The 2012 Summer Olympics may reach beyond the oddity of Curling to embrace a new event: Pole Dancing!

Photo above: Current.

The question reveals itself: is it skeavy or actually an athletic feat to wrap yourself around a pole?  And, I have to wonder—will males be invited to compete?

I attended my first ever pole dancing function at a bachelorette party.  It was led by one of the best pilates instructors in town.  She arrived to the party with an adjustable pole, sexy music and boas for us to pick from. Oh yeah, and we did make ourselves name tags with racier versions of our own names.  Of course the drinks were flowing to get everyone a little loose, but Deb’s premise was that pole dancing is perfect for a bachelorette party because in a male-free environment, women feel less self-conscious and more at ease expressing themselves or trying new moves.

She showed us some moves to practice with, and pretty soon all the ladies took turns swinging around. Cheers and encouragement were yelled out to each other. (Champagne makes us so enthusiastic!)

It was awesome—you use the same core muscles engaged in pilates to maneuver your legs around the pole. One friend, a pilates instructor herself, discovered she could engage her core and literally hang upside down on the pole, her legs twisted up towards the ceiling.

We were the guinea pigs—now Deb offers pole dancing classes in Telluride as entertainment for parties (think about how cool compared to a high fructose filled pinata) or as a weekly alternative to yoga or pilates. We were sore the next day in all the right places: thighs, abs and glutes.  I could get used to swinging around, feeling sexy while getting a workout.

These things said, does pole dancing have a place in the Olympics?

What about ballet, golf, water skiing, bocce and croquet?  Gardening—it can be hard on a hot day!?  Okay, now I’m being silly, but the possibilities seem endless.

There are various pole dancing fitness organizations around the world now, and several are advocating to have the event debut in the 2012 London games as a test run.  It wouldn’t be officially recognized until 2016. Who knows, it could happen.  I just can’t help but picture the outfits.

If you do decide, after watching the videos, that pole dancing deserves a spot in the Olympics, click here to sign the petition.

Here’s my personal vote for the 2014 Winter Olympics: bring back ski ballet!  These videos are AMAZING:

And yes, the outfits are very important in this event: