DC Power Stilts Appears on ABC7

DC Power Stilts was chosen to appear on Good Morning Washington on May 20, 2015.  Workout Wednesday is a segment devoted to finding fun new ways of getting exercise.  Eileen Whelan and Julie Wright hosted most of the filming while on stilts!  Please watch the clips below, and spread the word about powerbocking as a workout!

Thanks also to Jordan for coming out to help!

Segment 1: Intro

Segment 2: Walking

Segment 3: Jogging

DC Power Stilts Social Media Channels

Lots of crickets over here in the blog!  We still are powerbocking, helping people find stilts, evaluating models and brands of jumping stilts, promoting the sport, and even writing about jumping Stilts.

... But the blog has been quiet.

We've found that Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube are slightly more interactive ways to connect with our community so please check us out, comment, like, share & follow our social media channels:

Twitter @Powerbock

YouTube: DC Power Stilts

Jumping Stilt Reviews: Poweriser, 7 Stilts, Air-trekker, PowerStrider

When it comes to jumping stilts, spring stilts, Powerisers, and Powerbocking in general there seems to be a fair amount of Brand Confusion.

The difficulties start at the generic name for jumping/spring/power stilts and the sport of powerbocking. Adding to it is the fact that stilts made in the same factory are often named and branded differently by each importer and customer. Even the model names can be designed to confuse.

The USA enjoys having multiple brands of stilts available for purchase. As an expert, instructor, and independent dealer, DC Power Stilts is in a good position to review all brands of stilts brands to offer and to evaluate jumping stilts on their merits.

The major brands and models available in the USA are as follows:

Poweriser
Models: Standard, Advanced, Kids

The first licensee of the German patent, Hitech & C Co was the company to start mass production and consumer pricing to the market. Essentially they created the recreational market for spring stilts. Manufactured by a Korean company in the Philippines, their production quality has been decent over time. Although their design improvements are mostly related to making the product cheaper to compete better with the Chinese brands, they offer a good warranty and generally hold up well. Poweriser currently hold the patent for inventing the popular kids-sized stilts and generally stands by their products and offers a good value.

Verdict: We offer and recommend this brand for their durability and value.

Air Trekker & Chinese brands
US Models: CZ-Adult, CZ-Extreme, Youth, M115

Broken and stripped parts

The Guangzhou Up Wing Sport Goods Industry in China started as a knock-off producer, with PoweriZer (note the Z instead of S), but the confusion was ended via a court case that forced them to change the product name. They currently manufacture stilts under the following additional brands: PowerStrider, Upwing, Pro Jump, Fly Jumper. The Chinese have brought prices way down by lowering the manufacturing quality.  Many of their stilts were shipped with springs that snapped in half right out of the box (see photo).

On the plus side, the Chinese company has innovated design-wise by copying and mass producing the designs of some of the high-end stilts. As a result, they had some misses like the ill-fated tilting footplate models, but they also had some hits like the CZ Aluminum model which are under eight lbs each instead of ten. Being 20% lighter makes a big difference. While the design of the CZ stilts are very good for the price, the problem is that they suffer from cheap manufacturing and don't hold up with serious use. We recommend the PowerStrider Brand but they closed their doors after being unable to profit due to warranty claims from production quality. Parts for this brand is still available via the Air Trekker line and website.  

Verdict: These are the cheapest which makes them a good choice as a novelty gift or item, but these stilts break in various ways for those who regularly use them. 

The 7 League Stilts
US Models: GT Cobra

In answer to the demand for higher-quality mass produced stilts, stilts enthusiasts in Europe formed Future Tech to refine, improve, and test the designs for mass production in China. The 7 league Boots brand has higher quality parts and some design improvements: the springs are a bit more responsive, the cuff is held more tightly in place, and they are much more durable overall. Their 2012 introduction to the USA market didn't go smoothly because there were several fixes required to be made by the importer.

Verdict: Even though these are the most expensive stilts on the market, DC Power Stilts was impressed enough with this brand to acquire them and now offers the GT Cobra for sale in North America.

Other Brands ($1,500+)
If you would like more information about some of the $1,500+ import or custom build options, send your question and we'll respond with more info.  Generally the mass-produced brands above offer 99% of the same function for a much better value.

More Testing and PowerStrider Olympic Model

Larry (DC Power Stilts Affiliate) and Tyler perform a simultaneous test of PowerStrider Olympic - Aluminum comparing both the cz60-Al and cz110-Al springs.

Most comparisons relate the new model to the well regarded Poweriser Advanced stilts which we all have used extensively in the past.

Pluses we found:

• The lighter weight made a big improvement in control for both pairs of stilts, especially while in the air, and they try to do tricks


• The new cuff clamp quick clip is very nice. It took only 5 minutes to attach the cuffs and get them fitted properly. Our stilts also shipped with Knee bars as an option.


• Performance was smooth and responsive: both sets of springs flex and easily achieve 3ft jumps with little effort compared to the Poweriser Springs.


• Frames performed nicely smooth operation, with no noise at all. With this new design, any clack sound heard by other models of stilts is a thing of the past. The reduction of noise makes it nicer for people nearby and more comfortable to use stlts in indoor spaces.


• Due to the design, both users were able to get much higher over all in jumps, and better response from both weight class springs. Standing height was tad higher. Tyler easily cleared the 6 ft mark on his 110 set. Larry was too light even for 60 set but he still managed to flex the springs fine, and got to a 4 ft height


• Both the frames and springs held up well from dozens of hours of usage.

Minuses and Suggestions:

• Plastic Buckles - Once tight they held up fine, although to improve them, they should make them with metal parts. If you push hard down on them while you ratchet them tight, they do work.


• Stilts do not have a stopper - when bottoming out occurs, it can cause a hit hard enough to put a small dent, and chip mark, in the support tube. We suggest keeping within the limits of the spring range and adding a rubber stopper to prevent this damage.


• Spring Protection - Factory supplied rubber coating, or Tape would improve this model. In the meantime, we suggest you apply your own tape to protect the spring.


• Bolts and Screws - Frequently check the bolts and screws because it works loose over time. We suggest applying lock-tite to reduce this tendancy. Another caveat is that screw heads are soft and will become stripped with automatic tools.

Bottom Line
Overall they both loved this new setup, especially the lighter overall stilts weight, and over all more responsive design. The PowerStrider Olympic - Aluminum stilts are a decent quality product, suitable for pretty much anyone looking for a pair of power stilts.

Testing notes:

• Normal usage such as jumping and running
  Testing immediately revealed a faulty PowerStrider Spring on the 60KG set. It had red marks on it that showed small cracks from the factory. (Warranty replacement springs were tested and performed fine.)


• Over-powering the stilts to see how the PowerStrider spring would respond
  Springs did not suddenly crack, which indicates a safe and gradual wearing of the springs, rather than an unsafe and sudden snap.
  
  Also it was noted, with the over power and over the max weight issue, that the support tube can give and twist some causing frame damage too, if the spring was not able to support the users full weight and power. The frame and spring held fine, no noise or weakness in the spring was found later on after this test.


• Under-Powering stilts to test "responsiveness"
  Both users found these Springs to be very responsive compared to the older model of Poweriser springs


• Assembly and dis-assembly for routine maintenance
  Soft screw heads used were easy to strip. We suggest carefully using non-electric tools on the stilts.


• Testing routine hardware adjustments
  If the mounting hardware is tightened, be careful not to over tighten the support tube hardware, or the spring mounting hardware, as this can bind the frame, or even crack a spring


• Wear and Tear performance over time
  Loosening of parts means that users should frequently check all fasteners, nuts and bolts and maybe even use Blue lock tight on then all to make sure they stay secure!

Professional Review of PowerStrider Olympic - Aluminum

This is Bacchanal Promotions' review of the new PowerStrider Olympic - Aluminum (CZ Series) stilts.

Our first impressions of the new stilts were positive, the most noticeable differences from our other stilts (Poweriser Advanced) were the weight and much more elegant design. Putting on the stilts for the first time, we were very happy with the quick-adjust cuff mechanism, however the plastic bindings were definitely a downside. Walking on them for the first time felt much more comfortable than our other stilts, not only because of the weight but also the streamlined design. The feeling that we might hit the foot-plates together was much less since a lot of the excess materials have been removed, including the stability rods on the side of the feet. We didn't experience any difficulty with the heel sliding out of place, although when our friends tried them on, some expressed difficulty at the lack of lateral support on the heel.

When we were able to test the stilts side-by-side with the Poweriser Advanced model, a number of things became shockingly clear. The difference in weight is extremely substantial. After wearing the CZ series, jumping on the Powerisers made it feel like there were weights attached to our feet. In addition to the weight the streamlined design made it much more comfortable, and the easily adjustable cuff made it simple for each user to customize them quickly for optimal comfort.

Heights: Perhaps the least obvious but most important difference between the two models was the height of the footplate. It seems as though the two-inch increase in standing height also gave the spring extra room to move, which allows for increased response from a softer spring. Though we are able to easily push our Poweriser 90-120 springs to their limit, the Powerstrider 70 springs seemed to have endless room to gain height. The soft PowerStrider 70 springs felt much softer while running and bouncing low, which made jogging and hopping comfortable and less stressful on our bodies. When jumping high, we originally thought we would bottom-out the soft springs immediately, but were pleasantly surprised when we discovered how difficult it was. It requires much more power to bottom-out the Powerstrider springs, and we seemed to also increase our maximum height by at least six-inches. We look forward to further testing to prove that we are actually jumping higher than we ever have before, but initial tests have been difficult due to winter weather conditions.

Our last test was indoors, which made yet another difference abundantly clear. There was almost no noise while walking or jogging on the Powerstriders, and while jumping high the noise was reduced by at least half from the other stilts. The only noise we heard was of the pad hitting the ground, which was of course louder depending on how high we went, but there was no noise from the parts shifting or rattling. This is one of the biggest selling points for us, as we use the stilts professionally, and particularly when we're doing shows indoors it can be quite distracting to have loud clanks while jumping.

The pair we are using has already experienced several hours of use in another test, so it is easier to spot possible durability issues than with a brand-new pair. We noticed of course that the hoofs will need replacing more often than the Powerisers', but since replacement hoofs will be about 1/3 of the cost and are much easier to replace, we find that this is still a better option than the Powerisers. We did notice a slight squeak in one of the stilts, not loud, and can likely be fixed by adding oil to one or both of the pivot points, but we feel it should be mentioned. Also, the top of the spring on ONE of the stilts has a very small amount of wiggle-room. This is nothing compared to the wiggle on each of the Poweriser joints, but we definitely hope this isn't the beginning of a larger issue.

Flipping and other acrobatic stunts are easier on the new models not only because of the weight difference but also the reduced bulk. The Olympics feel much smaller around the feet and legs, and seem to allow easier variation in leg positions.

Bottom Line:
The PowerStrider Olympic - Aluminum (CZ series) moves this sport to a new level, the increased performance and ease-of-use far exceeds anything we have seen in stilts before. The few flaws are tolerable and minute when compared to the benefits of upgrading. We highly recommend these for new stilters, and also for anyone who uses jumping stilts regularly to consider upgrading.

PowerStrider CZ Series: Conclusion

If you haven't already read the first two parts of my month long review of the PowerStrider CZ series. Please take a moment to do so Part One and Part Two.

Which brings us to the final portion of my review. After using this for a few weeks and really getting a solid feel on them. I can confidently measure performance, and now wear.

One of the most commonly modified aspects of all Powerstilts is the hoofs. As they wear down the quickest. When you run, jump, leap, and just walk. Your hooves slowly wear down as what ever surface you're on comes into contact with them. Most PowerBockers typically end up adding bits of bike or car tires to their PowerStilts referred to as "Tire Socks". Is this still required with the PowerStrider CZ Series?



I'll invite you to take a look at the photographs of the hoof wear after a couple hours of use. As you can see there is noticeable wear on the bottom of the soles. There is also a nice size chunk of rubber missing. This is typical of hooves from this brand, and not much different than the others currently out there.

I achieved this wear after a good couple mile run down a bike path. I believe the chunk came out due to stepping on a rock in the path. Overall I'd consider it normal for hoof wear. Not great, but not horrible.



Here you can see a side by side comparison of a brand new hoof, and my worn ones. The hooves at the time of being photographed had some good life left in them. So I'd estimate out of regular use of a few hours a week, you'd get 3 to 4 weeks before being required to switch.

Luckily, swapping hooves are a snap with the PowerStrider CZ Series. Instead of having to remove the entire assembly as pointed out in my previous reviews. All you need to do is remove four bolts, and swap out just the pads themselves.

In the picture on the right. You can see the pad being completely removed. This was really simple to do. The Powerstilts themselves actually came with the allen wrench to get the job done and it worked just as good as any I had in my own personal tool box.

In my opinion, if pricing is fair for the replacement pads. Modifications such as Tire Socks become a thing of the past with this new easy design.

As for the spring wear. I noticed the this series of stilts have no spring covers. They're just painted over, and in my normal use. I managed to take some tiny nicks, dings, and scratches throughout it. I'd highly recommend that if purchasing you should immediately cover them with tape, or another means to prolong the life of the spring. The springs lacking covers are a fairly negative aspect of the stilt, but not something that general powerbockers don't end up modifying anyways.

Overall my conclusion is;

They're light, sexy, and responsive.
My original skepticism over the cuff design is gone. It works great.
The bindings are poor, and need replaced. I'd recommend the Poweriser Bindings.
Hoof wear is normal.
The Springs need better protection.

The PowerStrider CZ series overall is a viable powerstilt to consider purchasing. I'd recommend them.

Recommend: PowerStrider Olympic Aluminum Stilts

DC Power Stilts officially endorses the PowerStrider Olympic (cz) - Aluminum Stilts.

"The newest, most modern stilts offer a minimalist, lightweight design that makes it more fun and less tiring to use. Innovative features have been added: The traditional 'clack' with each step has been cleverly eliminated. These are not THE perfect pair of stilts and the main downside is their higher price. They do work safely and we highly recommend them for regular bockers and first-time buyers."
-David, DC Power Stilts

While we were initially excited by the pretty look of the stilts, we were skeptical of the performance and durability of this new design. DC Power Stilts put them to their paces to see if they would hold up on a variety of real-life conditions. We of course found some room for improvement, but the stilts performed well overall.

You can put your order in at our web shop... shipping is next business day.

Thank you to everyone on my team who has provided feedback on this model, and especially to DJ for his videos and tests.

Click here for all blogs about this model, including critical reviews and some ideas for improving them.

PowerStrider CZ series: Part 2

Getting straight to it today. Here we are with my continuation of my review on the PowerStrider CZ series. If you have not read my initial impression I would recommend you do so before continuing.

But for those that have. I've made a brief video review in the video below. (Click the view original post button if you're viewing this from facebook) Please read a more detailed article following the video.




After getting some more in depth time on these powerstilts I have really taken note of their aspects that shine and the ones that leave you grumbling. Let's take a closer look at what I've discovered!

On one specific outing. I put on my powerstilts in front of my apartment. My end destination was the park across the street by the Mississippi River. I sat on the front step to my apartment building to gear up. I ended up struggling to get everything fastened correctly. I think I sat there for a good 5 minutes focusing on my foot straps alone.

Needless to say the frustrating nature of having plastic bindings was really becoming apparent. But after I put them on correctly, got up and went on my way. I was again very pleased with the weight of this set. They simply disappear on your feet. This made my quick jaunt across a cross walk, and down a small bike path to my end bocking destination very painless, and simply fun.

I ended up deciding to see how well they'd hold up in a serious jumping session. So I went at them for as long as I could. Again, very pleased with the fact it really seemed the height I was reaching was well OVER what I could on other models.


However, in putting some serious effort and work into the springs. I noticed something else fairly annoying. That again, went back to the bindings and now the foot pad.

I noticed that under heavy forces my heal would slide to one side or the other. This resulted in my landings being uneasy, unbalanced, and at times down right scary. This is due to a variety of factors.


The removal of the support rods.
The Removal of the plastic foot plate.
The Plastic Bindings.


In other models the support rods ended up holding my heel in place. I'd wedge it in there, and it would never move. By having room to move combined with the plastic heel of the foot pad. My foot never went anywhere. But with these I ended up at times feeling like I was walking like a duck. Even nearly clacking my springs together when landing. This was simply annoying!


I'd imagine that this could be rectified by tightening down the bindings even more so than normal on the rear strap. But again, the stock bindings are to frustrating. I kept having to sit back down after a few minutes to readjust so my heel would not slide.

I will admit that the new design certainly looks appealing. It's sleek, and sexy. But in use, I find myself already wanting to modify it. Deal breaker? Not quite, but something everyone should seriously consider before investing a lot in these? YES.

Moving along. I was very pleased to find that in my rough sessions. I did not have to readjust the cuff mechanism. Which had been a major worry of mine. They hold up great, and are very convenient to adjust for other users or to remove to store. This is something I hope other brands take note of. It seems to be in the direction of where others should go.

I absolutely love that the bushings are SILENT. I said it before in my last review, but the only noise I've heard while using these stilts. Is the noise of my hooves hitting the ground. I've been waiting for them to make a noise. But even after being rough on them. They remain completely silent.

However, I wish the nuts and bolts on this model could hold up to similar wear and tear claims. So far I've found myself readjusting and checking bolts after every use. Not out of good habit, but out of necessity. Because sure enough, after a couple hours I can feel something come loose.

In this phase of testing, I've had to tighten the hoof assembly on the spring. I've had to tighten the bolts from the support arc to the spring. I've had the stopper that's designed to keep the spring from bashing in the back of the foot pad come clear off. Due to the bolt coming loose.

Yes, it's good to check all your nuts and bolts after each use. But with other models, I've never actually had to adjust them as often as with these.

So to recap, the things that still shine to me are this;

The weight. They're light and feel great.

The height I can get. less energy for more height. Outstanding.

The no noise factor. No annoying CLACK CLACK.


The Cuff Mechanism works great. Adjust for yourself easily, then adjust them for a friend with as much ease.

Now the things that make me grumble;

The bindings! Cheap, annoying, ugh!

The slipping heel. Give me good bindings, or something to keep my heel from sliding around!

The nuts and bolts. I don't want to have to adjust these EVERY time I come back in from a session.

Now that I've had some time on these my opinion is that they are still a decent design. They are still worthy of maybe one day purchasing. The negatives aspects for the MOST part weigh less than the positives.


I get about another week on them before my review is done. I feel at this point that my opinion will remain the same. But time will tell all. Please come back here later for my conclusion.

And for an added bonus here is a video of XDbockerChris on them. Ignore the audio in this, it was windy so you can't hear anything I'm saying. xD

PowerStrider CZ series: Part 1

Continuing from the first initial review here. Your local Davenport, Iowa affiliate has received the new PowerStrider CZ series also known as the olympics, or the jumper pros. I will have them for an intensive three weeks review. My first impressions are as follows.

These Powerstilts have had a noticeable design change. First glance you'll notice an absence of the support rods to the foot pad. The removal of the plastic footpad. To be replaced by a simple aluminum one. A new cuff tightening mechanism, the frame being directly bolted to the spring at the lower diagonal rod, and the removal of most of the metal for the hoof assembly.

Close inspection reveals that the length of the spring is actually longer than what other models in the past has offered. In theory this should allow for greater return, translating into greater height.


Upon first picking them up. The first thing that's apparent is the weight. Due to the stripping of other past design parts, these are noticeably lighter than any past stilt I have used. The night I received them, I put them on and ran around for about 20 minutes. The difference in weight might be slight. But the feeling is HUGE. They feel great on your feet.

Now whether the changes to the frame are positive and whether the new lightness comes at a price are yet to be seen. But as of now in my first impression, and a few hours use on the stilts. They seem to hold up fine.

The change to the foot pads certainly look a lot sleeker. In actual use however, I've found that my heel has room to slide slightly. Due to the fact there is nothing there to hold it in place as the old support rods, and footpads used to do. Now I have large feet (size 16 US) so I'd imagine users with smaller feet would have similar if not worse problems. The remedy to the issue is solved by tightening the straps even more so than normal. But this is difficult in the rear strap. The toe strap however, seemed fine.

The bindings on a whole on the other hand are perhaps my largest complaint thus far. They're painted metallic, but are cheap plastic. This results in the user having to struggle to get the straps tight enough. Due to the plastic teeth not "biting" hard enough. Are they usable? Yes. Brand new they get the job done. They don't come loose once tightened. But an advanced user may become frustrated at the annoyance of the bindings and opt to upgrade once they start to wear.


Looking down the stilt. You'll notice that the lower diagonal frame from the footpad to the spring has been changed. To a new aluminum curved bar design. Which instead of clamping around the spring, bolts directly through it. This design has been done before in the past and has always brought much worry from the powerbocking community. But in my initial use. The design seems to be solid. The new bearings are absolutely smooth and silent.

In use I have gotten no "CLACKS" or frame wobbles. The only noise I have heard so far is the sound of my hooves hitting the ground. The bolts through the spring have so far remained tight and secure. I have not needed to readjust them.

I'm actually very interested in this portion of the stilts design. I am regularly a poweriser advanced user. I use 90120 springs, and can get full compression at will. The powerstriders I have received for review are 70kg springs. They're nice and responsive and give back great energy return. Yet, either due to the new method the spring is attached or from the added length of the spring. I have to put considerable effort to reach the bottom 90% of the spring.

I have also been able to reach very good height with less effort as my previous stilts. Now, will this design hold up? Will the bolts wobble through the spring? Will the springs wear to fast? That is yet to be seen, and more testing is needed. Luckily, this review will have 2 more parts over the rest of the weeks I have them.


Continuing on down the stilt you'll spot that the hoof assemble has completely changed. It no longer goes up the bottom quarter of the spring, and instead just sits very simply at the bottom. This has proven to be a major weight reducer.

The newest change to this design is that instead of replacing the entire assembly. The rubber hoof pads can just be unscrewed off by themselves and replaced. As mentioned in the initial review. This may be a good thing, or proven to be a weak point. So far I have put the stilts through a 2 mile run down a bike path to purposely test hoof wear and they held up fine.

The only negative aspect that has shown itself thus far. Is that the assembly that remains attached to the spring worked itself loose by a hair resulting in a slight vibration as I ran down the bike path. This was easily rectified by readjusting the bolts. I'm paying close attention to this portion of the stilt in my future tests, and plan on putting it through another intense run, followed by a jumping session.


Quickly popping back to the top of the spring. You'll notice that the cuff attachment mechanism has been changed. Initially I was very skeptical at the new design. But it has so far held up without need to readjustment.


Overall my initial thoughts of this new model are;

I like them. The design is sleek and sexy. They're uber light and nearly disappear on your feet. The springs are smooth, and the energy return is impressive. The height I've attained so far has surprised me. I remain skeptical at the cuff mechanism. I am also keeping a close eye on the hooves. I dislike the bindings, but they are not a deal breaker.

If they survive the rest of my testings, and are reasonably priced. I would say this model is the next on my list of things to buy.

As an added bonus. Take a look at the following video of my first test run on the stilts. Keep in mind that the video was taken on a windy day, and from my cell phone.




Keep an eye out for the following portions of my review. I'll be sure to include a more detailed video, and tons more information.