XD Bockers

Hello sirs and madams!

Your Davenport, Iowa Affiliate here. I am sitting here writing this after just getting in a while ago from a nice warm up bock over at LeClaire Park on W River DR. I'm winding down now, finally not sweating as profusely and just wanted to announce the formation of our local group (Still small, but hey you can help!)

The XD Bockers

The XD Bockers has a total of 4 members currently. Our aim is to take an enjoyable approach at bocking. To focus on laughs, and good times first and foremost before the rest. To do it the xD way!

You can check us out on our Facebook Group. The XD Bockers!

If you're local and are a bocker, or looking to become a bocker. Please look us up, I'll be more than happy to help you out.

Meet Our Affiliates

I'm happy to announce that DC Power Stilts has recently established our first four affiliates who are organizing local communities and otherwise promote this exciting new sport! Let us know if you would like an affiliate to contact you.

The first DC Power Stilts Affiliates are:

• Bacchanal Promotions (Andrew), in Auburn Hills, Michigan
• Brian in Salinas, California
• DJ in Davenport, Iowa
• Larry in Fairmont, West Virginia

Learn more about the Affiliate Program.

Anime Central 2009 Bock Report!

Well sirs and ladies, ACEN 2009 has come and gone. Many a sad con goer awakes with tired sleep deprived eyes today, fully aware they had to return to their day to day routine. Can you hear the collective groan?

Well let's not fret, and look back with fond recollection!

On the Bocking side of things, the convention really got started Saturday afternoon, when myself, and XDvandalJake (I'm in the blue, he's sitting down in the picture, taken before the con) put on my bocks, and hit the street outside a MASSIVE Naruto photo gathering. We first just started warming up, bouncing this way and that, being greeted with many surprised faces, and approving shouts.

Unsure if we were going to be ejected from the convention or not, we chose this location due to it being out of sight of the main area, and Incident Response Team. By the time an IRT guard ran up, he just smiled, and we knew it was time to run off to the larger areas.

For the next few hours we picked a parking lot directly out front of the Hotels main entrance. We pulled of a ton of jumps for the hundreds, into thousands of con goers walking past us. Many a photograph was taken, tons of questions, just lots of general interest in the sport. I even let a few people try out my other set of stilts. One guy in particular impressed me greatly, he works with regular stilts, so he took to jumping almost immediately.

By the time XDvandalJake, and myself were completely bent over with exhaustion, we moved base and began walking through the crowds, towards the entrance to the Stephens Convention center, where the cons dealer room was being held. We did a few jumps for the crowd, by the large fountains, and then to walk the art gallery, and then dealer exhibits.

Due to us being indoors for the last portion, all we did was walk and I answered questions, we remained inside for a long while, until other non bocking friends of ours met up with us. In which case we headed back to the second area we bocked, and removed our stilts.

Over all it was a very fun experience, and I hope to get more PowerBockers to accompany us next year.

Check back another time for pictures of the con. if they become available to me xD

Visiting the National Cherry Blossom Festival on Stilts

The Cherry Blossom Festival is a wonderful event that happens in DC when the Japanese Cherry Blossom Trees bloom and surround the tidal areas of DC with breathtaking pink and white petals.

Unfortunately the spectacular scenery attracts a huge crowd and the lack of good transportation nearby makes getting around very difficult... for most.

Power stilts change the equation! Now the 4 miles around the area and up to the subway passes with the greatest of ease. The crowd becomes a moving slalom course and every unobstructed view overlooks the heads of those around.

Not to mention the fun of running and jumping in a beautiful place to the amazement and shock of lots of people. Please visit the DC Power Stilts Flickr Photo Stream for the photos I took or were of me on this fine Sunday afternoon.

Since it worked out so well, I think next year I'll organize a group of us to go down together. Mark your calendars and come to DC for the National Cherry Blossoms.

Bock NYC Aftermath and Report

Bock NYC Was a great success this year!! Since I was staying in midtown, I was the first to arrive at Battery Park. Everyone showed up pretty quickly and impressive vaults of the staircases and many various other tricks ensued. For most people there it seemed that someone on spring stilts was very unusual... but over a dozen people at once? Wow, only in NYC (or Boston /DC /UK...)

Anyways we went up to the courthouse with a nice set of stairs such that you could choose how big you wanted to go. A few skateboarders had set up shop but it was a good place to chill out and have lunch while watching Dawsome doing linked multiple flips.

From there we walked about 3.5 miles through most of lower Manhattan. It was mostly teeming with people going every which way but it was fun to be up above everyone else. The view is only 18 inches higher, but you feel miles above the rat race. We stopped a few places and gave roving demos of jumping and running. People definitely noticed us, and I saw alot of smiles as we passed by.

Finally we stopped in Times Square and formed a "bockers" circle. People gave us some good space as we took turns performing a crowd pleasing and traffic-clogging show for about 20 minutes. We weren't asked to leave, but as our hunger and thirst gave way, we headed back to Penn Station.

Weather was just about perfect and we didn't have any major casualties. More importantly, good times were had by all. Check out my youtube and flickr photo streams for details.

Special Event Coming up... NYC on October 17-19

Ever wonder what would happen if a whole crowd of people got together on power stilts and bocked across a crowded city? This event is going to have professional bockers from all over as we converge for jumping, acrobatics, running around, and having fun in the Big Apple. I am planning to attend and will help arrange carpools up from DC... please let me know if you are interested. If you are new to power stilts, you will especially benefit from bocking around with some of the world's elite for an entire weekend. Link here on the activities page.