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Pole Podcasts to Check Out

The Pole On The Call (Hosted by Cris Rivers): Covers the full spectrum of pole culture, with dedicated episodes interviewing elite competitive athletes, discussing studio/stage prep, and covering competition mindsets.

Pole Pod (Hosted by Dolly Daggerz): Focuses heavily on the mental side of performance, competition anxiety, training loads, and interviews with world-class competitive artists (such as Jade Bensilum and Xara Flame).

Pole Performance Podcast (with Dr. Emily Rausch): Blends sports medicine, biomechanics, and performance, frequently addressing high-level training blocks, injury management, and physical preparation tailored for competitive runs.

I’m a Pole Dancer Podcast / Why We Pole: Feature recurring interview formats with competitive artists sharing their journey from routine creation to taking the stage.

Pole Obsession (Hosted by Felix Cane & Elizabeth Domazet): Frequently covers regional and national competitions (like the Australian Pole Championships and WA Pole Championships), offering deep dives into judging breakdowns, scoring mechanics, edge-case prep, and behind-the-scenes competition drama.

Virtualcomp

Virtual Competitions: The Underrated Way to Get Started

Virtual competitions tend to be a bit underrated and sometimes even seen as less legit, but they are actually a fantastic opportunity for new competitors, those on limited budgets, as well as those that aren’t able to travel. Even though you’re not face to face, you still get part of the competition experience, scores, feedback and the opportunity to compete and see how you match up against others.

Why choose the screen over stage? The logistics are just easier and more assessable. Besides the fact that you can compete from anywhere, they tend to be more affordable with lower entry fees (typically a third to half the cost of live events), no photo/video packages and no need for logging and travel expenses.

Also you can “rinse and repeat” as many times – as long as you meet the submission deadline. In a live competition there are no do overs unless it’s an issue that’s “environmental” or the fault of the competition.

On of the best parts (in our opinion) is that in addition to being able to film from the comfort of your home or local studio, it also means that you can do your performance in front of your entire support system and have that live cheering and love. 

Virtual competitions also (almost always) mean that you can watch online. Not all live competitions offer streaming options and finding videos after the fact can be hard as not all competitions post and most that do only post the winners which means that you have to search to see if individual competitors posted their videos which could be across platforms (YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok).

Virtual competitions are happening on the National and Worlds level across different disciplines and movement styles, so you aren’t necessarily sacrificing “visibility”, prizes or advancement opportunities. 

If you’re new to competition, starting with virtual is a great, low commitment way to dip your competitive toe in the water.

pointsofcontact

Understanding Points of Contact

Points of Contact (or POC) refers to how many parts of your body are touching the pole at the same time, specifically while you’re inverted (hips above your head). The idea is to keep advanced moves out of lower-level divisions.

Tricks that use fewer points of contact (1 to 2) generally rely on a smaller support base, often just hands or one grip point. This makes them more advanced and riskier, and generally not appropriate for beginner to intermediate athletes. These rules give judges a baseline for comparison and help keep competition fair.

Basically, points of contact means the athlete needs to maintain some kind of grip or skin contact with the apparatus at three different anatomical points.

How it’s typically applied
A common version of the rule (used by orgs like the Pole Sport Organization) requires 3 points of contact whenever a competitor is inverted at an intermediate level. For example:

  • A standard shoulder mount counts as 3 points of contact (2 hands + 1 shoulder).
  • Moves like a Gemini/outside leg hang or a Scorpio/inside leg hang would qualify, since multiple body parts are bearing weight.
  • Moves like an Iron X, Cocoon, or most Ayesha variations would not qualify as they rely on far fewer contact points and are considered too advanced for lower divisions.

The rule usually only applies when hips are above the head. It doesn’t apply to things like elbow stands, handstands, or descending into an invert where the hips stay below the head.

Why it matters for organizers and judges
It’s essentially a safety and fairness mechanism. It keeps divisions honest by preventing beginners or intermediates from sneaking in high difficulty, high risk moves that technically fit the invert rule but exceed the skill level the category is meant for.

Note that the exact threshold (3 points, which moves qualify, etc.) varies by competition. Some organizations don’t use this exact framework at all and instead rely on move specific banned and allowed lists by level.

Elemental Athletes

Elemental Athletes Drive to Connect Aerial to Mainstream Media

It’s Time for Aerial Arts to Get Its Spotlight!

If you’ve spent any time in the aerial world, you’ve probably heard some version of the same line: “aerial is too niche”. Networks won’t greenlight a docuseries. There isn’t a “big enough” audience to justify the investment. It’s a story aerialists have been told again and again.

Yet every time you scroll around, you find us on stage with recording artists, at the Super Bowl, on Saturday Night Live, at Coachella. Aerial isn’t hiding in the shadows, it’s already part of the biggest stages in entertainment. The talent, the visibility, the audience appeal are all there. What’s missing is a platform built for aerial athletes, on aerial’s own terms — not just a few seconds of screen time backing someone else’s act.

Elemental Athletes exists to change that.

Elemental Athletes is a group of aerial instructors, performers, competitors, students, and advocates working toward one goal: bringing competitive aerial to ESPN and other mainstream media. Their approach isn’t to wait for a gatekeeper to notice aerial, instead they are doing the work to bring the community together and make the numbers, the demand, and the sport’s reach impossible to ignore.

From Background to Main Event

There’s a difference between being seen and being centered. Right now, aerial shows up as a striking visual behind someone else’s act. You know, a few seconds of silk, hoop or pole work in a music video, a halftime show, a festival stage. It’s proof the audience is captivated. What it isn’t, yet, is a platform where aerial athletes are the story, competing on their own terms, in front of a crowd that showed up specifically for them.

That’s the gap Elemental Athletes is working to close.

It’s Been Done Before

Aerial wouldn’t be the first “niche” sport to break into mainstream broadcast. ESPN currently dedicates televised time slots to sports like World Chase Tag, Pillow Fight Championship, and World Knife Throwing — sports that didn’t land on TV by accident. In each case, a small, determined group of people believed their community deserved the same recognition as any other sport, and pushed until broadcasters had no choice but to pay attention.

Aerial belongs in that same conversation — alongside gymnastics, cheerleading, and figure skating, sports that blend athleticism and artistry and have long since earned dedicated competitive coverage. The audience appeal is already proven every time aerial shows up on a mainstream stage. The question now is whether the community mobilizes to turn that visibility into a stage of its own.

Why This Matters for Athletes

This isn’t just about getting aerial “on TV.” Greater visibility translates directly into:

  • More opportunities — competitions, sponsorships, and platforms that don’t exist yet
  • More representation — for a sport that’s still fighting to be taken seriously as one
  • More paid work — for instructors, performers, and competitors across the globe

The people behind this effort aren’t outsiders looking in. They’re instructors, competition coaches, performers, and studio owners already embedded in the aerial community, working alongside brands and producers to make the case for aerial’s place in mainstream sport.

How You Can Help

You don’t need to be an aerialist to make a difference here. You just need to believe aerial athletes deserve the spotlight they’ve earned.

Every signature adds to the case that this audience is real, engaged, and ready to be seen. Let’s make our voices heard and bring aerial arts to the forefront where they belong.

The 4 Types of Pole & Aerial Competition Organizations Explained

Before you register for your next competition, there’s one thing worth understanding first: what kind of organization is running it?

Pole and aerial competitions aren’t all structured the same way. Some are run independently. Others operate under a governing body, a franchise brand, or a multi-event circuit. The type of organization behind a competition can affect everything from judging standards, to how (or whether) your results count toward national or international rankings.

Here’s a breakdown of the four main types of pole and aerial competition organizations you’ll come across.

1. Governing Bodies

A governing body (also called a sports federation, association, or sanctioning body) is the official organization responsible for regulating, maintaining, and overseeing a sport or athletic discipline. Think of them as the administrative authority ensuring fairness, safety, standardized rules, and structured progression — from grassroots events all the way to international competition.

What governing bodies typically manage:

  • Rules & Scoring Systems — the code of points, technical requirements, scoring rubrics, deduction rules, and apparatus standards
  • Judges & Officials Certification — training, testing, credentialing, and assigning qualified judges, head judges, and referees
  • Safety & Equipment Standards — rig safety, floor dimensions, apparatus specs, clearance zones, and athlete safety guidelines
  • Competition Sanctioning — official recognition of events that meet technical, safety, and operational standards
  • Athlete Pathways & Rankings — divisions (amateur, pro, elite, age-based), national qualification pipelines, and official rankings
  • Disciplinary & Integrity Control — anti-doping policies, ethics codes, grievance procedures, and fair-play standards

Pole and aerial sports currently have several active governing bodies, including POSA, APSWL, IPSF, IAAA, and IAAO. We’ll be introducing you to each of these individually in upcoming posts, so stay tuned.

2. Branded Competition Franchises

Think of a branded competition franchise like a chain of events that all share the same name and identity, run in different countries by different local organizers. While the on-the-ground organizer may vary from city to city, every event operates under the same parent brand — sharing branding, rules, categories, and judging standards. Depending on the franchise, events may even share some of the same judges across locations.

Examples: Exotic Generation, Pole Theatre

If you compete in a franchise event, you can generally expect a consistent experience wherever in the world it’s held — same rules, same look and feel, same standards.

3. Competition Circuits

Competition circuits function as self-contained competitive ecosystems. Each circuit is owned and operated by an individual or organization, with a core internal team that manages a full calendar of events, often spanning multiple cities, states, or countries and typically building up to a national (or international) championship.

This structure means competitors move through regionals, semifinals, and finals all under the same rules and judging standards, making it easier to track progress and measure yourself against the same bar throughout the season.

Examples: Aerialympics, Bend the Air, Pole Sport Organization

4. Individual / Self-Governed Competitions

Not every competition belongs to a governing body, franchise, or circuit. Many events are independently created and run by a single studio, organizer, or small team, with their own custom rules, categories, and judging criteria.

Self-governed competitions can be a great way to gain experience, especially for newer competitors, but it’s worth knowing going in that:

  • Rules and scoring can vary significantly from event to event, even within the same region
  • Results typically don’t feed into any national or international ranking system
  • Judging standards are set entirely by the individual organizer, rather than a shared, sanctioned rubric and there’s no judge’s certification or testing requirements.

That doesn’t make them lesser competitions. In fact, many self-governed events are well-run and well-loved in the community, but it does mean you should go in understanding what you’re signing up for.

Why This Matters

Knowing which type of organization is behind a competition helps you set the right expectations: what the judging will look like, whether your placement will count toward anything beyond that single event, and what kind of consistency you can expect if you compete in that organization again.

As you start exploring competitions, use this as your starting checklist and ensure you understand the types: governing body, franchise, circuit, or independent before you hit register.

Looking to level up your pole and aerial skills? Consider competing!

It’s true, competition isn’t for everyone. If you know that competition doesn’t bring out the best in you or stresses you more than it excites you it’s definitely better to skip the signup. But competing isn’t just about trophies, titles, or placements. Stepping on stage can actually help you become a stronger athlete. For pole and aerial athletes especially, competition is one of the most powerful tools available for growth — physically, mentally, and creatively. And no worries if competing isn’t for you, even doing a showcase or even just going through the performance prep process is still an invaluable tool.

You don’t have to be the most naturally gifted athlete in the room to benefit from competition. Some of the biggest growth happens for athletes who feel the least ready — because that’s exactly where the most learning takes place. It teaches you the art of practice, how to connect movement dots, how to lean into your creativity and artistry, how to smooth out movement and can really be a journey of self-discovery. 

If that wasn’t enough, here are 8 other reasons you may want to consider doing at least one competition:

1. It Gives You a Deadline (and Deadlines Create Discipline)

There’s nothing like a competition date on the calendar to sharpen your training. Without a deadline, it’s easy to let choreography sit half-finished or skip conditioning “just this once.” Competition prep forces consistency and mastery through practice. You show up, you train with intention, and you build habits that can carry over into every other part of your practice.

2. It Accelerates Skill Development

Preparing a routine for judges and an audience often helps advancing technical growth. It pushes you to refine details you might otherwise overlook: movement quality, execution, clean transitions, musicality, stage presence. 

3. It Builds Mental Resilience

Performing under pressure is a skill in itself. Competition teaches you how to manage nerves, recover from a slip, fall or forgotten sequence, and stay present when it matters most. 

4. It Offers Honest, Structured Feedback

Judges’ scorecards written feedback give you something training alone can’t: an outside, structured perspective on your strengths and blind spots. Scores can show you improvement from year to year and even how you lineup against fellow competitors. Even when feedback is tough to hear, it’s often a helpful tool to improvement.

5. It Connects You to a Bigger Community

Competitions bring athletes together — across studios, cities, and sometimes countries. You’ll meet people who push you to step your game up, inspire you, and understand exactly what it took to get on that stage. Many lifelong friendships and professional connections in the pole and aerial world started backstage at a competition or after following someone you saw or met at competition.

6. It Creates Milestones You Can Look Back On

Training can feel like an endless loop of small, incremental progress. Competitions create markers — moments where you can look back and say, “That’s who I was as an athlete then, and this is who I am now.” Even when the results aren’t what you hoped for, the growth is undeniable.

7. It Opens Doors

While the landscape has changed on this in our industry, placing well  or even just performing memorably can open doors to sponsorships, teaching opportunities, guest performances, advancement to Nationals and Worlds and invitations to bigger shows.

8. It Teaches You About You

Practicing something on repeat, watching film and going through countless revisions allows you to learn more about your movement, your work ethic, your strengths, your weaknesses. And all of these become tools to create a better, stronger and more prepared athlete. 

If you’ve been considering it, this might be your sign to look for an competition that fits your level and goals. Browse our directory of pole and aerial competitions from around the world, all in one place.

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Your New Favorite Pole & Aerial Competition Website

Hello competition community! We’ve been in the works for a while and it’s so great to finally meet you! Allow us to properly introduce ourselves…

The Resource Every Aerial Athlete Wished Existed

If you’ve ever spent hours jumping between studio newsletters, regional Facebook groups, and half updated websites just to find out when the next competition is happening, you already know the problem we set out to solve.

We’re the only resource dedicated solely to pole and aerial competitions, bringing them together from around the world, all in one place.

Why We Started

Competitive pole and aerial is a world built on passion, discipline, and opportunity, but finding those opportunities has never been easy. Information is scattered. Deadlines get missed. Incredible competitions go undiscovered simply because no one ever heard about them.

We believe that shouldn’t be the case.

Whether you’re a seasoned competitor chasing your next title, a rising athlete looking for the right stage to grow on, or a parent trying to help your aerialist find their path, you deserve one place to turn to. A place that’s organized, comprehensive, and easy to search. A place built for you.

That’s why we exist.

What We Do

We’re more than a directory. We’re a living resource for competitors. We bring together information on pole and aerial competitions happening across the globe, from local showcases to major international events, so you can spend less time searching and more time preparing.

We’re also here to educate athletes, coaches, and parents about the competitive landscape, helping them understand what’s out there, develop their craft, and find the next stage that’s right for them. Our goal isn’t just to point you toward competitions. It’s to help our industry grow as a sport, one informed, prepared athlete at a time.

Think of us as your starting point: a place to explore what’s out there, discover new opportunities, and find the competitions that fit your goals, your style, and your season.

What We’re Not

We want to be upfront about who we are, and who we’re not.

We are an informational resource only. We do not organize, sponsor, host, or endorse any of the competitions, events, or organizations listed on this site. All event details, logos, and descriptions belong to their respective organizers, and we encourage you to visit their official pages for registration, rules, and the most up to date information.

Our role and goal is simple: help you find the opportunities and prepare for them with competitor, coaching, and judging insights. What you do with them from there is entirely up to you.

Built for the Pole & Aerial Community

At the end of the day, this site exists for one reason: to support competitive pole and aerial athletes, and the aspiring ones too. Every aerial athlete deserves the chance to find their next stage, and the knowledge to make the most of it. We’re here to make that search a little easier, one competition at a time.