It's 1939, and a certain young man from Mansfield Ohio...

[JAVMAN83]

by the name of John Linta, Jr. (corrected) sets the world interscholastic pole vault record with his 13' 9 5/8" vault at the state meet. This photo, probably not from the state meet, is of John Linta courtesy the Victoria Daily Times (British Columbia, CAN).

Edit: In looking at the background of the picture, this may indeed be from the state meet at Ohio Stadium. I see what appears to be the top of a stadium, and a number of columns of stairs descending from the top. This reminds me of Ohio Stadium.

 

[SirStanley]

by the name of John Linta sets the world interscholastic pole vault record with his 13' 9 5/8" vault at the state meet. This photo, probably not from the state meet, is of John Linta courtesy the Victoria Daily Times (British Columbia, CAN).

Edit: In looking at the background of the picture, this may indeed be from the state meet at Ohio Stadium. I see what appears to be the top of a stadium, and a number of columns of stairs descending from the top. This reminds me of Ohio Stadium.

Would this have required a landing into sawdust? These pole vaulters are such incredible daredevils!

 

[JAVMAN83]

Would this have required a landing into sawdust? These pole vaulters are such incredible daredevils!

Generally, yes, or sand. It was common for facilities to build up either to several feet of depth to help soften the landing, but yes. My father helped dig the ground to hold sand for his HS first pole vault pit in 1960. Foam pits in the form of foam blocks netted together didn't start arriving till the first half of the 1960s. Today's pits are ACRES of foam compared to then, even against the pits I vaulted on 40 years ago.

 

[JAVMAN83]

Here's some collegiate action from that era.

 

[SirStanley]

Here's some collegiate action from that era.

Maniacs!