http://www.dcpowerstilts.com/
Cost: $65/person
Price includes a one-hour private lesson for our group with personalized instruction, stilt rental, protective gear (they must have read about our Segway activity), and refreshing drinks. The lesson will consist of structured learning: a mix of demonstrations, fun exercises, goals and challenges and continual interactive feedback (oh, goody.)
And comes with this guarantee: By the end of a one-hour lesson, you will be as balanced and confident atop spring stilts as when you are walking normally. You will have mastered some key skills and most likely be jumping. We'll also get you started towards learning some impressive tricks. (And one would show these impressive tricks off where, exactly? Parties? Networking events? )
Amanda and Kathleen decided that a great idea prior to this event would be to go for a six-mile run. Because, hey, when you are expected to balance steadily on stilts and walk around on a hard surface, you may as well make sure those muscles are good and fatigued, right?
Amy met us there at 6:00 and our instructor met us there shortly thereafter. We assumed that we'd be starting at 6:00 and had budgeted the one hour our attention spans will allow, but the instructor began setting up at 6:00. After setting up a bench, getting out all of the equipment, having us fill out release forms and pay...it was already 6:30. Which means that the activity would go until 7:30...not a good start.
(Also, when scheduling this activity, we tried to schedule it during the day -- something we were specifically told by DC PowerStilts when we first looked into this last year was a requirement. Turns out, it is no longer a requirement (safe?) and we were fortunate that the basketball courts in the park where we were had lights.) Amanda kiddingly said, "Just watch -- the lights will turn off mid-activity -- let's make sure our instructor knows where the switch is to turn them back on so we don't have to try and make our way over there on stilts."
The instructor did a brief demo where he ran, jumped and boing-ed so high, it looked like he was jumping on a trampoline. Then it was our turn. We strapped on the stilts and took turns standing, walking and then jumping, while holding on to the instructor's hand...and then some of us (Amanda) on our own.
And then this happened:
Dilettantes Amy and Kathleen were a little terrified of getting back up on the stilts, considering ourselves lucky that we had not been injured, but with a little coaxing and the promise of an obstacle course, we did. However, we never got as comfortable as Dilettante Amanda. (Then again, we also did not fall off the bench onto our knees at the end of the activity...)
Dinner and some great beer followed at Mad Fox Brewery in Falls Church.
UPDATE: Dave (Owner of DC Power Stilts mentioned us on his web site. Cool.)
