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Gundula Fun Facts III - Flying Broomstick / Klotstock-Jumping Pt. 4/4

PaulEberhardt

on May 20, 2010

Well, and here's how it's done. I didn't even have to exaggerate very much in the last panel - it really is that hard. I can't do it myself, by the way. If I try, the result will look almost exactly like my self-portrait here.
Those who already thought of pole vaulting in the last page were of course quite right. Klotstock-jumping is said to be its very origin. The difference is only, that you try to make it a long jump rather than a high one. A pole-vaulter might well end up like Christian here. Another difference is that the spot where you set the pole is not only somewhere below but you also can't see it, nor how far below it actually is. It takes some experience to do it, and that's why it's a common enough sight that very old people almost seem to have grown wings while us youngsters get an involuntary bath. :-)

I've searched long and hard for a proper video, but I found only this low-quality one. Not very surprisingly it just happens to confirm everything I said here.

This is an automatic update as I'll be away over the Pentecost weekend. See you next week.