Pogopalooza's high jump sets world records in Market Square

Pogopalooza returned to Pittsburgh this weekend for an active showcase of the world championships of pogo sticking.

The main events began Friday, June 23, with the high jump competition. Spectators gathered at Market Square to watch the athletes run their practice jumps.

Pogopalooza has been touring cities for the past 20 years. The championships have been held in Pittsburgh for the past consecutive six years. Xpogo CEO Will Weiner says he really wants to make it a Pittsburgh thing.

“Market Square just made sense. You get a really nice crowd, and it’s really scenic,” Weiner said.

Weiner was particularly interested to see some of the younger competition in the high jump, like 16-year-old Brandon Lowe. Lowe made it to the final four.

Fourteen athletes were listed as the event started. Most of them were just out to try their best, and a few had their minds set on breaking records.

Tyler Phillips, 22, has been in the sport for 11 years. He grew up skateboarding and saw this as a perfect mesh of skate tricks and big flips. Phillips and his roommate, Henry Cabelus, 23, now share the Guinness World Record for the highest pogo jump with a front flip technique at 10 feet 6 inches. The record previously was held solely by Phillips.

The roommates took second and third place in the high jump competition losing out to 30-year-old Michael Mena of Canada. Mena won with a straight jump of 11 feet. He has been a competitor for the past 14 years.

“I’ve never gotten higher. This year, I got 11, and it’s my first time getting first place at Pogopalooza. It’s pretty big for me,” Mena said.

Mena is looking forward to more competition this weekend, with big plans for the Best Trick competition that takes place Sunday in Wilkinsburg.

There was a supportive energy throughout the event. Competitors were high-fiving, cheering each other on, and some even had special handshakes.

Mena says he remembers knowing some of them as friends from as young as 12, meeting them through chat forums.

Xpogo already had started the day with a few new records, according to its social media posts. Cabelus set the record for most backflips in a row, Phillips set the most no-handed backflips in a row, and Duncan Murray set the longest forward bounce.

Pogopalooza continues through Sunday with competitive events Tech Freestyle, Big Air Freestyle and Best Trick, as well as a 15-and-under Bounce Off.