MOBILE, Alabama -- It's not unusual to find folks flying high on Dauphin Street on any given Saturday, but they are usually looking for their next drink or, hopefully, a designated driver.

But this weekend, athletes proficient in pole vaulting will be plying their trade on the streets of Mobile's entertainment district during the 2nd annual Dauphin Street Vault.

Last year’s event brought out hundreds of folks to LoDa, where world-class vaulters -- and some wanting to be -- contorted themselves over the rising bar set up between Jackson and Joachim streets downtown.

Organizers say last year’s event was a success in many different ways. Not only did it spread the word about an event to be featured during track-and-field events at the upcoming London Olympics, it had an economic impact of nearly $200,000, they said.

“(Summer) is really a dead time in the city, especially in the downtown area,” said Drew Bentley, one of DSV’s organizers who coaches track and field at McGill-Toolen High School. “And most of these people are from out of town. We’re looking at 100 different pole vaulters coming in.”

Those athletes and their friends already have filled up the rooms blocked off at local hotels for DSV, and most are eating and drinking in downtown establishments as they ready for the competition, Bentley said.

One reason he expects this year to be even bigger is because of the Olympic connection.

“This is one of those years you will actually see pole vaulting on television as the Olympics get close,” he said. “But people don’t realize how amazing these athletes are until you see them firsthand.”

IF YOU GO

What:

Dauphin Street Vault

Where:

Dauphin Street in downtown Mobile, between Jackson and Joachim streets.

When:

Saturday — Open section starts at 10 a.m.; Emerging Elite at 5 p.m.; Elite at 8 p.m.

Info:

Event is free. For more information, including a chance to stream the event live on Saturday, visit

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Part of the second-year expansion for DSV is the inclusion of athletes who either just competed in recent Olympic trials, or are veterans of recent Games themselves.

“We’re bringing in several really elite vaulters,” Bentley said.

The daylong DSV competition will be broken down into sections.

First, the open section will feature any and all who wish to climb the pole toward victory, as the bar moves up in 6-inch increments until a winner emerges. In the Emerging Elite section, state champions from across the Gulf Coast and incoming college freshmen will compete. And in the Elite section, conference champions (such as SEC and Sunbelt) will vault along with those who competed in the recent Olympic trails and two former Olympians.

An overall winner will be crowned at the end of the event, before everyone moves into the adjacent Grand Central bar for the after party, sponsored by Red Bull.

“Pole vaulters like to party,” Bentley said. “We’re like one big tribe, and when all is said and done we like to hang out together.”

In all, he described the Dauphin Street Vault as “a big block party,” and said “the thing to take away from this is that Mobile is doing something special; Mobile is setting itself apart.

“This is one more really cool event that will boost downtown and bring excitement to the area.”