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Hy,

I broke a carbon pole yesterday but it broke from such a wierd place that i suspect it was a defected poled. It was the second jump on that pole so it was a brand new pole.
It was 5.00/18.6 pole.

Here is the video and please share your opinion.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2PRqO0YOcRg

I don't think I saw any overload on the pole it self and I don't see any or much stress being placed on the pole at the instance of takeoff (mainly if you were under the top hand at takeoff on this jump). Personally, and again personally, the Carbon FX poles being made today seem rather unsafe and should be tested more thoroughly before being sold to consumers. Or put differently, they just don't roll over. Therefore when a vaulter does takeoff strong and swings on the pole, it breaks, because it wasn't necessarily made to do just that. For instance, take a look at this past years world championships. Then again if you don't agree with my last statement, then yes I would sum it up to being a defect or a nick in the pole.

Usually only poles break that high if they have been kicked. Is it possible that the jump before that the pole hit the standard.
--Kasey

On that day it was the first jump so it couldn't hit the standards. And there were no visual scratches os something. It was just so strange that it broke from that place.

VeikoK wrote:On that day it was the first jump so it couldn't hit the standards. And there were no visual scratches os something. It was just so strange that it broke from that place.

Maybe it got damaged in shipping. The carbons that I've seen break on first jump tended to break well into the bend and break into more pieces.

wait, is that a weave pole? you said brand new carbon but the new carbons are all black now. you def. did not over load that pole I personally loved my weave poles and never broke any, until a certain airline was kind enough to remove them from the bag and fly them home from europe sprawled out in the belly of an airplane. However a lot of people have moved back towards the carbon, or even better the new skypole carbon! I dont think youll see similar issues in those.

I bought it last summer but started using it this winter. So it was still a brand new pole. I hope the same thing will not happen with my next carbon
It wasn't a weave pole.

The pole you broke are notorious for breaking in normal (not overloaded) jumps, which I believe is why they are making the Carbon FX's again. Probably it had the slightest ding in it from the standard in your one previous jump, or you slightly hit it off something at some point. They figured out how to make them really light, but that affected their durability. I believe the new black carbons are a better pole.