Stilt Angel

Rock Wall Climbing on Stilts!

2009-10-16T15:03:00.000-07:00

Once again the wonderful Michele Rainbow Dave Frost amazes me with her "out of the box" thinking, I have rock wall climbed before....but never ever thought of doing it on stilts, truly magnificent is this feat...or shall I say, her feet! I tip my hat to her in respect for being the beautiful woman she is, and for doing amazing things like this over and over, again and again.

The Golden Gate Bridge, stilts, and I.

2009-10-16T14:50:00.000-07:00

During my travels down to San Fransisco my friend asked me if I ever thought of crossing the Golden Gate Bridge on my bio mechanical stilts, I asked how long it was and realized that it will be no problem. Little did I know what was going to happen on 9/11/2009 and how it would change my way of viewing what I do. I did some research and discovered that back in May 27th 1937 when they opened the bridge to the public, a woman named Florentine Calegari crossed this bridge on stilts, both ways...so I was not able to discover if she is still alive, but did make a shirt with her name on it in honor of her accomplishment.

This video will show what happened when I decided to do the same thing but with tech stilts.

Australian Ambient Entertainment

2009-05-06T23:35:00.000-07:00

Zoom Entertainment

ADAGIO, AERIAL, CIRCUS, FIRE ACTS, SPRUIKERS, MIME, STILT WALKERS !

Zoom Entertainment is a professional and cost effective ENTERTAINMENT booking solution that can offer you the worlds best PERFORMERS and also offer the cream of the crop in upcoming talent : many have performed with "CIRQUE DU SOLEIL" and or performed on Channel Sevens "Australia's got talent" amongst others. Their ARTISTS are from all around Australia and the world, many of their ARTISTS perform across the globe. They offer LIVE ENTERTAINMENT for any EVENT or venue, they will find you the best ARTISTS and ACTS to suit your needs. They feature superb ARTISTS for ROVING and SHOWS.

BUT THEIR STILT WALKERS -out of Sydney, Australia have a variety of Professional acts available with many themes such as clown - Dragon - Spider - 3 queen of hearts - 19th century lady - Court jester - Ringmaster - Techboy solo or Duo with reflective UV costumes - Geisha boy and girl and many more. May include juggle, flags, glow sticks, whips or magic. jumping stilts are also available.

HERE ARE THEIR FAIRGROUND FEMMES -out of Sydney

Good girls to heaven, Outrageous girls go everywhere... Anywhere and everywhere, these characters will find their place.

Designed to enjoy life and share their love of it with their audience, they are bright, bold and courageously fun!

Can make Balloon animals and other funny objects on request.

Click this link for their International Website and then click this one for their Australian Website

Fantastikals

2009-02-07T21:05:00.000-08:00

So every year at the Bristol Renaissance Faire which is a outdoor Renaissance and fantasy themed event on the Illinois/ Wisconsin border, there are a group of characters that people await to see, they are known as the Fantastikals.

Apparently every year this group of highly creative individuals brings something new and exciting to the Faire, and the crowd adores them. Below is a saytr type creature that combines Velocity type stilts with the costume to give it a complete fantasy feel.

Very inspiring, a nice effect all the way and gives me plenty of ideas and a new focus for projects yet to come. It is such a beautiful thing to see such great ideas come to a manifestation and to also know that there are others pressing forward with such projects.

From the Journal of Roy Lambeth

2009-01-30T14:47:00.000-08:00

Let me introduce to you a cross country, extreme stilt walker that I have had the pleasure of recent correspondence, his name is Roy Lambeth, born 1948, and resides in Newcastle within the United Kingdom. He is a retired bus driver that has a wonderful passion for stilt walking, my correspondence began with him when I joined a online group called Stilting Dangers, simply amazed at what I absorbed as I read Roy's posts, below is a excerpt of Roy's journal with a video clip to go along for you to get an idea of what Roy does and IS currently doing.

First posted Feb 2nd 2006

Today, I went to Kepier wood and found that the frost had gone overnight and so had the ice, this was replaced by an inch or so thick, yellow, clay-like mud. I was to find that this sort of mud can be worse than ice. I got down the tarred path into the wood and crossed the area where the ice had been. The path ahead was a dull yellow in colour but I did not expect what happened next. Walking normally I strode onto the yellow path and immediately went flat having almost done the splits. I sat there for a moment wondering "What the Hell!!!!". As I crawled to the nearest tree I found that this yellow path was slimy to the extreme. Having hauled myself vertical I moved cautiously back to the path, placing a stilt gingerly on the yellow. I brought the other stilt forward and placed it just a couple of inches in front and put my weight on it. As soon as I did, it started to slide sideways and I picked it up and replanted it on a slightly different patch, again put my weight on it and stiffening my muscles which managed to stop its attempt to slide from under me. I twisted my foot to try and secure the stilt then brought the other stilt forward and placed it again just a couple of inches in front and almost at once I went down again as both stilts launched sideways without warning. Having hauled myself upright again, I went back and tried again, this getting up and falling down continued for about 20 times. Then a man came along walking his dog and offered me a hand, but even with his support the stilts were sliding in all directions an several times I nearly flattened him also. We decided today was not THE DAY and he continued his walk while I took to the leafy and grassy side of the path and headed home. Even here I had to be very careful as there were hidden tree roots and patches of slimy mud under dead leaves. Back at the car I was very muddy all over, but nothing hurting and no damage done. Endurance about 2 hours with tons of adrenalin. Must try again tomorrow!!

Feb 3rd 2006

Went to the wood again this morning. After heavy overnight rain everywhere was quite muddy. Got to the yellow clay path with a little difficulty, with stilts sliding a little at every step before finding solid ground. I shortened my stride to just a few inches and stepped onto the yellow clay - nerves jangling. First few steps were no worse than the rest of the path with the stilts sliding gently but easily recoverable. I managed quite well for about 100 yards finding that the extra water rather than thawing mud slime was making the mud walkable with care. However the path was level. After the 100 yards, there is a fairly steep incline. I got up it fairly easily and continued on the level for another 200 odd yards, sliding often but recovering well. Got to the fence at the end of the wood and decided against stilting through the field full of cattle. I rested for a while, had a drink then set off back. Once again the path though slippery was walkable with care and I managed the 200 odd yards without any major problem but then came to the downward slope. Previous experience told me that going down hill is far more difficult than going up since you cannot see where you are planting the front peg when leaning back to maintain vertical balance. So how to do it? I decided on descending sideways so that I could see any obstacle or potential slippery bit. About halfway down the lower stilt launched without warning while the upper stilt was off the ground and I sank to my knees. Crawled back to the top and used a tree to get vertical again and tried the descent facing the other way. Again about halfway down I found myself on the ground having lost traction with both stilts at the same time. I repeated the process of getting vertical then tried going straight down having picked my route at the top. To my surprise I managed the descent without too much difficulty. Now brimming with confidence I set off back along the yellow mud. A bit too confident because as I lengthened my stride the mud took over and I took a heavy fall without warning. Hauling myself upright again, I was a bit shaken and with nerves jangling again and body shaking I gingerly stepped back onto the clay and very gently and with very short steps headed home without further mishap.I learned about too much confidence from this morning, no damage done and looking forward to next attempt.

Feb 24th 2006

After 3 weeks layoff due to horrible weather, I ventured into Kepier wood this afternoon. After nearly 3 weeks of almost continual rain the river was running very high and the footpaths were very slimy. I put on the 24inch pegs in the car park and set off for the wood again. I gingerly went down the fairly steep path which is tarred but covered with rotting leaves and a certain amount of mud. The stilts were sliding around but not more than a few inches each slide, so I had very little problem. I got to the yellow clay, stepped onto it with one stilt but could find no grip whatsoever. The stilt was sliding as though on ball bearings. So I turned round and headed for the alternative route which is lower down and closer to the river, and one which I have not tried as yet. I found the path quite narrow with the centre of the path several inches lower than the edges, once again with patches of yellow clay. With the 'U' shaped path, the stilts would only slide forwards or backwards unless I tried to plant one off-centre, then I found no grip at all. The path is fairly level for about 200yds then it climbs steeply for about 3 yds, over a rotting tree trunk and steeply down again. I managed the uphill quite well but the downhill was almost impossible with both stilts trying to slide forwards. After several almost but not quite' moments I was on the level again. Then I came to a flight of 6 uneven, slippery and narrow stone steps down to a stream bed with rushing water followed by another 8 similar steps up the other side. I paused and marked time while I examined the steps to decide the easiest or safest way down, not having tried to go down steps without assistance. When the time was 'now or never', I headed down the steps, one at a time and found that I managed quite well so long as I looked down and planted the stilt exactly where I wanted it. Going up the other side was no problem. I carried on for about another quarter of a mile until I came to the end of the wood, then sat on the stile for a rest. Distance in all about one mile. After a good rest I set off back but after about 300 yards a freak gust of wind caught me and to regain my balance I had to step off the path and promptly sank a full 2ft right up to my footplate. With one foot a full 2ft below the other foot, I was unable to recover and decided on a backwards fall onto the soft ground thus not sustaining any damage to my knees or muscles. I took the stilts off and had great difficulty in pulling the stilt out of the ground. Then walked back to the car since there was no-where near that I could use to put the stilts back on. An interesting day with lots of thrills and difficulties. Can't wait for my next trip.

Oct 21st 2007
Just a note to keep you up to date. Early Thursday morning I went stilting for the first time for a couple of weeks. I was wanting to try out the new stilt feet made from mountain bike tyre which I fixed fore and aft on the stilt foot. I had a great time at Bowlees and found the new feet gave me much more confidence (maybe too much!) than with just the toe-stops. I went to the Muggleswick 2nd path I know where I have not dared to go before due to its being so very steep and made from yellow clay. I found this new path fairly difficult but with several near disasters I managed to get to the bottom without mishap. Coming back up was much easier, so I tried going down again and managed a little more easily this time, on Friday morning I went out again and went to the same new steep path. There had been a little rain overnight and quite a heavy dew. As usual, I checked my route before mounting the stilts and all seemed fine if just a little greasy, so I noted that I would have to be a little more careful today! Once on the stilts, I went down the old path first and had no problem so I went to the new path. WOW - it was very slippery. I set off very gently going down sideways and had several minor launching. I had got about half way down when suddenly the lower (left) stilt just took off with me and slid about 2ft down hill. I could not recover and headed for the ground backwards. I attempted to twist round to my knees but only managed about half a turn landing heavily on my left hip and lower ribs. I lay there for a while before crawling to a nearby tree and hauled myself upright. I was quite sore and when I set off again I had a pronounced limp and I was shaking with the adrenalin rush. I decided I would not try the site of my fall again today as the shakes would not allow me to plan each step carefully and the clay was so very greasy, so headed back up the hill. This time going up was very difficult with several slips and slides back down the hill and a lot of recovery work needed to stay vertical. For once I was actually relieved to get back to the top. Today I am still stiff and sore. This is the worst fall I have had for several years, but I cannot wait until I am fit again so I can go back and master this most difficult of hills. I am planning to change the stilt feet again and this time put the bike tyre across the stilt foot side to side, on top of the fore & aft tyre to see if it will increase my safety and restrict the sliding and launching that I get when going downhill sideways. What do you think? Still enjoying my adventures!

Dec 27th 2007
I have just been back to my old hill at Muggleswick where I fell heavily around 2 months ago. Having been attempting to stilt on ice first(see posting under ICE)where I had to use my quad-skate toe-stops to enable my staying vertical at all, I arrived at the hill with the quad-skate toe stops on he feet. I found while walking my route the frost had made the path surface hard but with sticky mud just under the surface. I put on the stilts and set off down this very steepest of hills, finding the grip quite good with only very gentle attempted launching. I got to the point of my heavy fall 2 months ago and the adrenalin started pumping and apprehension set in. Very gently I placed the stilts going down sideways as before as it is far too steep to try going down forwards. Suddenly the lower stilt launched down the hill and I staggered, arms flailing wildly to try and stay upright, but I was unable to control the slide and had to drop onto my knees. Using a nearby tree, I got vertical again and continued down the hill avoiding the place where I fell. With heart pumping hard and whole body shaking gently, placing the stilts safely was very difficult. After several more "nearly but not quite" moments I reached the bottom, and set off back up the hill. All went well until I reached the spot where I fell and I found that the spot was actually so steep that it was unstiltable and placing a stilt anywhere on the path was causing a launching. So I avoided the area and went up the grass, then back onto the path and back to the top. A great day at 2 different sites with 2 different obstacles. I really enjoyed the adventures. Total time up high about 2 hours. 6 falls but no injury. I cannot wait to go back and try again. Watch this space....
Jan 20th 2008
Yesterday morning I went out to my favourite steep hill at Muggleswick. Inspecting my route as I always do before stilting, I found that the overnight heavy rain had made the path quite slimy. I chose my 20 inch pegs, kitted up and set off. The level path was a bit unpredictable with every step producing a small slide. When I arrived at the hill, I chose my intended path, placed one stilt on the slope and immediately did the splits as the lower peg launched down the path at speed. I hovered at the point of no return for a few moments fighting balance and trying to find a secure position for this lower stilt before dropping to my knees. Oh dear! Just too slippery to contemplate today. So I packed up and drove the 12 miles to Bowlees in Teesdale. The sloping car park is covered with dead slimy leaves and the footpath over to the flight of steps is a mixture of mud and smooth flat rock. Once again I chose my 20inch pegs and wandered round the car park finding plenty of grip with the mountain bike tyre feet. I then set off along the path and found the mud squelchy and slippery and the rock wet and slimy. After several "nearly but not quite" heart stopping moments I got to the steps only to find they were under repair with some sheets of wood covering the treads. I stepped up onto the first step and promptly fell! The wood covering was slimy to the extreme and totally unstiltable. Having got vertical again I made my way back to the car park and headed home for breakfast. Duration about 1 hour up high, 2 falls, no injuries, and I looking forward to my next escapade.

Michelle Rainbow Dave Frost

2009-01-22T16:10:00.000-08:00

So some years ago I did a 13.5 mile marathon on wooden "Chinese pole" stilts for the Hope and Healing foundation, a wonderful breast cancer foundation that helps curb some of the needs of those with this particular cancer. But what does this have to do with Michele you may ask? Well, it warms my soul to learn of other stilt walkers that use their talents for purposes such as this and this brings us to Michele, I found Michele via Facebook and I am glad our cyber paths have crossed. Here is her story~

Residing out of Kempston, United Kingdom she got the news that she was offered a charity place for the London Marathon. It was a spur of the moment idea for her to email the charity to see if they had spaces going, and now they got back to her saying some of their runners had dropped out. So she decided to do it...... on stilts!!!

She was running for Reach, a charity that looks after children born with upper limb deficiencies and needed to raise a minimum of £750 for the charity and event. The plan is to do the marathon on 4ft poles, and to be wearing bright clothing on which would be the names of everyone who donated towards this!

Well, yes she did the London Marathon April 2008, and with it's completion found herself officially in the Guinness Book of World records 2009 edition for completing the fastest marathon on stilts in 8hours and 25minutes!

So with last years marathon under her belt she has decided to do the 2009, and you may help her with donations if you click this link "Help Michelle!"it will take you to the proper page and you may donate what you can to help her on her path. Kudos to you my dear! And I am happy to say your inspiration awakened a part of me that has been a sleep for a bit of time, thank you my dear.

Below is a image of me and one of the founders of the foundation I walked, now it was only 13.5 miles and I completed it in 5hrs and 15minutes, and then Michelle informed me recently that she had to do a half marathon before the real thing (13.1 miles) and that it took her 4 hours all of them on 4ft pegs. Way to go my dear!

So my fellow readers, if there is a will there is definitely a way, and giving is well worth the receiving. I hope this inspires others to use their skills in ways to better the world as a whole than just for themselves.

Mr Alexander Böck

2008-09-11T07:30:00.000-07:00

We have to thank Mr Alexander Böck for the invention of these stilts. Very little is known about the inventor himself but it is said that the jumping stilts were created based on his in-depth research into the walking and running movements of the kangaroo, the stilt was developed and evolved over time to mimic this and now offers the end-user boundless possibilities. It is widely recognised within the sport that once mastered you can run faster than 20mph and jump 7ft high!

The biggest exposure the stilts saw was when the jumping stilts were featured in an advert for Zurich with the slogan "Because change happens" in which it asks "What if your product goes global?

Luckily for Mr Böck his stilts have gone global and are now protected by a patent in most countries! The patent can be seen here surprisingly it was patented as "A Device for helping a person to walk!"

The brand that Mr Böck created and now sells himself is called "Powerskip". These stilts are regarded as the best and are used mainly by professional performing artists such as "Swebounce"!

Types

2008-09-11T06:05:00.000-07:00

Traditional circus arts train stilt walkers with "pegged" stilts, these stilts, as with most strap to ones shin and foot plate leaving the walker to balance on a rubber covered "pegged" feet. This type of stilt is very good for walking upon uneven ground and forces the individual to center their balance more directly without the aid of a added "foot" to the base of the stilt.

Voltige stilts are a modified version of a pegged stilt typical of French circus specialist with a stylish and practical design. The stilts support the backs of your calves and allow you to stand on top of the stilts rather than to one side. The telescopic tubular design enables quick and easy adjustment between a variety of height adjustments.

The above image is that of a standard pair of "drywall" stilts, they are used in construction/framing to help apply sheet rock for creating walls, these stilts are most favored in the construction field of work because they allow the user to actually stand motionless for good moments of time. Some types of these stilts have a articulated toe and heel to aid in the maneuverability of the stilt walker, these are very adjustable....some will generally extend up to "48. Personally I tend to stay away from these stilts for various reasons like, weight, bulk, sound (they tend to squeak if not well oiled) and can create a false confidence in actual control of balance.

Currently, the latest design in stilt technology are "Velocity" or "Power Jumpers" , these reflect back to a pegged foot type design, and the wearer is secured into these via a shin guard and foot plate housing. A very aerobic stilt that has a high tech spring which allows the user to make up to 7ft strides 9ft leaps, and move upwards to 20+ miles per hour on them, there are many different companies that fabricate these types of stilts....but I suggest one takes a look at Stiltwerks-Inc. out of Las Vegas, Neveda. The owner Jeff Jay has patented many a design for a variety of stilts and I believe viewing his website is worth it for any stilt walking enthusiasts.

Below is a teaser of some video footage of some of these stilts in action!

A Late Night Stroll

2008-09-05T11:19:00.000-07:00

So last month as I headed home from work I decided to send out a text message to some fellow stilt walkers and wait to see what happens. The message was as follows~

Let's take a walk down Broadway, no rhyme or reason, dress to impress....who's up for it?

Well Asraiya responded, I believe the last time I stilt walked with her was for a Petting Zoo Players gig in Tacoma for New Years Eve, the client wanted three stilt walkers and As jumped at the offer but was lacking in the stilt department. Luckily for her and the PZP, a Movement Instructor of mine by the name of George Lewis contacted me in regards to some stilts I fabricated for a production of Shakespeare' "The Tempest". He stated that he was moving and wanted to know if I would hold onto them for him, so this is how Asriaya obtained a pair of stilts to join me with this summer stroll.

We walked about 25 city blocks that night, in a couple hours, and we strolled down hills and back up them too...along the way my housemate Guage joined us, his pockets were packed with Magic and he was raring to go. The photo above was a break moment....going down hill can be physically trying as compared to walking uphill on stilts...you may not think so, but it's the truth.

For the Love of it!

2008-08-28T06:48:00.000-07:00

I am publishing this particular blog out of love, love for a Mother and daughter, love for the thoughts I am about to share, and for the love of those who may become future stilt walkers of the world.

I met a wonderful woman of the name, Roberta M. (Bobby), and she started a email via a Buskers discussion page for her daughter Heather's stilt walking ability, she will either take over all Internet correspondences one day or Bobby will continue to have to do the management work.

Her daughter has named her "manager" for she does the management work for her daughters stilt waking talents, Bobby believes she does not do anything special for she is just a ground worker....yet special she truly is. And below is the email/letter she sent out the Busker Group~

"Heather is 16, walks on drywall stilts, Juggles, and blows bubbles. She just got, in the last month, Voltige peg stilts(45cm, 90cm, 110cm) and she likes them more than the dry wall stilts because they are much lighter. But she is not yet entirely comfortable with them. She can't stand completely still on them yet, and she wants too. But she found she has more freedom of movement with the peg stilts. She is really working on them.

She has been walking on drywall stilts for about 3yrs, and performing for almost 2 1/2. She has been in dance classes for about 9yrs and attributes her balance to it."

It started when, as a family Bobby had her costuming Star Wars. Heather insisted that she wanted to be Chewbacca. Bobby told her that as a family they were way to short and that she would have to learn how to walk on stilts. They got the dry wall stilts for the stability with a heavy Wookiee costume and mask. Their neighbor then decided that she would make a great addition to a school fund raiser where she taught, this lead to them making pants and tops for these events. They never thought that Heathers desire to be a Wookiee would grow into this much fun, and they do love to doing stilted events. They still have yet to make the Chewie costume yet.
Bobby is not the only one to support her in stilts, her Grandfather helped me teach her how to stilt. Neither one of us knew how, we just bought the stilts, strapped them on and yanked her to her feet. She was much more ready to let go of my hand than I was to let hers go. Story of a mother's life. My mother makes all her costumes (except the few regular cloths that end up in the mix).

We hope to make some money at this on a limited basis. This
currently is not meant to be her life's work. She wants to be a veterinarian and probably a busker on the side. Because of all these web sites and message boards I have recently found that might be possible.

Oh my dear, making money providing ambiance while on stilts is VERY possible, I myself have been doing it since 1999. I suggest a starting rate of $50 to $75 a hour for now and this can lead upwards to $200 an hour with time, and of course children/charity gigs shall always take the financial bite in the wallet...it is the right thing to do.

Our best performance experience is the confidence that the Children's Hospital puts in her for every event that they want her to participate in. Our worst is when second or third parties don't take her serious. One case in point, a friend who has a business wanted her to stilt on a special day, then the friend's insurance man said that if we showed up with stilts that they would drop the business coverage. Our own school refuses to let her stilt on school property on school time. But the community fair held at the school has her stilt. We don't fight those who seem to be narrow minded. Lets face it even when one wins an argument the hurt feelings won't change the out come.

My suggestion for the future, and to squash any problems that may arise over stilt walking is to check out Clowns of the U.S. because they offer insurance policies for entertainers and stilt walkers are part of the same group. It costs $200 for a 1 year coverage policy...but the insurance policy is good for up to 2-4 million dollars! So now you can imagine if there is a client/school/insurance company issue over the risk of having her perform on stilts at anytime, she can whip out a 2-4 million dollar coverage policy that will leave any future verbal concerns very quiet.

Neil Sauter

2008-08-18T20:23:00.000-07:00

Photo is courtesy of Neil Sauters website.

A man raised funds for cerebral palsy with 830-mile (1,335-kilometer) trek on stilts, it is so great to see that another person shares similar thought of a selfless act. I have been working on a project with the same intentions titled the Faith and Healing Tour, click that link for more information about my vision.

In Ironwood, Michigan - A 24-year-old man has completed an 830-mile (1,335-kilometer) trek on aluminum stilts across Michigan's Upper and Lower Peninsulas to make people aware of cerebral palsy.

United Cerebral Palsy of Michigan reports that Neil Sauter (click on his name to see his personal website) has ended his eight-week journey Friday in Ironwood, Michigan, on the Upper Peninsula border with Wisconsin. He began walking in early May from Lambertville in southeast Michigan.

Sauter has raised $16,000 for United Cerebral Palsy of Michigan. A 3-1 matching federal grant pushes that total to $64,000.

Sauter has mild cerebral palsy and used three pairs of stilts on the walk, and at the date of this blog he has currently raised over $73,000 for United Cerebral Palsy of Michigan!

He has a few other projects in the works and he is still accepting donations, I tip my hat to you Neil, and I look forward to meeting you some day.

Seattle Gay Pride 2008

2008-08-02T18:52:00.000-07:00

I have been hired by a company a few times called Safeco Insurance and they apparently really enjoy my stilt walking ambiance, this year they called me up and asked if I was willing to help represent them in the Seattle Gay Pride 2008 parade. Of course I said yes, they always have paid what I ask for and even though I am not gay, I am generally happy most of the time.
So I pulled out a costume of a new type of character that I have not giving a name to, nor even a voice actually....I feel like it is really just a internal radiance that I have needed to bring out externally.
Below is a video that is posted courtesy of ed119 off of You Tube, and after the dikes on bikes you will see the first stilt walker of the parade....and yep, that's me!

Coulrophobia: The Fear of Clowns

2008-07-29T18:23:00.000-07:00

Photo courtesy of :Peter Demers

Coulrophobia: The Fear of Clowns

What does this have to do with stilt walkers or stilt walking, well I decided to post a bulletin on my MySpace page Sagealicious about the phobia known as Coulrophobia, so I decided to do some research about this phobia....because from time to time I have been known to portray a "clown". And this is some interesting knowledge I obtained from my research thanks to Cristina Olvera~

Everyone experiences a fear of something at some time in their lives. Fear is natural, but sometimes it becomes irrational and develops into a phobia. A phobia is a strong, persistent fear of situations, objects, activities or persons. The main symptom is an excessive and unreasonable desire to avoid the feared subject. One particular phobia affects as many as one in seven people. Coulrophobia, the fear of clowns, is clinically known.

Coulrophobia is the official name for the fear of clowns. This condition is one of the most remarked-upon phobias on the Internet. Coulrophobia was coined during the 1990's and is based on the Greek word Koulon or limb. Related derivatives are suggestive of stilts and stilt walking. For example the Greek work Kolobathristes means one who goes on stilts. Clowns are often known to walk on stilts and so this how the relationship developed and the word Coulrophobia was made.

Those who suffer from Coulrophobia, do so, for many reasons. The most fear-inducing aspects of clowns is the heavy make-up that is accompanied by the big red nose and different color hair. These things completely conceal the identity of the wearer. It is also possible that the costume conceals a darker personality. Although clowns are known for being happy and creating a fun atmosphere, Coulrophobes tend to fear who the clown is as a real person.

Another reason for fearing clowns, is the clowns ability to act outside social boundaries. Clowns have been around for thousands of years and they serve an unique role in many societies. In Egypt and China as early as 1800 B.C. Court Jesters were allowed to mock and criticize Kings when no one else was allowed to. They can get in your face and squirt you with water and generally make fun of you without suffering any consequences. It is because of this that some people feel uncomfortable in the presence of a clown.

Shameless promotion!!!!

2008-07-16T17:12:00.001-07:00

So for those of you who do not actually know me I am a man of many talents, be it Magic, Mummery, Stilt walking, or costume creation, and even character interpretation! I do my best to spread my love with my style of entertainment the best way I know how, looking deeply into the souls of others and sharing mine.

If you get the chance, I suggest you check out the banner below, click on it and be whisked away to another web presence I have here in cyberland!

Kirsty Little and Bob Collins

2008-04-30T04:27:00.000-07:00

''We are really very down to earth people. We just love to shop stilt we drop, like everyone else. And we would rather be photographed for a friendly community magazine like N16 than Vogue or Harpers and Queen.''

The leggy stunner was proudly parading her new boyfriend Bob, a contemporary dancer from Finchley, who she is teaching to stilt-walk. 'He is doing jolly well teetering on the edge of professionalism', she said.

''He really knows how to live the high life. He bought me a French-stick at The Cooler, which was really romantic. "

All my other boyfriends have just wanted to take me drinking at the Tup and get me legless, but Bob just takes me up and is all leg. Must dash now, we're off to The Forum in Kentish Town to do a gig at the House of Fun club night.'

For more on Kirsty Little and Bob Collins click on their names and you will see the article in it's original context!

Walking Tall!

2008-04-30T04:21:00.000-07:00

When the Rock wanted to promote his new movie "Walking Tall" He contacted Damon Entertainment to provide stilt walkers for a two city promotional tour, Here they are in front of Verssace's house in South Beach

Taking a break!

2008-04-30T04:14:00.000-07:00

Photo by Amanda Buckiewicz.

Yonge Street is bustling with all things wacky as the first annual Toronto Just For Laughs festival takes over the city. The street festival kicked off last night with a free Russell Peters show with guests Jo Koy and the Doo Wops. Dundas Square was packed with more than 15,000 people eager to be entertained by the comics, and they definitely were not disappointed. After the show the crowd stuck around to be entertained by dozens of performers doing everything from stilt-walking to acrobatics to balloon costumes. It was almost overwhelming at times with how utterly awesome it was.

And as you can see, even stilt walkers need to take a break from time to time, the longest I have been up on a pair is 3 hours straight...and that was long enough!

Moko-Jumbies

2008-04-30T04:09:00.000-07:00

Moko Jumbies first protected believers from evildoers. Originally a West African tradition, men and women on gigantic stilts would dress in long gowns and masquerade as gods. Gods can look down on humanity from above, and foresee danger better than mere mortals. The stilt-walkers would collect donations, from revelers and onlookers on second-story balconies.

They now dance in the streets of Trinidad and Tobago for every Carnival. ‘Moko’ is the name of the an old African god, ‘the diviner.’ ‘Jumbies’ - ‘ghosts’ - was added by the emancipated slaves. After decades of decline, a man by the name of ‘Dragon’ Glen de Souza actually revived the Moko Jumbie tradition in the early 1990s, in an effort to teach children how to dance.

Stilt Walking Victorian Policemen

2008-04-30T04:01:00.000-07:00

I really would love to see these guys in action. This photo is courtesy of Phillippe and Philloppe
some fine entertainers out of the UK!

Stilted views from the Playa!!

2008-04-30T03:54:00.000-07:00

So here is a great shot of some stilt dancers at the Black Rock desert celebrating a sunset stroll for Burning Man. I have yet to experience this event, but I do have some wonderful ideas for creatures that may stroll the playa in the night...but that is another story!

Cirque Berzerk

2008-01-24T21:44:00.000-08:00

Rob Crites & Jenn Berry in a dolls on stilts piece that I give a 2 stilts up!

Stilt Dig Weed Dancer!

2008-01-24T21:40:00.001-08:00

But the thing to really watch is when he decides to do a head stand and then get back on his feet!

A little You Tube Video for stilt walkers!

2008-01-24T21:15:00.001-08:00

This little piece offers some thoughts about our other brother and sisters from Trinidad. Love it, live it, love them....feel it!

Vintage stilt images!

2008-01-14T18:21:00.000-08:00

I love the above vintage add for stilts and accessories, it is such a great thing to know that this type of art form has existed for many a long time, I wish I had a copy of this catalog. Below is another image I found while searching the web for more of this artistic performance of mystery. I actually used the image for a benefit I had for a project titled "the Faith and Healing Tour" which is something that will still come to fruition when the time is right! The benefit was in Georgetown, Washington...and I lived there for 3 1/2 years, it's an old industrial part of Seattle and the buildings still look like the ones in the photo below.

All types of Event!

2008-01-14T17:45:00.001-08:00

So these photos were taken by Philip Kramer at the ZAAZ company Christmas party that I worked providing ambiance to the part goers as they arrived. We, meaning the Petting Zoo Players, were asked to provide our stilt walking services on behalf of the Adventure School, who was hired to bring this party to life.
Stilt walkers always add a higher level of entertainment for all types of events.

It always intrigues me on the amount of enjoyment people receive from interacting with a stilt walker, and those that are wanting to learn....and in this near future I look to be the man willing to teach. I have already taught a few performers out there how to build, and walk on stilts, now the plan is to work on getting paid to teach others....so we ALL can have more fun.

New Years Eve 2007!

2008-01-14T16:01:00.000-08:00

photo image by Dave S.

So this New Years I was forwarded a gig by a mutual magician named Geoff Kanick and he pointed me towards a alcohol free and family event called Tacoma First Night. It was a great event, I help to provide 3 stilt walkers in which we shared our type of interactive theatrical ambiance. So Shannon Lindberg, Asraiya Deyo, and myself headed on down to Tacoma Washington to entertain the masses.....and we did, and they loved us, and we loved doing it.

photo taken by Joseph Kapler

This was the first time in my career as a entertainer since 1999 that I have ever been asked these various questions-

"Why did you choose this as a career?"
"What made you want to do this as a job?"
"Why did you decide to do something like as a source of income?"

photo by Joseph Kapler

To which I replied to those questions-
"Well after 37 years on this planet I figured it was about time for me to take a different perspective on my life and all that is around me!"

There was a great Reggae band that pretty much closed the show, I danced my butt of on stilts to the amazement of the crowd, and most likely have ended up in many a family albums.

Places of performance!

2007-10-16T17:21:00.002-07:00

S is for Sagealicious...serving smiles which are delicious, this is something I try to do EVERY time I am performing! It's a hard job and someone has to do it, and I definitely love being the person to take on this job and all the responsibilities that go with it.
It really is a different perspective on life when one is on a pair of stilts, especially once one has gained the confidence to take risks that would harm no one but themselves...which is all part of a thing called...learning!
If I were to lose a leg, or two....just replace them with a pair of adjustable stilts and I will feel normal once more, perhaps I was a giant in another life?
The above photos are of myself performing at Qwest Field Stadium in Seattle, Washington for Safeco Insurance who sponsored the 2007 Heart Walk, we were there to provide crowd and participant support with encouragement.

Busted Humor!

2007-09-18T11:53:00.000-07:00

The messengers from Yuoclund

2007-09-18T11:49:00.001-07:00

They play games and rituals and reveal their philosophy and their way of life with much humour and gentleness. It’s an imaginary and humoristic reconstitution of a disappearing world by 3 stilt men and their guide speaking a universal language. Our aim is to improve the relationship between men and animals, often based on domination, training, and brutality and to question other forms of communication, more open, more equal and more respectful. Better than the costumes and the physical performance on stilts we have the ambition to create a better harmonious world and to bring joy. Our shepherd’s mother language is Yuocmyn; but he had to adapt to the European public and learn some basic French, English and Spanish. It is this invented language that you can understand or not which gives the show an international dimension. Check out their page for more info, this is really neat stuff!

Geisha's n Stilts

2007-09-18T11:36:00.000-07:00

Cai Gaoqiao, or walking on stilts, is another popular traditional performance of the Spring Festival, especially in Northern China. Cai means walking on, and Gaoqiao means stilts. According to the archives, our Chinese ancestors began using stilts to help them gather fruits from trees. This practical use of stilts gradually developed into a kind of folk dance.
Gaoqiao performance requires high skills and varies in forms. Usually the performers tie two long stilts to their feet, making them higher than others when standing on stilts. On their "moving stage", they are deeply loved by masses.
Click on the Spring Festival link above to read more about this highly intense performance.

2007-09-18T11:32:00.001-07:00

This one was pulled from the website called Interesting Miscellany, and as the title says it is full of this and that of all types of interest.

Pink Bunny on Stilts?

2007-09-18T11:24:00.000-07:00

A pink bunny on stilts was found on the BUNNY site The Book Of Random
Updated (almost) Daily For Your Consideration...a very cute site.

A lithograph.

2007-09-18T11:19:00.000-07:00

What a interesting image, I love the fact that he has his own portable seat....but how does he plan on getting down to the pick nick basket before the dog? I wish I knew what book this is from.

Product placement of Stilts.

2007-09-18T11:09:00.001-07:00

It's a growth chart for children that can be purchased at WatchMeGrowUp.com, I wonder how well they sell?

Dr.Seuss and stilts!

2007-09-18T11:01:00.000-07:00

The top cover is the Hebrew edition, and the bottom one is of course...the English, this is one of the few Dr. Seuss books that I have yet to read, but the summary goes like this-

In an island kingdom, King Birtram of Binn dedicates himself to safeguarding the populace which lives in a precarious existence.

This is because the kingdom has a bowl shaped terrain with the floor below sea level, surrounded by water. The only thing holding back the water from completely consuming the land is the ring of trees that form a natural dam. Unfortunately, there are predator birds, called Nizzards, who continually feed on the trees which could cause a die off that could mean disaster. To control the damage, the King uses an army of cats called the Cat Guard that protects the trees. The management of this army and the maintenance of the treeline occupies much of the King's duties on top of his mundane ones.

However, in the afternoon each day when his regular responsibilities are done, the King enjoys himself with a rigorous cavorting on his personal stilts. The populace does not begrudge this unusual indulgence considering they deeply respect his diligence.

However, the Prime Minister, Lord Droon, spitefully despises the undignified pastime and resolves to put an end to it. To do so, he steals the stilts and convinces the King that he's better off without them. However, the loss of the King's one pleasure puts him into deep melancholy that ruins the morale of the Cat Guard army and the tree guarding is dangerously neglected to the point where flooding is imminent.

However, the King's page boy, who was forced to hide the stilts by the Prime Minister, resolves to return them. While the Prime Minister tries to quarantine him for measles, the boy escapes and rushes to the King using the stilts. At this boon, the King's spirit is renewed and he rallies the Patrol Cat army to save the trees just in time.

At the end, the Prime Minister is imprisoned and the page boy is rewarded with his own pair of stilts to enjoy with the King at the completion of their daily duties.

Thanks to ANSWERS.COM for this fun one!

The Bizarre!

2007-09-18T10:54:00.001-07:00

To read more about this truly bizarre book, such as" Lily Gefelty and her two friends, Jasper Dash, and Katie Mulligan, are all that stands in the way of an evil plot by a devious whale-human hybrid in this title recommended by librarian Nancy Pearl on Morning Edition and also by children's librarian Maria Salvadore. Together, they confront and confound an admittedly senseless conspiracy." Go to the NPR site.

Stilt Humor

2007-09-18T10:51:00.001-07:00

Stilt walkers in literature.

2007-09-18T10:37:00.000-07:00

The Discovery of France by Graham Robb has a passage in it about the stilted shepherds (and postmen) of Les Landes. They could move over rough land at 8 mph which is significantly faster than the average speed of traffic in London today. So says Richard Charkin on his blog site.

Stilts Across Niagara

2007-09-18T10:04:00.000-07:00

Even more impressive than the stilt-walking feats of Sylvain Dornon were those of Jean François Gravelet, aka Charles Blondin, the greatest funambulist of his generation. In 1859, Blondin became the first man to cross Niagara Falls on a tightrope — a distance of a quarter of a mile, suspended some 160 feet above the water. He repeated the feat 17 times, each crossing more daring than the last. He walked across the falls blindfolded, in a sack, carrying a a stove, pushing a wheelbarrow, and once even did it with a man on his back. Finally, on September 14, 1860, he crossed on a pair of stilts. Blondin died at age 73, in his bed.

Thanks to Kircher Society for this post!

Stilt Creatures!

2007-09-18T09:18:00.000-07:00

This stilted dragon is from a performance called the 'Twilight Spectacle' that has been made possible thanks to support from Insite (a partnership of all Local Authorities and Arts Council England East).

This stilted bird came from the Washington Tyne & Wear Kite Festival.

This blue beauty was created by Los Kaos, and this troupe creates creatures that can move their eyes, their eyelids open and close independently, their ears swivel and move back, their noses wrinkle and their whiskers glow in the dark and under UV!

They each have a custom-built internal sound system, allowing them to breathe, grunt, purr etc.....simply lovely.

And this duo is from the European group called Incandescence, the black and white costumes combined with using 4 legs is very striking.

Historic Stilt Walkers

2007-09-18T09:00:00.001-07:00

These images are from www.stiltwalker.com where there is a great man doing the best he can to inform others of stilt walkers all over this land too! He has a great archive of stilt walking history posted on his site dating from 1891 to just a few years ago.

"Over 40,000 miles walked on stilts. 27 years a stilt walker - age 49 years. Human Skyscraper 11 1/2 feet to top of hat. "Hi-Jack Redmond the world's most famous long distance stilt walker and motion advertiser. Atlantic City, N. J. to California to New York City and return my longest and last hike"

Nationally Famous and only long distance stilt Walker. Over 30 years a National Advertiser, and hiked 55,000 miles along highways - thru U. S.A. - delivering messages for friends, relatives and officials along routes on stilts. Now enroute Hollywood, California, to New York City, Atlantic City and return- a 10,000 mile hike. Favors appreciated. Yours truly, J. France Redmond"

Eva La Dare

2007-09-18T08:47:00.000-07:00

Eva La Dare Shakes It Nine Feet Tall!

This woman is one hell of a performer, I love the routine, I love her style and if you watch the video I am sure you will love what she is about too!
Ladies and Gents I introduce you to Ms. Eva La Dare, click on her name to see more about this Angel.

Animation with Stilts

2007-09-18T08:39:00.000-07:00

This is a wonderful student animated piece that has a great visual feel!

Stilt Walkers

Stilt walker Humor!

2007-09-18T08:20:00.001-07:00

My favorite thing is when people walk up to me and ask,"How is the weather up there?" this always makes me laugh when I am doing a gig inside. I normally reply with,"Well, there is a slight chance of perspiration with a mild case of anticipation!"...this usually leaves people a tad perplexed.

A Variety of....

2007-09-18T06:50:00.002-07:00

The design on the right is a basic idea on how to create a pair of stilts without a shin guard which IS needed in order to walk in them, this design can be fabricated out of
2X2's, 2X4's, and plywood with a more detailed blueprint.
The version to the left is a stilt having multiple-articulating, three segment base provides enhanced stability and a better translation of walking forces. The intermediate base segment is attached to both toe and heel base segments in a manner that permits relative rotational movement between each segment. Providing an intermediate base segment having a length that is equal to or greater than the toe and heel base segments enables a more natural forward translation of walking forces, instead of requiring the heel to absorb most of the energy as in previous stilt designs. It's a patented design that was created by Jeff Jay of Stiltwerks-inc. and check out the finished product.

The bottom image shows a version of a pegged stilt that is created by a company out of Australia called Juggleart.
Tradition in the circus would call these a modern "Chinese Poll" since this company is creating these out of aluminum, with their own version of a back calf support leading into the shin guard, or a back calf guard which is of a French design. These can also be made out of wood by a skilled craftsman and the image also shows shoes bolted into the foot beds, which do help with a secured support for ones foot....but can be quite unconventional when the wearer is ready to remove their stilt, for someone has to carry a spare pair of shoes or have them stashed close by.

I posted these pictures to give one a general idea of the variety of stilts that a person can wear, if they find themselves interested in taking up or learning such a skill. As I always say,"You definitely get a different perspective on life when walking on stilts!".

And the above design came from a Build Your Stilts Site that one can check out for further detail.

Welcome to the land of Awe.

2007-09-18T06:00:00.002-07:00

"In 1891, Sylvain Dornon walked 1830 miles between Paris and Moscow on stilts at an average of about 30 miles a day (58 days total)."
The above is a excerpt from the archives of SEVENCOLORS.

It truly amazes me how long this skill has been around, I have been told that there was even a Native American tribe that was known for being stilt walkers, I believe they were located in the Arizona/New Mexico region....I am still in research of the facts.
But I always find it to be quite interesting the many generations of stilt walkers, and how this talent is so spread through out the world. Africa, South America, North America, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, Asia, the United Kingdom, and so on and so on.....each place has it's own roots behind this art.
And then there is the many types of different styles of stilts, from the archaic to the new hybrid bio mechanic.....this is definitely a evolution of sorts for ALL cultures, and let's not forget the stilts!
The more I learn the more I am in a constant state of awe.

This is a man in Durbar on 1 stilt from the writings of a boy named Jake who said,"This guy came by three times on stilts. This time he's holding up one stilt while bouncing on the other. The second time he was just walking. The third time he came by with a boy on his shoulders and the boy was not holding on."

And these are African stilt dancers in ceremonial dress.

2007-09-18T03:56:00.001-07:00

I have been a stilt walker since the summer of 1999 when I first performed at the Oregon Country Fair with a mummery troupe called Risk of Change. Being a paying patron of the O.C.F. since 1990, when a dear friend of mine asked me to be a guest artist with this highly creative group of ambient entertainers how could I not welcome the change? To have been on the outside looking in for many years, and then be able to be on the inside looking out...I never suspected that such a change would metamorphose me into the man I am today!
Part of my requirement of performing was to choose what characters/themes I was going to participate in, one being a "Airatarian", a creature that lives in the sky and when upon the soil of our Earth....gravity would stretch them very tall. Well I found out that in order to accomplish such a feat, I would have to be walking on stilts, and the creator of said concept was a man named George Long. George taught me how to fabricate a pair of "Chinese Poles" which is a circus term for pegged stilts, they are the best to actually learn on and especially for uneven ground.
Well, I made the stilts and my next feat would be to learn how to walk on them....so off to see Roger Waters before I left for the O.C.F. and I brought my stilts along for the show. The parking lot of the Gorge was packed with R.V.s and vans as well as many a concert goer, we had time to kill after setting up camp and this became my stepping ground. I fell many a times, people were kind in assisting me back up, and after a sunburn and MANY hours I found myself stilt walking.
Then 1 week after the show it was off to the Oregon Country Fair to prepare for a experience that would change me forever. I arrived 4 days earlier to set up camp, and on that Monday night my friend Matthew convinced me into strapping on our stilts and take a night time stroll through the Fair grounds armed with only our little flash lights. We walked about 150 feet out on the pathway and then back with NO problems, the next day it rained, and then on Wed. we decided to attempt fate again....mission accomplished with even further distance. Then our stilts would not be strapped to our feet until Saturday, or as the Fair states it "Saturns day", and we walked about 1 1/2 miles in a very faced moving parade, then later as "Airatarians" to which we created our stilts for.
Now with my 8th year quickly approaching I cannot be anymore grateful for that life changing experience.