Newsletter: May 2011 - Spring Stilt Season

Dear Friend,

Thank you for being part of the powerbocking community, and for your support of DC Power Stilts. We have already attended the first national bocking meetup (Bock The South) and we are gearing up for the biggest meet ever: Capital Bocking USA.

Please Join us @ Capital Bocking USA: June 24-26, 2011
Experts on stilts from across the country will again descended upon Washington DC, leaping, bounding and performing acrobatics in competition. You can join us to compete, learn, spectate or help!
Lets us know that you are coming:
> Learn More
> Order your shirt and/or RSVP on Facebook

Schedule a Private Lesson...
DC Power Stilts is the only business on the East Coast to offer beginner, advanced, and intermediate instruction. You can skip the awkward beginner phase, jump into impressive tricks, or get live, video analysis so your big stunts are smooth and graceful!
> Private lessons and Free Tips

Bring an Unforgettable Experience to your Next Event
DC Power Stilts can bring an unforgettable stilts try-out experience to your next event. People at your event will partner up to share a new exciting and memorable experience. 100% interactive and fun.
> Lets set something up

5-Star Service
Customers love us, and we strive to provide consistent 5-star service! Our goal is to offer quality goods at fair prices and upfront shipping rates to anywhere in the continental USA. We also offer free customer pickup.
> Unfiltered Feedback (let DC Power Stilts try to earn your 5 stars too.)
> DC Power Stilts Web Shop

Start a Local Powerbocking Club
> We'll help! Become a DC Power Stilts Affiliate

Poweriser Kids Still in Short Supply

The January Shipment came in and I was able to fulfill all of the pre-orders that have come in since Mid-December. Poweriser Kids Stilts in the USA are still in short supply, due to the US Importer not being able to get them. We are out of Red stilts for now ...

But we have a few pairs of Poweriser Kids 3050 in Blue that are ready to ship. Get your order in pronto for next business day delivery.

The factory has been ramping up production again, so we expect our early Spring shipment to be generous enough to help everyone looking at a pair of Poweriser Springs in time for spring stilts season.

On another note, the prices are about to increase on the kids stilts due to the increased cost of Aluminum raw materials. Still cost is nicely under $200.


I assume this price increase is going to affect most stilt manufacturers.

Summer Shipment has Arrived

The Summer shipment has arrived! We once again are ready to immediately ship replacement hoof rods, cuff upgrade kits and aluminum clamps and: everything else Poweriser related.

For DC Customers, I also have Poweriser stilts in every category and size, so that you can buy stilts and take them home without paying for shipping! FYI, make you appointment today for demos on Labor day weekend.

Poweriser Kids stilts: still just $165

Scouting out routes for Capital Bocking USA

So we just had a nice weekend in DC... with 80 degrees and sunny, hopefully it was a "weather" preview for Capital Bocking USA which is in less than two weeks. The mission was to go bocking and scout things out. I was running across Key bridge at full speed when I tripped and fell as the bridge transitioned to slightly uneven brick sidewalk. I skidded on the smooth bricks for about 20ft, going from about 20mph to zero. It was a very bad fall, and I was stunned, wind knocked out of me, laying on the ground. After a moment, I sat up and assessed the damage: fresh skid marks on my kneepads, elbow pads, and wrist guards plus a minor scratch along the edge of one wrist guard. The moral of the story is: Although falls are rare, always wear protective pads and a helmet while bocking! Bocking looks dangerous, but it doesn't have to be.

And yes, we now have some good, tested routes! See you all in two weeks. It's going to be a great time!

DC Parkour + Testimonial Tuesday

Over the weekend, I upgraded a customer who had a tilting footplate to the Poweriser Advanced bindings and hardware. While watching people practice and perform stunts at the DC Metro Parkour Meet-up, I actually got to try out the newly upgraded stilts, and was impressed with how the tilting footplate improves running without hindering the usual moves. It took me a minute to get use to the different mobility, but as an experienced bocker it was quite easy to start running, jumping, and leaping right away. Who knows... we may see a tilting footplate on a future Poweriser model.

Testimonial Tuesday,
Reminding you that service is one of our four business foci:

"I would just like to thank you for the prompt responses and such. You conduct your business with the finest customer service I've ever received"

After a shipping mistake a customer realized he didn't have the correct order. Not only did I apologize but I let him know that we would take care of fixing the mistake. Upon learning that he would not have to worry about the mistake, he responded:

"Thanks for being an awesome dealer."

And in case you didn't notice, our business foci are:
Instruction > Sales > Service > Community

Announcing Lower Prices!

Good things come to those who wait! Thanks to increasing popularity, Poweriser USA has announced permanent lower prices. The popular Poweriser Advanced is now priced $100 less than yesterday. The Poweriser Kids has been increasingly mass produced can now be purchased for $50 less than before. Based on past history, these prices should last about two years. The Poweriser Classic is the same price as before and is still the most affordable set, and they are sharing more and more upgraded parts with the Advanced level of stilts.

If you have been on the fence about ordering, I suggest taking a look at the Poweriser Advanced. It's an amazing value at $399. The DC Power Stilts Web Shop has been updated and is ready for your order.

New: Become a DC Power Stilts Affiliate!

DC Power Stilts is currently seeking people who love bocking and enjoy sharing the fun with their friends and communities to join our new affiliate program.

Earn while Powerbocking
There are many benefits, but the main things are that you get paid, you get discounts, and you can give discounts to others. All you have to do is promote the sport, show off your power stilts and tell the people in your community about a professional, bocker-run, bocking business. When a DC Power Stilts customer uses your code, you earn a commission fee.

Build up a community or start a team
The affiliate program is a great way to help your friends or your team get discounts and affiliation with DC Power Stilts opens the door to working together for programs and events that will build up your community so you can enjoy bocking with others.

Click here to learn more about the program and how to apply

(You must be 18+ or have your parent's permission to join the program)

Google: More Fees Coming

Just got a note today saying that Google is planning to up the online transaction fees on all small businesses by 50%. After going through the process of programming them into the DC Power Stilts Web Shop, this unexpected change is going to take more off-the-top.

All I need to do to keep the current transaction rate is to process $100,000 worth of business per month.

Lucky for you, I'm a nice guy, and I'm not planning to up prices over this... but if you want to help, get your orders in by April 30, before the fees go up. Thanks :-)

The Legendary PowerSkip

DC Power Stilts Expands! We now offer parts and merchandise for PowerSkip Brand. While PowerSkips are priced at the top of the market, there are many reasons why they are the best. If you need to get huge jumps or perform acrobatics on a responsive, lightweight fibreglass spring, consider the PowerSkip Classic. If you need to upgrade your running, consider the PowerSkip Pro with it's custom shoes and tilting footplate.

Since we are focused on only the best merchandise, we are very excited to offer this brand in partnership with the Böck Family; The family that invented Powerbocking!

Web Store Now Verified by Google

After much delay and some red tape, Google finally awarded me their "checkout" badge. Basically that means in every Google seller listing, I get a little shopping cart icon. The implication is that I'm now verified and a trustworthy seller. Just thought I'd post the good news :-) Here's my Google seller rating. Please let me know what I can do to earn your five/five.

How long will Shipping take?

I just added this to my FAQ Page. Every customer wants to know how long shipping will take. As each order ships, I always send you the FedEx tracking information. However it's often useful to have the answer before placing the order, for planning purposes.

So whats the answer? It depends where you live :)

Here's the map:

Please note: These estimated shipping times are not a guarantee. Shipping normally starts the business-day-after the order was placed. Packages in transit will move over the weekends, but FedEx pickups and deliveries only occur on weekdays.

Hope this helps!

Items In DC Right Now

Speaking of in-person pickup, I have a beautiful pair of shiny new blue kids stilts (for 66-110lbs), which are the hottest-selling item so far. Don't worry parents... I have the kid-sized safety pads in stock too. I also have both the classic stilts and advanced stilts in 110-154lb range. If you are in that weight range, you could be bocking home today!

Otherwise, your order can be shipped here from the warehouse at no cost to you, although it does take about 3-5 business days.

Free In-Person Pickup

I just wanted to clarify some things about the DC Power Stilts free in-person pickup. It's a unique feature of our business that is a combination of savings, convenience, and service. When you place an order at the , specify the "free pickup" delivery option. I'll email you once I have your item here. If your item is in-stock, you can arrange to pick it up right away! We are based in in Friendship Heights. For extra convenience, I can bring it to your neighborhood if I have business there (for example, weekend lessons or promotional try-outs). When you pick up your stilts, you may get them adjusted, fitted and even try them on prior to committing to the payment. A 10-min intro lesson is included also.

Web Shop + Summer Discount

Introducing the . You could sign up for an all inclusive lesson, or browse and "Window shop" while browsing the site. (Your shopping basket will stay on the site until you are ready to place the order.) Online ordering through Google checkout ensures your security. (or if you prefer, you may pay by cash/check at in-person deliveries.)

Also... there's currently a $20 Summer sale! You can even double-up for a $40 discount when ordering stilts+lesson at the same time. Along with the option of zero shipping cost, its the best deal on the web right now.