Pole Jousting

Pole jousting, sometimes called an inflatable joust or pillow joust, is a two-player duel where both riders climb onto a padded pole that spans a 13ft x 13ft inflatable bed, sit astride it, and set about each other with padded pillows until one of them loses their balance and drops onto the bed below. It is the sort of game that looks gentle from the sidelines and turns out to be anything but, because the pole moves under you the moment your opponent leans, swings or breathes in.

We provide head guards for both players, and the whole thing happens a foot or two above an inflatable bed, so the loser lands soft. It works best when the two riders are a similar size, so we usually run it as a string of matched pairings rather than an open challenge, which keeps it fair and keeps the queue entertained.

Equipment details

• Two riders at a time, astride the central padded pole
• Padded pillows and head guards provided
• 13ft x 13ft footprint, on grass or indoors in a sports hall
• Inflatable bed underneath, so the fall is soft
• Best with riders of similar stature, run as matched pairings
• Standard 13amp socket for the blower

Works well at

Teen and adult birthday parties, school sports days, corporate fun days, university events and summer barbecues. It is a cousin of the gladiator jousting duel with its pugil sticks, and the Rock 'n' Roller Gladiator Joust puts both players on one rocking, spinning base if you want the balance to do more of the work. The padded sumo suits and medieval human demolition cover the same one-on-one competitive ground in different dress, and the rest of the range is on the sports and competitive activities page.

Pole jousting hire across Hampshire, Surrey, Sussex and London

We've run Monster Event Hire from our unit in Havant since 2002, and the kit is ours, stored and repaired at our own workshop. The inflatable is PIPA-tagged and inspected each year by our in-house RPII inspector, the blower is PAT-tested, and any operator we send has passed the RPII exams, is first-aid trained and holds an enhanced DBS certificate. We carry £10 million public liability insurance, and the certificate and risk assessment are available on request.

We deliver across Hampshire, Surrey, Sussex and into London, including Portsmouth, Southampton, Guildford and London. Tell us the date, the venue and the rough ages of the riders, and we will come back with a quote.