini (or whatever) and feel like you might vomit.  I’m willing to bet that I’m not the only one who has thought “Why the hell am I doing this to myself??!!”.  You should have a decent answer to that question.

2.     Do your research!  There are so many competitions out there and they are all different.  They run the spectrum from sexy to sporty, from well-run and classy to sloppy and sleazy.  Sometimes it can be difficult to know what you are getting into, especially if a competition is new.  However, if possible, try to learn what you can before you sign up.  Talk to other people who have done the competition, check out the website, etc.  A “good” competition will have clear and published judging and selection criteria.  You will be able to get in touch with the organizer and get answers to your questions.  Choose a competition that you trust and one that emphasizes what you enjoy about pole.

3.     As a corollary to number 2, read the judging criteria before/while you are choreographing.  That is, read them if you care about how you score/place.  If that’s not your aim, well then obviously they are less relevant.

4.     As an amendment to number 3, consider the criteria but don’t just do what you think the judges want to see.  I’ve tried this approach and I don’t recommend it.  First, you may be wrong.  Second, and more important, you have to enjoy your routine!  If you don’t like your routine, no one else will either and, furthermore, you’ve just violated a primary commandment of pole, which is to have fun and feel good about yourself.

5.     Scores are just a number.  I wrote about this in my judging blog too so I won’t elaborate on it too much here but the bottom line is that your score is the number that reflects how well your routine met the judging criteria.  That’s it.  Not how strong or how flexible or how fluid you are.  It’s not a value judgment on your ability to pole overall.  It’s certainly not a value judgment on your worth as a person or a poler and you shouldn’t take it as such.  Sometimes the judge’s comments are helpful and sometimes they are crap but usually there is something you can take away that will help you improve.

6.     Get (good) help.  Or rather, don’t hesitate to ask for help if you need/want it.  We all have different strengths and weaknesses and having others weigh-in and contribute to your routine will only help it improve.  Ultimately, it’s your routine though so try to find that fine balance between trusting your instructors/friends and knowing when to stick to your guns.

7.     Figure out your costume ahead of time.  I’ve waited until the last minute to put together my costume.  It didn’t go well.  Also, costume/make-up/hair/etc can be one of the most fun parts of competing!  I recommend doing a full run through in your costume for obvious reasons. 

8.     Don’t put in new or shaky tricks: if they don’t go well in practice, why do we think that when we are nervous and on-stage, they are suddenly going to be fabulous?  They usually aren’t.  What’s worse, you will likely spend the rest of the routine worrying about them, which will make it less fun for you and more difficult to get into and remain in character.

9.     Commit to your character (it’s more fun and it looks better no matter what else happens):  Even if you feel silly.  Even if you fall of the pole.  Even if you fall off the stage.  If everything else goes to shit, at least you can say you stayed in character!

10. Bring a friend (or a studio!):  I’ve done competitions with friends and I’ve done them alone.  It’s way less fun when you are by yourself.  Some studios will get a group of people to attend and compete. 

11.  Last but not least, be a good co-competitor.  You’re all in the same boat.  My pole-crush Michelle Shimmy has an excellent blog post on this (http://shimmypolediary.blogspot.com/2012/04/survivors-guide-to-pole-competitions.html so I won’t go overboard.  Personally, I can’t watch anyone who competes before me but I do try to be supportive backstage.  While you don’t have to be everyone’s best friend, common courtesies are appreciated!  Also, be happy for the winners.  Who knows--you might even make friends!  (Below is a picture of the one of the Head Over Heels Competitions--photo credit Christopher Donald)

Everyday Pole Star: Ali Smith

I recently had the opportunity to chat with Ali Smith, another woman who is a serious inspiration on the pole!  I think her story speaks for itself.  Thank you, Ali, for being so open and honest and sharing your story with us!

Cara: Give me a little background on yourself. Where were you born, key childhood events, general info that would be helpful, age, etc.


Ali: My name is Alexandria Smith, but I got by Ali for short. I am 24 years old. Born in Anaheim, CA and lived in the southern California area for 13 years. Moved to Utah in 2001

Cara: You have really transformed your body and I'd like to focus on that for a minute. Can you give me some background on when you started gaining weight, if there was an inciting event, if you had tried other weight loss methods, your self-image at the time, any health problems, and what was the motivation to start the transformation? I'd love for you to be as specific as you feel comfortable being (weight loss amount, health improvements, etc.) but I won't include anything that you feel is too personal. 


Ali:I have always been a chubby kid growing up. Trying numerous diets and pills that never really worked for me. A life event that made me gain weight was from a more emotional side of things. My parents got divorced in 2002 and from then on, my weight piled on. During these years I struggled the most. People bullied me emotionally. Especially guys. I never had a date, nor dated. While I did have great friends and tried to enjoy life, I was really putting on a façade. The worst thing was having to last minute order an XXL graduation cape last minute because I thought the standard one size fits “most” would fit me. Talk about mortifying! A couple years went by after high school and I had had ENOUGH. While I tried to lose weight by eating better, nothing really worked. I completely quit drinking all carbonation and lost 15 pounds but of course, I plateaued. On November of 2009, I made a huge decision that would help me get my life on track. At 5’1.5 and having 310 pounds on my small frame, I knew I was killing myself so I decided to have the Lap Band surgery. It is basically a band that wraps around the top part of the stomach and can inflate to cause restriction, which helps me eat smaller portions. One thing to keep in mind that while I could have had Gastric Bypass, it was too extreme for me. The band can be removed while gastric bypass cannot. Even though this was a weight loss surgery, don’t get the idea that it was an “easy way out” to lose weight. The band is a tool that helps lose weight. In fact, I lost around 60 pounds and then plateaued again. While trying to do cardio at 245-250 pounds, it was tough. I hated it. Who is going to like working out and lose weight when you don’t like your workout? Then one day while on facebook I saw a picture of a girl doing this awesome flag trick on a pole. I was super intrigued but thought; there is NO way I’d ever do something like that. I finally got the guts and looked into it and then on January 3, 2011 my life was changed physically and mentally. I found pole fitness. I started at 245 pounds and I'll be honest I was extremely nervous. Everyone in the class was a lot smaller than me. I almost wanted to run away because I was embarrassed. But something told me that I was strong and capable of overcoming anything even though I couldn't lift my body weight off the ground to do a cool spin if my life depended on it! It was frustrating!!! So after that one-hour class, I was addicted. If it weren't for the amazing pole instructors I wouldn't be doing it still to this day. 



Cara: Why do you think pole fitness has been such a successful way for you to get in shape? 


Ali: Pole has been successful for me to get in shape because I am using every muscle in my body! It takes a lot of upper body strength and while it is challenging and there may be certain moves I can’t do very well, it’s working my body and the inches are melting away. That sore feeling became something I craved and while I was having fun in class, my pants started feeling looser!

Cara: What do you love the most about pole?

Ali: It’s the addiction that I love because every time I would go, there would be some improvement. Whether it be lifting my toes off the ground for a split second or two or being able to do 25 crunches instead of 15 the last time. Pole for me is so much more exciting than going to a public gym and have the super fit people stare at you or getting irritated because you are on “Their” machine. I can feel confident in myself where I never was before.


Cara: Favorite move? Nemesis move?

Ali: Five: Blind hand grab spin Nemesis: Shoulder mount


Cara: Would you like me to affiliate you with any particular pole studio? Any particular pole teachers or inspirational pole people that have helped with your journey? 


Ali: At Studio Soiree Mel Heins got me going with pole dancing for fitness. In late 2011, I started with Jennifer Wilkins and Melissa Kearns at Pole Expression with the JW Method, which is more core fitness.

Cara: Do you do other activities besides pole to stay in shape? What about eating regimen?


Ali: I love to do yoga, hiking, and basic cardio like walking on an incline just to get my blood pumping. I am trying to eat as clean as possible. I try to not worry too much about calories but if I am I try to at least stick with 1200 cals. I love making protein shakes

Cara: What do you do when you are not poling? (job, family, pets, hobbies, etc)


Ali: 
I currently work as a scheduler for the university of Utah at the south Jordan daybreak health center. So my schedule is basically, work, pole, sleep, and repeat! I love to spend time with my family, love to cook and I have a little fur baby ewok aka shih-tzu named Bella.


Cara: It sounds like the JW method has been a big part of your regimen.  Tell me what you like about it and why you find it helpful.


Ali: I absolutely LOVE and adore the JW Method. Don’t get me wrong, I love the pole dance part of fitness but the JW method is strictly fitness. You do 3 different sets of exercises on a specific area of the body and then repeat 3 times. In just 3 months I noticed a major loss of inches, muscle definition and taking my plateau of not being able to climb at all to climbing higher and higher. Jennifer Wilkins has been a personal motivator for me and is one of the greatest friends I have. For more info check out www.polefitnessut.com or www.facebook.com/PoleExpression

Cara: Future goals?
  What would you tell other women in the position you were in before you started your transformation?

Ali: My future goal is to become JW method certified to teach classes. I would also like to progress more with losing weight and inches but I want to focus on motivating other women that struggle with their weight that all it takes is to overcoming that fear and to take charge of the world. It is possible to do anything if you set your heart and mind to it. I created a facebook page that features my weight loss journey and recipes that I create to help me stay on track. www.facebook.com/xzandriasmith

From the Other Side of the Table

I had the privilege of volunteering, judging, and competing in Pole Sport Organization’s Atlantic Pole Championship last weekend.  While I have participated in several competitions, this experience was my first time judging.  It was very eye opening to be on the “other side of the table”.  So without further ado, I give you:

Things I Learned from The Other Side of the Table

1.    It’s difficult: At about every competition where I’ve competed, before they announce the winners they seem to say this.  I never believed them.  Honestly, I thought it was just to make the rest of us who didn’t place feel better.  Turns out, it’s totally true.

2.    The judges want you to do well.  They want everyone to do well: I found myself totally pulling for every person who took the stage.  I kinda felt that it wasn’t “judicial” to hoot and holler for people but I really wanted to.

3.     The person who wins is the person who meets the judging criteria the best.  It may not be the prettiest or the most entertaining routine.  It might be.  But it might not:  At least, this is how it should be.  It’s a competition, after all.  A good competition has clear and consistent criteria that are published ahead of time.  Pole Sport Organization does a very good job of this.  Also, every competition series has different criteria (or many do, at least) so the winner of one competition might not necessarily have won a different competition with different criteria.  I liken it to taking a standardized test—people who do well might be the “smartest” but they might not.  However, they met the “testing” criteria.  I remember one division in particular, in which I loved a particular routine.  It was beautiful to watch.  However, I had to score it lower than some others because it didn’t meet the criteria as well. 

I never really grasped this concept as a competitor.  Surprisingly, I actually found it to be liberating when I competed the next day.  I realized the judges weren’t assigning “value” to my routine, nor was my score necessarily a reflection of how well I performed.  I felt free to enjoy the process of being on stage.  I think this revelation was the most striking from the weekend.

4.     No “shifty eyes”:  I first heard this term when I spent a day training with Alethea.  It refers to competitors that kind of make eye contact but not really.  I find the concept hard to verbalize but it’s obvious when you see it.  I know I’m guilty of doing this in the past and it’s such an easy thing to fix.  I’m grateful to my teachers for getting rid of my shifty eyes and I’m grateful for the chance to observe in others what kind of eye contact works and what doesn’t. 

5.     Commit to the moves and to your character:  I’m guilty of not doing this in past routines but it makes it so much more fun to watch (and perform!).  As one of my mentors, Jennifer Wilkens, says: if you’re going to reach, then REEEAAACCH!  Consider the myriad analogies.  You’re up there anyway, might as well get into it.  Also, it’s part of almost every competition’s judging criteria and if you can master it, your scores will go up.  J

6.     The judges don’t know who wins:  Again, that’s how it should be in a well-run competition.  I was as interested as anyone else in how the rankings ended up.  There were 5 other judges and the hi/low scores were thrown out so any individual judge really doesn’t have that much sway over the outcome.

7.     It will always be a little subjective:  Even with appropriate criteria, people like what they like.  For example, I don’t really enjoy watching the martial arts type of performances.  Just a preference.  I had to be careful not to let it become a prejudice and judge based on the criteria set out! 

8.     Try not to judge when you aren’t judging:  Sometimes when I wasn’t judging I found myself scrutinizing the performances for the criteria.  It made them less fun to watch.  I tried to consciously put the judging out of my mind and just enjoy the performances.

9.     When possible, avoid judging your friends or being judged by them:  As the pole community becomes more close knit, it will be impossible to avoid this altogether.  But it adds a level of complexity that is best avoided, if possible.

Don’t bitch about the judging:  Oh, mea culpa!!  I have done this.  Please consider this blog my public confession and shaming.  There are a number of reasons this is a bad plan.  First, the judges are probably doing their best to be unbiased and to be good judges.  Second, even if they aren’t, it’s not like someone is going to go change the results after they’ve been announced.  It’s sort of ok to do this in the privacy of your own studio after you get home.  There are some circumstances where the judging may actually be sketchy and you need to vent to your pole sisters.  But wait ‘til you get home.