Pole-sitting
Encyclopedia
Pole-sitting is the practice of sitting on a pole for extended lengths of time, generally used as a test of endurance. A small platform is often placed at the top of the pole.
, or column-sitting. St Simeon Stylites the Elder
(c. 388-459) of Antioch
(now Turkey
) was a column-sitter who sat on a column for 37 years.
Flagpole-sitting was a fad in the early 20th century. The fad began when a friend dared stunt actor Alvin "Shipwreck" Kelly to sit on a flagpole. Shipwreck's initial 1924 sit lasted 13 hours and 13 minutes. It soon became a fad with other contestants setting records of 12, 17 and 21 days. In 1929, Shipwreck decided to reclaim the title. He sat on a flagpole for 49 days in Atlantic City, New Jersey
, setting a new record. The following year, 1930, his record was broken by Bill Penfield in Strawberry Point, Iowa
who sat on a flag pole for 51 days and 20 hours, until a thunderstorm forced him down. From 1933 to 1965 Richard "Dixie" Blandy claimed various records as champion at 77, 78 and 125 days until he died in 1974 when his pole collapsed. For the most part, pole sitting died out in 1929 because of the crash of the stock market.
, Poland
, sat on a 16-by-24-inch platform on an 8-foot pole for 196 days from May 15, 2002 to November 26, 2002. He had a ten minute break every two hours.
History
Pole-sitting is related to the ancient ascetic discipline of StylitismStylites
Stylites or Pillar-Saints are a type of Christian ascetic who in the early days of the Byzantine Empire stood on pillars preaching, fasting and praying. They believed that the mortification of their bodies would help ensure the salvation of their souls...
, or column-sitting. St Simeon Stylites the Elder
Simeon Stylites
Saint Simeon Stylites or Symeon the Stylite was a Christian ascetic saint who achieved fame because he lived for 39 years on a small platform on top of a pillar near Aleppo in Syria. Several other stylites later followed his model...
(c. 388-459) of Antioch
Antioch
Antioch on the Orontes was an ancient city on the eastern side of the Orontes River. It is near the modern city of Antakya, Turkey.Founded near the end of the 4th century BC by Seleucus I Nicator, one of Alexander the Great's generals, Antioch eventually rivaled Alexandria as the chief city of the...
(now Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
) was a column-sitter who sat on a column for 37 years.
Flagpole-sitting was a fad in the early 20th century. The fad began when a friend dared stunt actor Alvin "Shipwreck" Kelly to sit on a flagpole. Shipwreck's initial 1924 sit lasted 13 hours and 13 minutes. It soon became a fad with other contestants setting records of 12, 17 and 21 days. In 1929, Shipwreck decided to reclaim the title. He sat on a flagpole for 49 days in Atlantic City, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, setting a new record. The following year, 1930, his record was broken by Bill Penfield in Strawberry Point, Iowa
Strawberry Point, Iowa
Strawberry Point is a city in Clayton County, Iowa, United States. The population was 1,386 at the 2000 census. Strawberry Point is home to the world's largest strawberry . Backbone State Park, Iowa's oldest state park, is located a few miles from the town.-Geography:Strawberry Point's longitude...
who sat on a flag pole for 51 days and 20 hours, until a thunderstorm forced him down. From 1933 to 1965 Richard "Dixie" Blandy claimed various records as champion at 77, 78 and 125 days until he died in 1974 when his pole collapsed. For the most part, pole sitting died out in 1929 because of the crash of the stock market.
Records
H. David Werder sat on a pole for 439 days, 11 hours, and 6 minutes from November 1982 to 21 January 1984 to protest against the price of gasoline. Daniel Baraniuk, from GdańskGdansk
Gdańsk is a Polish city on the Baltic coast, at the centre of the country's fourth-largest metropolitan area.The city lies on the southern edge of Gdańsk Bay , in a conurbation with the city of Gdynia, spa town of Sopot, and suburban communities, which together form a metropolitan area called the...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, sat on a 16-by-24-inch platform on an 8-foot pole for 196 days from May 15, 2002 to November 26, 2002. He had a ten minute break every two hours.
See also
- PlankingPlanking (fad)"Planking" is an activity consisting of lying face down in an unusual or incongruous location. Both hands must touch the sides of the body and having a photograph of the participant taken and posted on the Internet is an integral part of the game. Players compete to find the most unusual and...
, a modern day fad - BalconingBalconingBalconing is an activity that involves jumping from a balcony towards a swimming pool. Participants usually scramble up the sides of buildings and jump from one balcony to another or hurl one another towards a swimming pool. The diversion has gained popularity among tourists of the Balearic Islands...
, an early 21st-century fad