stilts

[Nettie Belle]

Pardon me ... but I have stilt questions since I started thinking about them earlier.

First of all, how do you keep your balance? I can't imagine walking on stilts so high up.

Second .. are regular clown stilts the same as "drywall" stilts?

Third ... how do you make costumes to fit over stilts?

I think that's about all ... I saw lots of them on ebay. I think it might be something my grandson would love, but I wouldn't want to risk him hurting himself.

[Jolly Well]

Originally Posted by Nettie Belle

Pardon me ... but I have stilt questions since I started thinking about them earlier.

First of all, how do you keep your balance? I can't imagine walking on stilts so high up.

Second .. are regular clown stilts the same as "drywall" stilts?

Third ... how do you make costumes to fit over stilts?

I think that's about all ... I saw lots of them on ebay. I think it might be something my grandson would love, but I wouldn't want to risk him hurting himself.

1st - you just work on balance. It's really just a matter of your center of gravity moving upwards. I was on stilts my first time more than 25 years ago - to date I've only fallen once. The fall happened on a set of wooden peg stilts that critically failed (one of them broke in mid stride), the fall was quick and easy - so no harm, no foul I did slip once when trying to show someone how to get up off the ground on powerisers without anything to hold onto - all I did was slip out on my jump and lay back down - second attempt was a success

2nd - they are similar. Big Foot stilts and Stiltwerks have a similar design, but have more features. If you have the $900 difference in pricing to buy a set of brand name clowning stilts - get them; if not - don't. I use to wear only big name stilts; but over the years have down-graded. Even if I have to buy 6 sets of the brand I currently wear - I come out saving about $400 as opposed to buying 1 pair of Stiltwerks. Buy the $150 Warner Stilts, and spend the difference on magic and clowning - imo.

3rd - Just a matter of tapering the pants. Picture a normal set of say - scrub or pajama pants - a little oversized but basically normal; then gradually taper them out into mega-bell bottoms. Hard to explain in text; but if you make a donation to Wise Fool they send you a catalog on how to make alot of street theater stuff that doubles in clowning. Giant Puppets, Peg Stilts, Stilt Pants, etc

More on stilts

There are a few different types of stilts

Drywall stilts are the basics of what you will probably want - again thee are mega models in Big Foot Stilts, etc - but they share a basic design as Drywall stilts. You can stand still on these; and will probably be what most people here will want.

Peg Stilts are more for stilt dancing and more finesse movement. The base of them is similar to a cane. They have their uses; but are much more difficult to walk in. Stilt Dancers and acrobats are more likely to use them than the average clown. Peg stilts are dying out in favor of articulated stilts (think drywall stilts that move along with your foot - very nice, very expensive - expect to pay $2,000 for a decent set of articulated stilts

Velocity stilts - Powerisers. Stilts with a carbon fiber spring that you can do all sorts of fun stuff on. a hybrid of peg stilts and drywall stilts (sort of) as far as walking goes. Add in the spring and think of having a trampoline on your feet.

[Jolly Well]

I hate to double post; but the other one is already so long - and this is a side note on stiltwalking.

Learn to fall
Hopefully you never will; but it's best to know how to avoid a serious injury in case it does happen.

Go out into your yard, or anywhere you can find a soft landing, on your stilts and just fall. Leanr to roll with the fall and soften the impact. Never fall backwards. Twist, turn, flail your arms - whatever it takes to get your body into a safer landing posistion. Falling backwards can lead to serious injury; whereas falling how you've practiced more often than not leads to some dirty clothes; or a scrape or two. At the worst; it's better to break an arm falling to the side; than to break your neck or skull falling backwards.

Learn to fall...

[Nettie Belle]

It sounds scary. Do you have pictures of you on stilts? Two more questions ... do you hold onto something to get up on them and do you have someone fasten you in?

[Jolly Well]

On powerisers, I just sit on the ground and strap them on. You can get up off the ground without help on these (if you're daring) by spreading your legs like you're trying to do a split; then jumping - hard to explain; I'll try to find a photo or video clip.

On drywall type stilts, I generally lean against a wall or such and strap one leg in; then stand on that stilt and strap the other in. A safer way of getting in them is to set on a tall tale or counter (or truck bed - anything high enough to be in a normal setting posistion with once you're in stilts.)

I'll find some photos of me in various stilts - I have one in the gallery here of me jumping on my powerisers - pretty grainy as it was in motion when captured. I'll post some more here in a bit.

[Sassy Frass]

My husband usually finds say a picnic table or somthing @ that same height and straps himself in and he's raring to go...He usually has them at full height so he holds on to somthing someone to get up.

[Huckleberry2]

About how high off the ground are your foot bottoms with the powerisers??? I used to walk stilts when I did insulation/drywall work and got pretty good at it. However I sold my stilts yrs. ago before I became a clown. I've often thought about getting back into it, and the powerisers especially look like a blast!

[Jolly Well]

The foot rest is 18" from the bottom of the stilt on Powerisers. This can not be adjusted.


Nettie, here is a link to a fellow clown that makes adjustable stilts - which are good for beginners. A possibilty for your grandson; or at the very least - a concept if you try to build your own.

Frog Leg stilts are similar.

These are the next set of pegs I want. (in french - they have an english language website - but I couldnt get it to come up on my laptop today)

[Fitzwilly]

Those are pretty awesome Jolly. they look like some that a good welder could fix up in an hour or two. Let us know when you get them. Isn't it amazing how some of the neatest things go back to being some of the simplest?

[Jolly Well]

Yep, I'd actually have them made if I could fnd a welder capable of making aluminum welds in my area. The ones at the french site are adustable to several different heights - and even with shipping charges, they only run about $250 (last time I checked about 6 months ago).