Altuis poles and no pole rating band, what can I do????

[vcpvcoach]

Hi everyone,
I just bought five Altuis poles this season but they got me in some hot water at our sectionals.

Rule 7-5-3 reads "The manufacturers must include on each pole: the pole rating that shall be a minimum of 3/4 inch in a contrasting color located within or above the top handhold position; a 1-inch circular band indicting the maximum top handhold position with the position determine by the manufacturer."

Altuis does put a 1-inch band of a contrasting color at the max handhold but it doesn't have at the pole weight on it. They do however etch the pole with the weight and flex numbers.

The coach that was running the event ran into trouble last year at the state meet in IL for this same problem with a gill pole. He let my guys jump but he thought it might be a problem down state if we qualified.

Does anyone have a fix for this?

I'm going to contact Altuis and see what they say.

I like the poles and I plan on buying more so any help would be nice.

Thanks

[gtc]

If the pole manufacturer etched into the top of the pole the Length and weight rating above the top hand hold band then what is the problem?
That is exactly what the rule say's. It doesn't say it has to be a Sticker!
or Label does it?

[science geek]

I don't know about this problem, I have ordered altius poles for a while now (5 years) and never had this issue. Here is a link to a website that lists flex numbers and weight ratings:
http://www.nwpolevault.com/pages/flex_chart.html

[vcpvcoach]

Here in the land of gill athetics, I think that the judges and coaches are so used to gill poles and their labels that anything different scares them???

The rules above is typed directly from the rule book.

To me, the pole rating marking reads that it doesn't need to be in a band but in a contrasting color. Altuis etches the pole above the max handhold and then fills it in with black ink so it is a contrasting color-Black.

The poles are at school and I will check today if the etching is at least 3/4 of an inch which would by the rule make it legal.

I check in tonight with the measurements.

[souleman]

To split hairs, every etching I have ever seen has been 3/4 inches LONG.
The number, (according to one of our most reknown PV officials in Minnesota) does not have to be inside the contrasting tape band. The pole must be etched by the manufacture, a 1 " contrasting band must be at the top handhold mark........period. To keep your vault official happy, you can write in the weight with a permanent marker inside the contrasting band as long as it is the same as the etching. If you do that you're in the clear (even though it's not needed to comply). I chased around for quite a while trying to get some weight bands for some Carson City poles before this official explained to me the correct interpretation of the rule. Later...........Mike

[vcpvcoach]

Check the Altuis poles and the etching is about 1/2 inch and about 2 inches long. Should cover the rules prefectly but .....

Soulman, you're right about the pole rating doesn't need to be in the contrasting band. I worry, not this year as I'm in the first year of coaching at a school that hasn't had a coach for two years, that when I get down state that I will have an official who misinterpets the rule and DQ's my athletes poles. I've seen it before in CA.

Call Steve in Carson City if you still need those bands. I had to send him a pictures of the etchings via e-mail. Got them in mail in a couple of days. Hint: I took a dry marker and filled in the etchings to to make them more visible in the picture. Simply wipe the excess marker off.

Oh, my comment about being in gill country was not a dis on their poles. I got a better deal from Altuis. When I got to my new school, they had six usable poles and I'm trying to build a stock pile on little money. Altuis are less expensive and if you buy four the fifth one is free.

[rainbowgirl28]

To split hairs, every etching I have ever seen has been 3/4 inches LONG.
The number, (according to one of our most reknown PV officials in Minnesota) does not have to be inside the contrasting tape band. The pole must be etched by the manufacture, a 1 " contrasting band must be at the top handhold mark........period. To keep your vault official happy, you can write in the weight with a permanent marker inside the contrasting band as long as it is the same as the etching. If you do that you're in the clear (even though it's not needed to comply). I chased around for quite a while trying to get some weight bands for some Carson City poles before this official explained to me the correct interpretation of the rule. Later...........Mike

Actually the rule doesn't say anything about etching. Gill no longer etches anything into their poles.

[souleman]

But Altius and UCS and Essx does. Rule complied with.

[science geek]

Most of the pole that I have seen DON"T have the weight listed on the top hand hold band. The most recent spirit poles have done that, but most all poles list the weight above the hand hold and they are etched in the pole.