Stilts

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Children of the Banna people in Ethiopia on stilts Ethiopia Banna tribe kids.jpg
Children of the Banna people in Ethiopia on stilts
Plasterer's (drywall) stilts Handwerkerstelzen.JPG
Plasterer's (drywall) stilts
A French postman on stilts, early 20th century FacteurPaysdeBuch.jpg
A French postman on stilts, early 20th century
Stilts from China in late Qing dynasty Echassiers indigenes d'Itcho.jpg
Stilts from China in late Qing dynasty

Stilts are poles, posts or pillars that allow a person or structure to stand at a height above the ground.

Contents

In flood plains, and on beaches or unstable ground, buildings are often constructed on stilts to protect them from damage by water, waves or shifting soil or sand. Stilts for walking have platforms for the feet and may be strapped to the user's legs. Stilts have been used for many hundreds of years. [1]

Types

Joust on stilts in Namur. Stiltwalkers fights dates back to 1411 in Namur and still exists today. Echasseurs-Echasse-Or-Fetes-de-Wallonie-3-Skuds.jpg
Joust on stilts in Namur. Stiltwalkers fights dates back to 1411 in Namur and still exists today.
A stilt walker dressed as a court jester participating in a parade Stiltwalker parade 2004.jpg
A stilt walker dressed as a court jester participating in a parade

Hand-held

A boy on stilts. Smolensk (Russia), 1952. Le garcon sur echasses.jpg
A boy on stilts. Smolensk (Russia), 1952.

Hand-held stilts are used as childhood toys and in circus skills workshops and are of two main types: string and can/bucket stilts and pole stilts. Unlike other forms of stilts, hand-held stilts are not tied or strapped to the wearer.

Hand-held pole stilts consist of two long poles, each with a foot support. The stilt walker holds onto the upper end of the pole, rests their feet on the foot plates, and pulls upward on the pole while taking a step.

A second type of hand-held pole stilts are similar to the first type but end in a handle so the walker has more control and flexibility to move their stilts. Those type of stilts can be very high (more than 4 m or 13 ft under feet).

Hand-held string stilts (also known as tin can or bucket stilts) are platforms with strings attached to them. The platforms, most commonly made of tin cans or small plastic upturned buckets hold the stilt walker's weight while the strings are used to pull the cans to the feet as they take a step.

Peg

Peg stilts, also known as Chinese stilts, are commonly used by professional performers. These stilts strap on at the foot, ankle, and just below the knee. Peg stilts are often made from wood but can also be made of aluminium or tubular steel. This type of stilts are the most lightweight ones and allow a user to walk quickly, to turn suddenly, and even to jump rope or dance. The stilt walker must keep moving at all times to keep their balance.

Drywall

Drywall stilts are adjustable tools designed for elevating users to reach high ceilings and walls, eliminating the need for frequent ladder or bench climbing and thereby reducing task completion times. They are widely utilized by tradespeople in drywall installation, electrical work, insulation, acoustics, painting, and other construction tasks. Constructed from lightweight yet robust materials like aluminum or magnesium, these stilts include features such as padded calf braces, secure straps at calves, ankles, and toes, dual-action springs for balance, and non-slip soles for stability and comfort. Compared to peg stilts used in performance arts and traditional wood stilts, drywall stilts excel in adjustability, safety, strength, and efficiency, minimizing fatigue and boosting productivity among professionals.

Spring

Spring stilts also known as bounce stilts are spring-loaded and allow the user to run, jump and perform various acrobatics. Spring stilts using fiberglass leaf springs were patented in the United States in 2004 under the trademark "PowerSkip", marketed for recreational and extreme sports use. [2] Using these stilts is also called powerbocking, named for the stilts' inventor, Alexander Boeck. Spring stilts are often mostly made of aluminium. Spring stilts using steel coil springs, an antecedent of the pogo stick, were attempted in the 19th century. [3] [4]

Digitigrade

The digitigrade stilt is a peg stilt whose line follows the foot and not the shin bone. This allows costumers to mimic the walk of an animal. Because of the extreme stresses on this type of design they tend to be more rare; that is, fewer successful home-made designs.

Articulated

This type of stilt is similar to drywall stilts in that they allow the walker to stand in one place without having to shift weight from foot to foot to stay balanced. Articulated stilts feature a flexing joint under the ball of the foot and, in one variant, under the heel. These stilts are commonly used in theme parks such as Walt Disney World and Universal Studios because they allow performers to safely dance and perform stunts that would easily damage other types of stilts. Two brands of articulated stilts include "Bigfoots" manufactured by Gary Ensmenger of Orlando, Florida, and "Jay Walkers", manufactured by Stilt Werks of Las Vegas, Nevada. [5] [6] Articulated stilts can be adjusted anywhere from 18" to 30" high. [7]

History

Ancient Greek jar depicting stilt walkers, 6th century BC Getty Villa - Storage Jar with a chorus of Stilt walkers - inv. VEX.2010.3.65.jpg
Ancient Greek jar depicting stilt walkers, 6th century BC

In Armenia, Urartian bronze belts dating from the 9th to 7th centuries BCE have been found depicting acrobats on stilts. [8] Archaeological ruins and texts show that stiltwalking was practised in ancient Greece as far back as the 6th century BCE. The ancient Greek word for a stilt walker was κωλοβαθριστής (kōlobathristēs), [9] from κωλόβαθρον (kōlobathron), "stilt", [10] a compound of κῶλον (kōlon), "limb" [11] and βάθρον (bathron), "base, pedestal". [12] Some stilt use traditions are very old. In Namur, Belgium, stilt walkers of Namur have practiced fights on stilts since 1411. [13] The inhabitants of marshy or flooded areas sometimes use stilts for practical purposes, such as working in swamps [ citation needed ] or fording swollen rivers. The shepherds of the Landes region of southern France used to watch their flocks while standing on stilts to extend their field of vision, while townspeople often used them to traverse the soggy ground in their everyday activities.

Stilts were used by workers to attach hop grass to wires at 12 feet above the ground. This technique was documented up to the mid 20th century before being superseded. [14]

Modern uses

Stilts can be used as a prop in entertainment, as a tool to enable other types of work to be achieved and as part of a hobby or recreation.

Entertainment

Stilts are used widely in many countries for entertainment. Stilt walkers perform in parades, festivals, street events and at corporate functions.

The local festivals of Anguiano (La Rioja, Spain) feature a dance on stilts in which dancers go down a stepped street while turning. Other stilt walking and dancing festivals are held in Deventer, Netherlands, in early July each year, and in Namur, Belgium.

Early stilt walking acts were mostly of the style of a very tall person with the costume having long trousers or skirt to cover the stilts. More recently stilt walkers have created a wide variety of costumes that do not resemble a tall person. Examples are flowers and animals. The tall person type has also expanded to include a wide variety of themes. Examples include sportsmen, historical acts and acts based on literary or film characters.

One of the most recent varieties of stilt walking acts is a stilt walker riding a "stilt bicycle" with an extended seat post and handlebar stem. With Light festivals being very popular around the world, Stilt walkers have incorporated technology in their costumes making. It is very common to see LED Robots on stilts or other light costumes at public or private events.

Work

Shepherds walking on stilts in the Landes region of France GintracLandes.jpg
Shepherds walking on stilts in the Landes region of France

Aluminium stilts are commonly used by fruit farmers in California to prune and harvest their peach, plum, and apricot trees. Stilts have been used for washing large windows, repairing roofs, and installing or painting high ceilings.

Stilts are used during drywall construction, finish painting, and hanging suspended ceiling tiles as means to reach high areas.

Recreation

Stilts are available to be purchased as a children's skill toy and stilts are commonly taught in circus skills workshops at schools and summer fairs and other events.

Records

In 1891 Sylvain Dornon (fr), a stilt-walker from the Landes region of France, walked from Paris to Moscow in 58 days. [15]

On 1 October 2001 Saimaiti Yiming of China walked 79.6 km (49.5 mi) on 73 cm (29 in) stilts in 24 hours in Shanshan County, Xinjiang, China. [16]

On 14 September 2002 Doug Hunt of Canada walked on the heaviest stilts used. They weighed 62.1 kg (137 lb) for the pair. He managed 29 steps unaided on these 15.56 m (51.0 ft) stilts. [17]

On 15 November 2006 Saimaiti Yiming of China took 10 steps on 16.41 m-high (53.8 ft) stilts to break the Guinness World Record for walking on the tallest stilts. [18]

In 2008 Roy Maloy of Australia took five steps on stilts 17 m (56 ft) high, an unofficial record for the tallest stilts. [19]

On 30 March 2008 Ashrita Furman of the US ran 1.61 km (1 mi) in 7 minutes 13 seconds on spring stilts in Dachau, Germany. [20]

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Acrobatics</span> Feats of balance and agility

Acrobatics is the performance of human feats of balance, agility, and motor coordination. Acrobatic skills are used in performing arts, sporting events, and martial arts. Extensive use of acrobatic skills are most often performed in acro dance, circus, gymnastics, and freerunning and to a lesser extent in other athletic activities including ballet, slacklining and diving. Although acrobatics is most commonly associated with human body performance, the term is used to describe other types of performance, such as aerobatics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marionette</span> Puppet controlled from above using wires or strings

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clog</span> Footwear made in part or completely of wood

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pogo stick</span> Spring-aided device for jumping off the ground in a standing position

A pogo stick is a vehicle for jumping off the ground in a standing position—through the aid of a spring, or new high performance technologies—often used as a toy, exercise equipment or extreme sports instrument. It led to an extreme sport named extreme pogo or "Xpogo".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tightrope walking</span> Skill of walking along a taut wire or rope

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nordic walking</span> Cross-country walking with poles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sabaton</span> Medieval foot and ankle armor

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jumping stilts</span>

Jumping stilts, bounce stilts or spring stilts are special stilts that allow the user to run, jump and perform various acrobatics. Spring stilts using fiberglass leaf springs were patented in the United States in 2004 under the trademark "PowerSkip", marketed for recreational and extreme sports use. Spring stilts are often mostly made of aluminium. Using these stilts is also called "bocking" or "powerbocking", a corrupted version of the name of the stilts' inventor, Alexander Böck.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Walker (mobility)</span> An apparatus to help one walk

A walker (North American English) or walking frame (British English) is a device that gives support to maintain balance or stability while walking, most commonly due to age-related mobility disability, including frailty. Another common equivalent term for a walker is a Zimmer(frame), a genericised trademark from Zimmer Biomet, a major manufacturer of such devices and joint replacement parts. Walking frames have two front wheels, and there are also wheeled walkers available having three or four wheels, also known as rollators.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Halteres (ancient Greece)</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bandeau</span> Strapless form of brassiere or swimsuit top

A bandeau is a garment comprising, in appearance, a strip of cloth. Today, the term frequently refers to a garment that wraps around a woman's breasts. It is usually part of a bikini in sports or swimwear. It is similar to a tube top, but narrower. It is usually strapless, sleeveless, and off the shoulder. Bandeaux are commonly made from elastic material to stop them from slipping down, or are tied or pinned at the back or front. In the first half of the 20th century, a "bandeau" was a narrow band worn by women to bind the hair, or as part of a headdress.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mobility aid</span>

A mobility aid is a device that helps individuals with mobility impairments to walk or improve their overall mobility.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clothing in ancient Greece</span>

Clothing in ancient Greece refers to clothing starting from the Aegean bronze age to the Hellenistic period. Clothing in ancient Greece included a wide variety of styles but primarily consisted of the chiton, peplos, himation, and chlamys. Ancient Greek civilians typically wore two pieces of clothing draped about the body: an undergarment and a cloak. The people of ancient Greece had many factors that determined what they wore and when they wore it.

<i>Stauros</i> Greek word for a stake or cross

Stauros is a Greek word for a stake or an implement of capital punishment. The Greek New Testament uses the word stauros for the instrument of Jesus' crucifixion, and it is generally translated as "cross" in religious texts, while also being translated as pillar or tree in Christian contexts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Namur stilt jousting</span> Tradition of the city of Namur, Belgium

Stilt jousting is a 600-year-old tradition of the city of Namur, Belgium, in which teams of costumed stilt wearers attempt to knock each other to the ground.

References

  1. Les Echasseurs Namurois. (visited 2008-03-11)
  2. Alexander Böck (Apr 13, 2004) U.S. patent 6,719,671 "Device for helping a person to walk".
  3. George H. Heerington (Feb 22, 1881) U.S. patent 238,042 "Spring-stilt"
  4. Nicholas Yagn (Oct 21, 1890) U.S. patent 438,830 "Apparatus for facilitating walking"
  5. "Stilt Werks". stiltwerks-inc.com.
  6. Gary Ensmenger (Feb 18, 1986) U.S. patent 4,570,926 "Toe-articulated stilt" [ permanent dead link ]
  7. "All About Stilt Walking - Oddle Entertainment Agency January 28, 2020". Oddle Entertainment Agency. Retrieved 2020-01-28.
  8. Ursula Seidl, "Bronzekunst Urartus". 2004, Verlag Philipp von Zabern, Mainz am Rhein, Germany, p. 141
  9. κωλοβαθριστής, Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon, on Perseus
  10. κωλόβαθρον, Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon, on Perseus
  11. κῶλον, Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon, on Perseus
  12. βάθρον, Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon, on Perseus
  13. Les échasseurs namurois. "Stilt walkers of Namur : fights on stilts". echasseurs.org.
  14. "Kentish Stilt-walkers Already Out (Newsreel - 25 February, 1949)". BBC Archive clips. 2018-06-21.
  15. [s.n.] (26 September 1891). Stilt Walking: Sylvain Dornon, the stilt walker of Landes. Scientific American Supplement (821):[unpaginated]. Accessed March 2014.
  16. "Farthest distance walking on stilts in 24 hours". www.guinnessworldrecords.com. October 2003. Retrieved 28 February 2015.
  17. "Heaviest stilts walked with". Guinness World Records. 14 September 2002. Retrieved 2020-12-14.
  18. "Tallest stilts". www.guinnessworldrecords.com. Retrieved 28 February 2015.
  19. Australian stilt-walker totters to tallest mark". Brisbane Times. November 3, 2008.
  20. "Fastest mile on spring-loaded stilts". www.guinnessworldrecords.com. Retrieved 28 February 2015.