I get asked an awful lot of questions when I’m out on my bocks. “What are those things? Why do you do that?” And, perhaps my favorite, “are those those cool prosthetics?” This article is my attempt to address some of these common questions.
For those of you completely new to the sport, this article should should serve as a top-down primer to the wonderful world of bocking.
What is Bocking?
Bocking, or powerbocking, is a relatively new sport in which participants use specially designed jumping stilts to run, jump, and perform various tricks and stunts. The sport is named for Alexander Böck, a German aerospace engineer and the inventor of the jumping stilts1. The stilts are generally referred to as “bocks.” Participants are known as powerbockers or, simply, bockers.
The stilts themselves are composed of a high-tension, carbon fiber or fiberglass spring attached to an aluminum frame. The foot platform puts the bocker approximately 17 inches (43 cm) above the ground. The springs store a tremendous amount of energy. Some bockers have reported jumping over 7 feet high and running at sustained speeds around 24 miles per hour. There are even some reports detailing investigations into possible millitary applications for the stilts.
If you watched the closing ceremony of the 2008 Olympic games, then you’ve already seen bockers in action even if you didn’t know it at the time. If not, here’s a small preview courtesy of YouTube.
What Equipment Do I Need?
At a minimum, you’ll need a pair of bocks to get started. There are several reputable manufacturers out there to choose from. At the top of the price spectrum are the original PowerSkips, which are manufactured by Alexander Böck. These are typically used exclusively by professionals (a look at the price tag will tell you why). Coming down a bit, but still in the specialty range, are 7 League Boots and Velocity Stilts. At the most accessible end of the price range are Powerisers, PowerStriders, and Air-Trekkers. There are a lot of strong opinions out there regarding these last three brands, but much of the criticism leveled at any particular brand is rooted in experiences with early hardware which has since improved. In my opinion, any of these is as good a stilt as any other at this point.
In addition to purchasing a set of bocks, you will absolutely want to invest in a set of pads. The absolute bare minimum I recommend for beginners is a good, durable helmet and a set of wrist guards. You will want a skateboard helmet, which is built to take repeated abuse, not a single-use bike helmet. Ideally, you will also want elbow and knee pads as well. Trust me on this one. This was easily the best investment I made in my early bocking career.
That’s All Well And Good, But Why Do It?
Well, first and foremost, it’s fun! And you’ll definitely attract a lot of positive attention while wearing you bocks out and about. I find that it’s often so much attention that I need to actually stop bocking to give a crowd the explanation you’re getting here. Stopping to explain isn’t all bad though. You’ll want a break with as much cardiovascular exercise as these will give you. Add to all of that the core strength you’ll be building just keeping your balance on your bocks, and you can see why I recommend bocking.
Now that you know what bocking is about, you’re ready for other articles on the subject. Or consider reading a random post.
1 European Patent EP 1 196 220 B1 on July 02, 2003, US Patent No. 6,719,671 B1 on April 13, 2004, both with a priority date of July 20, 1999
