My name is Jente, I am from the Netherlands. In the village where i live it is a tradition once a year to sit on a pole from Friday 17;00 (5:00 P.M.) till Sunday 21:30 (9:30 P.M.) without any breaks and/or sleep, together with 14 others (15 in total). This year i decided that i wanted to do it myself and i made it !

Proof: Paalzitten2014

Sorry for my bad English, i am still very sleepy.

Edit: Thank you for all the responses ! it's amazing to see what great questions you come up with. im still answering for an hour or so !

Edit2: Many thanks for all the questions !!! i am going to bed now to get some more sleep. every question after this will still be answered by me but that will be tomorrow morning

Edit3: Goodmorning!! i had some good sleep and i will answer some more questions

Comments: 305 • Responses: 83  • Date: 

Xcox12346 karma

I'm going to ask whats on everyone heres mind, why???

jacterp50 karma

There is really no reason why we do it actually. The main reason is tradition, another reason is beacuse it is a lot of fun for the spectators,

The mainreason for me to do it because i think it's quite badass and i wanted to see if i could make it

karmapuhlease13 karma

What created the tradition in the first place?

jacterp13 karma

Well i am not sure, it's a villagers tradition

dannytdotorg16 karma

hour twenty six: they are still sitting on poles.

So glad we came to watch this! ;)

jacterp13 karma

hahaha it is not about that! it is alot of fun to be a spectator, there is music and alcohol and games on the dyke

dannytdotorg3 karma

I bet it really is fun. 52.5 hours is insane to be sitting on a tiny little square board type thing. Much respect for that.

jacterp4 karma

Thank you very much !

dafuq0_05 karma

wait so all the spectators get to fun drinking and dancing and playing games while you have to watch them while you sit on a pole for 52.5 hours? That just made it a lot harder...

jacterp6 karma

Yes! it seems a bit harsh but watching people having fun is entertaining aswell.

DownwardSpirals39 karma

Was it relations with your father that drove you to the pole?

jacterp15 karma

Nope, i said to a friend of mine " if you're going to participate then i'm going too"

Peechez30 karma

He was making a jab at strippers (see: pole dancers) and their common underlying issues with their father.

jacterp22 karma

Sorry i am still very sleepy so i didn't see the joke (:

plusharmadillo26 karma

How do you handle going to the bathroom?

jacterp63 karma

We had a pipe to piss through (to prevent from pissing all over your bag), and when you had to shit you just pulled your pants a bit down and just shitted in the water

ferfer131326 karma

I don't know why, but your usage of "shitted" almost made me cry laughing. Bravo!

jacterp9 karma

Thankyou! English isn't my first language and i'm quite tired so i did not know what to say there

Latenius10 karma

While everyone watched.....wow.

jacterp13 karma

you could turn around for a piss ofcourse, but you had to face the audience when you're going for number 2

PerryKarmello12 karma

[deleted]

jacterp54 karma

It is so white that the spectators would be blinded by my ass

PerryKarmello15 karma

[deleted]

jacterp5 karma

hahahah

_NutsackThunder8 karma

How many poops were born by your bum

jacterp24 karma

2 were born in the water. 1 Saturday at 4:00 AM and 1 Sunday 8:00 AM

_NutsackThunder15 karma

so specific <3

jacterp13 karma

yes you want to shit when there is not a big audience

OtakuSRL1 karma

Are there / were there still a lot of people around in the "early morning hours", like those? (specifically 4:00 AM).

jacterp4 karma

nope, only the radio and boat service. so literaly nothing to see. except sunday morning not 4:00 but 6:00 because there were alot of drunks still raving at sunrise

Lamps_are_great11 karma

What would have happened if you had just climbed down or fell off? Would you have to restart from the beginning or just climb back up?

jacterp11 karma

When you fall off it's game over.

Lamps_are_great4 karma

No second try ever?

jacterp8 karma

Nope, so if you fall a sleep and fall of if you are clumsy and you fall it is game over

DatExplanation2 karma

Is it possible to take quick naps without falling over?

jacterp11 karma

Not really, you can sit for 15 seconds with your eyes closed but that is risky because you can fall asleep really quick

Stevouz6 karma

Falling into his own & his neighbours shit sounds awesome!

jacterp22 karma

Kids swimmed in the water because it was that hot, they did not care one bit that they were swimming in our shit and piss

joebob80110 karma

Are spectators allowed to throw things at the participants?

jacterp15 karma

Yes, but only for the good, (throwing candy or a drink etc)

joebob8014 karma

So they can't throw things to try and knock you off? Do they hurl insults? If not, what fun is it for people to go somewhere just to watch someone sit down?

jacterp12 karma

Nope they aren't allowed to do that, there is music and a food and drink cart on the dyke. it is more fun for the spectators

Thehunterforce9 karma

Was it hard just sitting there doing nothing?

jacterp12 karma

That was the toughest part, From 4:00 in the morning till 11:00 there was litteraly nothing to see because there were no visitors. on top of that, i had the worst pole (Nr15) so i had only one friend to talk to

Thehunterforce7 karma

You should have started a yelling contest then ! Then you could have yelled to pole 1 if you pleased

jacterp4 karma

Yelling to pole 1 was possible but i have talked the most with my neighbor and the one next to him

Mugiwara041 karma

Did you sing any songs? I feel like this is a good setup for a chorus.

jacterp1 karma

Yes we sung some songs when we needed a energy boost, this one for example Evil Activities - Nobody Said It Was Easy

Mugiwara042 karma

Hey! you said you were going to sleep! Go rest, mister!

Good choice of song. I love that one :)

But really, the pic is pretty awesome. You had nice little umbrellas. Will you do it again next year? I think this is one of the nicest and oddest village traditions I've heard, thanks for telling us about it. It's fun to learn about stuff like this.

jacterp2 karma

Sorry i should be asleep indeed but i wanted to check reddit just one more time before going to bed haha. I will do it again next year but only if there is not enough people, there are always 15 poles but not always 15 people who want to participate so i will compete if there isnt enough :) Thank you very very much for your kind comment

Gurip3 karma

try to yell after not sleeping 40 hours bro

Spotted_Train_of_G8 karma

All I can typically do after not sleeping that long is yell or whisper.

jacterp8 karma

scream and shout and let it out

dont_let_me_comment1 karma

Wouldn't pole number 1 have the same problem? Why not arrange the poles in a circle?

jacterp6 karma

Pole 1 has a bigger audience because there were more people standing in front of the food and drink carts.

RikersTrombone9 karma

Why do Europeans use , instead of . In numbers?

jacterp14 karma

Hmmm i am not sure what you mean, sorry

d0uble0h8 karma

So, besides the other participants, was there anyone else who was present the entire time? If no, considering you were at the end of the group, did it ever cross your mind to try "entertaining yourself" while you were sitting there?

jacterp8 karma

My parents were there a lot of the time except at night and at dinner time. There was also 24h Boatservice and 24h radioservice to provide some distraction and entertainment.

of course there were ours and ours of just complete boredomness

_selfishPersonReborn8 karma

Did anyone fall asleep?

Are you allowed phones? :P

jacterp13 karma

Nobody fell asleep, your neighbor always keeps an eye on you to prevent you from falling asleep Phones were allowed!

korainato3 karma

And if you don't have a waterproof phone, that's one big reason not to fall in the water.

jacterp10 karma

well i had my phone around my neck in a waterproof phone baglet

saxfanatic7 karma

Were you allowed to bring things to amuse you? Books? Handheld games?

jacterp9 karma

Yes, but it isn't recommended to read or do handheld games because you lose the abillity to stay on the plank because you get distracted too much, on top of that, it isn't really nice for the person sitting next to you.

Kilockel31 karma

"That's right, guy next to me! I'm over here becoming a Pokemaster, and all you've done in the last two days is shit in the water! What a fool you are."

jacterp9 karma

Hahaha this made me laugh out loud

Eybooboo6 karma

what is the meaning of this tradition?

jacterp6 karma

It has no real meaning, it is just for fun for spectators and challenge for participants

president-nixon1 karma

But how did the tradition start? There must be some kind of story behind it.

jacterp2 karma

There sure is a story behind it but sadly i don't know it :(

TryNstopME0246 karma

I noticed you were sitting above water. How bad were the bugs? We're you allowed to use bug spray?

jacterp8 karma

Bug spray was allowed !!! Saturday night there were an awful lot of bugs, but luckily no stingy mosquitoes.

Star-trekker3 karma

Was it uncomfortable?

jacterp3 karma

Yes, very

joebob8013 karma

Did you realize that most people seeing this title will click on it thinking it is the story of a superhuman sexual feat?

jacterp3 karma

hahaha i realise that but it sure isnt

thebageljew3 karma

What is your favorite Netherlands food?

jacterp10 karma

Wow i'm not sure, my favourite dutch snack is a stroopwafel, jodenkoek or a kroket

needmoretape5 karma

mmm stroopwafels

jacterp5 karma

When a stroopwafel becomes "bol" ( old ) put them in the microwave for 4 seconds 900W, they taste like heaven again

[deleted]3 karma

[deleted]

jacterp4 karma

Well it is impossible to sit just on the round pole, this still counts as "pole sitting".

my ass still hurts because you sit on just a small wooden plank, ( no pillows etc allowed )

iZaxer3 karma

[deleted]

jacterp13 karma

Lot's of love, A good story to tell when i'm old, and a lot of respect

bingaman8 karma

Much respect is earned by shitting off a pole in public in the old country

jacterp5 karma

it's quite hard to shit from a pole after 60 hours of no sleep

WhatsUpDucky3 karma

Did you get your parasol/umbrella from Lidl?

jacterp3 karma

I sure did !!! it was €7,- and the parasols head can twist so it's pretty good for pole sitting

WhatsUpDucky2 karma

I knew it! I have the same parasol!

jacterp3 karma

10/10 would buy again

Ante1852 karma

Did he survive? I mean having someone sitting on you for 52 hours might be a bit of a strain and why a pole? Wouldn't anyone else do?

jacterp4 karma

All the poles survived (Y)

deejay_12 karma

What did you eat while you were up there? and did you just pee into the water, or into the water bottle hanging below?

jacterp3 karma

Just bread in the morning and afternoon, sometimes a snack. Friday evening: Spaghetti Saturday evening: Fried rice Sunday evening: Wraps

jacterp3 karma

Edit: the bottle contained water for drinking

pinkwaff1e2 karma

what do you think about during those hours...? :P

jacterp3 karma

Everyting! Sundaymorning was so boring!! on top of that it is quite common that people start to hallucinate the third day (Luckily i didn't)

PleasedToBeefYou2 karma

What did you think about all that time?

jacterp1 karma

Look for the answer to /u/pinkwaff1e

CrazedGunman5022 karma

Did anyone fall off/screw up in any way?

What did you personally bring for amusement?

What are some things you weren't allowed to bring?

Do you still have any pain from the event?

What do the signs under you say?

jacterp2 karma

  • 1 stopped because his feet became really painful and big, and 1 stopped because he did not like the fact that he started to hallucinate.
  • i had nothing except my phone to entertain myself. *Alcohol, Drugs and something to sit on werent allowed. *Yes, my ass still hurts a bit.
  • 1 Sign is: J.terpstra, that's my name. and the orange signs are sponsors.
  • Thank you very much for all these questions :)

Squeezer992 karma

Were you not allowed to take a break to use the bathroom?

jacterp2 karma

Indeed, no bathroom breaks

KrazehMunkii1 karma

But.. Why?

jacterp5 karma

because we can

PrinterDrop1 karma

How do you handle the daily necessities of life (eating, drinking, and the inevitable consequences)?

Edit: Grammar

jacterp3 karma

we had a boat service (as shown in the pictures) when you needed something they could bring it to you. I also had food in my bag and water to keep me hydrated handing in the water

wozzleg1 karma

[deleted]

jacterp2 karma

Answered to /u/plusharmadillo

Hischoll1 karma

Did anyone get hemorrhoids?

jacterp6 karma

I don't think so, everyone did got a rash on their bum but that is just because you're sitting on a planky for so long non-stop

Pooterfg1 karma

How bad did your ass hurt?

jacterp4 karma

It felt quite bad, it still hurts a bit now but not as bad as it was

naruto_hd1 karma

Do you win a prize for staying on?

jacterp7 karma

There was no prize but people you know (family and friends) could give you a "premie" (a bonus), i think that i received about 700 euros

Itz_Stryker3 karma

That's almost $1000 USD Hell, I'd sit on a pole for a weekend for a lot less!

jacterp6 karma

do you think you could make it ?

RalphiesBoogers1 karma

How sore was your ass?

jacterp1 karma

Really really sore, still is

-AcidBurn-6 karma

After being on a pole for that long, I can imagine your ass is very sore...

jacterp3 karma

Very true !

ErikThe1 karma

What is the strangest that happened on that pole?

jacterp2 karma

for me nothing really, some guys started halucinating though!

pogtheawesome2 karma

About what? What was it like?

jacterp5 karma

He started seeing carrots in another guys bag, then he asked to him, why do you have all these carrots?? - there were no carrots

watterson8151 karma

Did anyone try to pole dance?

jacterp2 karma

Nope haha, we just sat there. we did stand sometimes on the footsteps

watterson8151 karma

Next year...you dance.

jacterp3 karma

i sure will !

WorkReddit12341 karma

How did he stay hard for that long?

jacterp17 karma

Viagra ^ Happy cake day!

jambola21 karma

Googled Paalzitten for more information.

What preparations did you do before going atop the pole ?

jacterp3 karma

Accurate but that wikipedia page mentions a Pause/Break sometimes to go to the toilet. a lot of Pole Sit events allow it but ours dont allow to get of the pole'to go to the toilet

Nigger-Ogre1 karma

then.. how do you do it? (serious) do you do it inside the pole?

jacterp2 karma

no you move your ass like 30cm back,you shit in the water, you wipe, done :). if you have to piss you turn around and piss through a pipe

LotsOfJiggles1 karma

After it was all done, how long did you wait before you willingly sat down again?

jacterp3 karma

when i got home i showered and after that i had still 5 minutes before the car arrived to get into the pub, so i sat for 5 minutes on the couch, it felt like heaven !

BrevityBrony1 karma

Has this experience given you any new insight on life that we chair-sitting peasants might otherwise lack?

jacterp1 karma

Not really! but because there is nothing to you start to think about life alot though

necessaryevil131 karma

How often did you doubt yourself and want to get off the pole?

What was the diameter of the pole

jacterp3 karma

i had no "dip" there wasn't a moment that i thought i wanted to get off, Sunday morning was really tough though, because there was nothing to so/see diameter of the pole was 18 cm i think

truetowhoIam1 karma

Did you have to go through any especially bad weather while sitting up there?

jacterp3 karma

Yes, Extreme heat saturday, and the night between saturday and sunday we had thunderstorms

Mobile_leprechaun1 karma

did all 15 people make it the entire time?

jacterp2 karma

Nope, 1 had to stop because his foot became purple and10 times as big because of a bug bite, and 1 quitted because he started halucinating and got scared. so 13 people made it to the end

mcninsanity1 karma

If it had started to thunder would you have quit?

jacterp5 karma

Yes, we got lucky that we diddn't had to quit because you don't break the record (every year they add 1 minute to the total time so that it's a new record every year)

jordanwright191 karma

How high was the pole?

Edit: Also, how many people fell off or didn't 'win'?

jacterp3 karma

2 got on the boat because they had to and/or wanted to quit the pole was about 2,30m high

jordanwright191 karma

Oh that's not as high as I thought, I was imagining 30 Metre high poles

jacterp3 karma

No haha that would be insane, you can take a look at my proof to see how high it is

Nigger-Ogre1 karma

will you do it next year? how many times did you nearly-fell?

jacterp3 karma

Do you know the feeling when you miss a step on a staircase and you get that weird feeling in your belly ? i had that like over 50 times. it really gives you a scare when you get that. yes i will probably go next year aswell

JoerieB921 karma

Hello fellow dutchman! How did you handle the extreme high temperature last Saturday? I couldn't handle it much even laying still.. yeah, the dutchman like to wine about the wether...

Edit: typo

jacterp1 karma

Loads and loads of water! drinking water and spraying water on myself and my neighbor. even though we did that it was extremely hot. I';ve been to Death Valley in 53C but this felt worse because you couldn't do anything about it