It's a sport involving glitter, skimpy outfits and a pole. We're talking pole dancing, a form of performance art combining dance and acrobatics centred on a vertical pole.
And this story is about to break some pole dancing stereotypes.
First of all, pole dancing is for men too. No, not to sit there with googly eyes marvelling the strength and finesse of the female dancers – but to join in.
'Girls and guys can give it a go because it's totally something that guys can nail as well,” says 28-year-old Tauranga pole dancer Libby Winehouse.
'Plus there's scantily clad people running around all over the place. But don't be intimidated by the stigmas surrounding it.”
Plus, Libby reckons it's far more interesting than going to the gym. 'Do you even lift bro? Can you even climb a pole bro?” she giggles. She's referring to the condescending expression questioning the legitimacy of someone's fitness expertise often seen on social media.
'Do you twerk at your gym?” challenges her fellow performer, who goes by the stage name Scarlett, 29.
Balancing their sculpted bodies in precarious positions on the pole at The Studio in Mount Maunganui during a photoshoot with The Weekend Sun, Libby and Scarlett make every move look effortless.
And they can now add two national awards to their name after winning two out of four categories at this year's Pole Stars New Zealand competition in Nelson last weekend.
Dancing in their first competition, Libby won the Trickstar category, while Scarlett took out the Freestyle Battle category.
They 'nailed it” in Libby's words. She feels 'surprisingly good and very proud” to have won in her first competition.
Libby's hoping to enter in NZ Amateur Pole Performer next year and possibly Pole Stars again.
'It would be good to keep taking it to the next level, because there's always more to try and more to learn, to get more flexible, stronger. It's quite motivating.
'This is totally who I am now, my life is all about pole.” Wait, what? We have a chuckle. That's going to sound weird in print.
Libby pole dances for the challenge. 'Definitely, the challenge. Figuring out something that looks cool and trying to achieve it.”
And the challenges are endless, says Scarlett, who shows us her blistered hands from the pole – the non-sexy side of pole dancing.
'There's so many unsexy elements,” laughs Libby. 'You end up with really mottled skin getting constantly ripped and bruised.”
This is where we break stereotype number two: skimpy outfits are for non-slipping, not just sex-appeal. They smear a type of chalk, similar to what gymnasts use, on their bodies to help them grip.
'Then there are various other gripping products, like lots of girls use wax on a stainless pole and chalk, all sorts. Anything to make the skin grip,” says Libby.
So, to anybody who still think pole dancing is not a sport: 'Give it a go,” challenges Libby. 'Figure out how hard it is.”
And for people who still think it's not ‘normal', this is what Libby says: 'Anything can become normal, as long as you're immersed in it.”