The Story

How it all began.

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2020

First Proposal

Dr. Ken Pole Ninja approached Lupit Pole with an idea, and together they agreed to co-create the Ninja Pole.
2021

First Prototype

We created our first proof of concepts, proving that despite the challenges, there was something incredible to be created.
2022

Supply Chain Delays and Second Prototype

Through the rest of 2021 and 2022, significant supply chain challenges and materials complications caused severe delays.
2023

Third Major Prototype

Multi-terrain environment testing, product durability and safety, user-friendliness, and significant weight cuts were targeted, but created a seemingly impossible combination of obstacles.
2024

Materials and Design Breakthrough

Total redesign with a special treatment to our materials with modifications that would solve our most persistent problems.
2025

Genesis Launch

Refinement and final testing, filming, and preparation for the Genesis launch of The Ninja Pole.

I've always had a passion for nature, given my childhood filled with outdoor activities.

Like many, I dreamed of being able to pole dance in nature, blending the inspirations of a natural environment with pole.

I brought Lupit a couple designs that seemed most likely models to fit 3 goals:

  1. Modular in the widest range of environments
  2. Light-weight enough to hike with, even over days.
  3. Stable and safe, with a similar experience to indoor poles.

It sounded easy, but the truth was far from it.

Early 2021, Covid.

Lupit pole was slammed with orders from pole dancers stuck at home. They couldn't give time to the Ninja Pole.

But late 2021, we were scheduled to have the first prototype. Yet, due to delays, we were unable to get the new materials we'd wanted to test.

Determined nonetheless, Lupit Pole sent the first Ninja Pole prototype using standard indoor pole materials (aka, extremely heavy).

Aside from the pole itself, I imagined a video format, a nature vlog mixed with dance. This proof of concept was heavily inspired by the artist Andy Goldsworthy who spent decades alone working on pieces made entirely out of natural elements, and the wisdom gained from working with natural materials in hostile and unstable elements--the persistence through endless frustration.

This video was shot over 2 weeks of dragging video and lighting gear, and the pole itself, as a solo project and indeed, I found myself attuning to the actual real world.

As for the pole, at 14.5 feet tall (4.5 meters), it spun beautifully. It proved the idea could work.

But there were problems, such as grip in a dirt-filled world, disassembly issues due to grit in joints, bearings ground down by sand. Leveling on slanted ground. Pole warping. And most difficult? The size and weight.

We redesigned. I was sent another prototype early in the year.

It's weight was drastically reduced, finally receiving the new, lightweight material.

It still wasn't the exact material, but it was close enough, the difference being that it was a softer material.

I decided to commit 3 months at Lupit Headquarters in Slovenia (gorgeous, btw), to test and refine quickly.

We purchased a car (cheaper than renting for 3 months), acquired an Airbnb, and I flew in and began heavy testing and extreme environments.

The goal was to imagine all the ways someone could use AND misuse the pole.

Within the first month, I'd broken the pole...

The core material was fine but cutting weight meant that certain parts became more fragile. If someone set up the pole incorrectly, breaking the pole became possible.

We were set back again, waiting on new materials, and worse...

The landlords to Lupit Pole's factory had sold the property. They were forced to move locations.

My 3 months of devoted time became much shorter. In the last couple weeks, approaching winter, we managed to put together just one more model.

I flew out a videographer friend (Cherry Li) to help film and this was the result:

2023 was the year of testing. I wanted to be sure to travel with it, to explore a range of humidities, temperatures, and environments.

The new material, while extremely light and strong, and despite most design issues ironed out...

...was a failure.

On the engineering level, it was great. As a pole dancer, it was not.

It was slippery when cold, and it didn't retain heat long (especially outdoors). In dusty, dry, hot, and freezing environments, it became very slippery.

Worse, it was expensive and hard to source, and most suppliers weren't bothering to even respond to our inquiries because we weren't bulk enough.

This was the darkest hour.

Worse, Lupit Pole had to move company locations yet again, and, they spent a lot on new equipment. Sales slowed after Covid, and investing into an unproven market was difficult to justify.

But they wanted to continue, if only to show to the pole community what kind of company they were though I was ready to give up.

Also frustrating was that it was a still a secret. Few knew about the project, and to bury it felt like such a shame.

Unfortunately due to hard drive corruption, I several pieces of content. But you can see some of the testing here:

Big thanks to Renee Wu of Inspiration Studios, Steven Stewart, and Cherry Li for their support in these productions:

The only proof of this location I have (computer died)

Iztok, mastermind engineer and founder of Lupit Pole, had a major breakthrough.

Iztok is someone that always finds a solution, an elegant solution, even.

One of the biggest issues, aside from cutting weight, was balancing pole flexibility and preventing the resulting warping and breaking of the minimalistic pole.

He discovered a solution, a tempering process that only extremely specialized equipment can perform...and even then 10-20% of all poles are lost to the process, even in ideally controlled settings.

The result, though?

Prevented warping, thinner walls, and much less weight. However, powder coating became necessary.

I'd really wanted a shiny silver pole on location, but while steel poles look nice, dust, water, and temperature changes can make them challenging.

With powder combined with dust and sweat, it feels similar to an indoor steel pole.

We redesigned around the new tempering process, and the weight was lower than ever.

After adjusting the coating to be more scratch resistant and protecting joints and bearing wear, we swapped out the large screw model (I loved it, but it contributed heavily to size and weight).

I do hope that someday for super soft surfaces (beach?), we can bring the large base-screw back.

But that's a future dream.

To be clear, beach use is not recommended for any outdoor pole (super bad for the bearings), including the Ninja Pole.

We added weather resistance (never submerge the pole), and a number of other small improvements.

Fast forward, and everything was working.

A super light, stable even on only 3 lines, and pretty easy to install (though I always have improvement requests).

I was given the green light to make an announcement. After 4 years of work, people would finally know about the project.

In the final stages, it was less about major redesign and more about user-friendliness. As each environment is different, each set up is different.

I became concerned about all the mistakes that humans could make.

We made user-friendliness adjustments that set us back, added additional supply chain delays, and it felt like there was always one-more-thing.

But each improvement was worth it.

Even now, I keep adding last-minute change requests to improve user safety and experience.

But it's time to launch. Remember, we don't even know if there's a real market behind this product, yet. It's completely new.

I know we'll get improvement suggestions, even complaints as I can't test for every environment and situation...

But I have to trust.

I believe people can be responsible for their decisions and setups.

I hope people can use common sense to keep themselves safe.

I promise that I'll be committed to improving the Ninja Pole as long as there is demand, but please do take safety seriously.

Thank you for walking this journey with me, especially those of you directly testing, filming, and offering emotional support.

It's been a long journey, but I really hope the world sees value in connecting with nature in a way that The Ninja Pole allows.

Dr. Ken, Pole Ninja

Special thanks to Sea Windy and Pole Dance Movement for their support in the feature Genesis Ninja Pole video.