Das Boot Award

The Das Boot Award is a special club award given each year at our annual Doctoberfest. This is given to those people who have made special contributions to our club. These can be financial, emotional, physical or any other way. Below is a list of previous years winners and a small bio of their special contribution to our club.

Das Boot Award Winners!

Bob Baumann

Bob was my high school coach. I often tell the story about when I was in 8th grade and I couldn't make the track team. I would always watch the pole vaulters. My older brother had taught me how to vault when I was younger. However the Junior High coach said we already had enough good vaulters and wouldn't allow me to try. As a Freshman I had decided not to go out for track. Coach Bob Baumann came to ask me why. When I told him the only event I wanted to try was the pole vault he said, "No problem! If you come out for track I will let you vault."  Four years later I was a State Champion on his team. Also I grew a life long love for the sport! Thank you Coach Baumann!

Gertrude Breault

Gertrude is my Mother. She has always been there supporting me in all my sports. Always encouraging she has been one of my biggest fans. When I started Tailwind Pole Vault Club she donated money to help me buy my first pit. Over the years she has sponsored kids to camp, donated time and money to our causes, and has come to most all our events. She has helped cook meals, run events and cleaned up after everyone else goes home. She allows vaulters she has never met to stay at her house while they are in town. I couldn't ask for a better Mother! I love you and Thanks for all you do for our Club!

Suzie Breault

Suzie is my wife and the most amazing woman I know. Among a lot of other things she has aloud me to spend countless hours and way too much money on our club! She has had vaulters from all over the country, at my invitation, intrude into her house and life. She has cooked, cleaned, worked, hosted, cheered, encouraged, planned, etc... for our club. As our major cook for Doctoberfest she is unbelievable, spending weeks in preparation she puts on the best food show of any event I have attended. Over the years she has endured endless hours of pole vault conversation that would drive anyone else to violence. Suzie, I love you with all my heart! Thank you for all you do for our Club!

Mark Hewitt

Mark has been my strongest emotional support over the years! He has always  been there to talk about ideas, problems, projects, kids, parents, schools and  any other issues. He has been a strong financial support. His kids have vaulted and he himself has taken a few jumps with us. My favorite story about Mark: One  night at a Concordia High School practice while Mark was there the AD came by  the pit. I told him we needed our standards repaired. He said it wasn't important and it wasn't in the budget. The next day when I went to the pit to  get it ready for a meet, Mark was there with a service truck, welding our  standards. His sons had a meet that day but it was in a different town! Mark, thanks for all you do for our club, and thanks for being my best friend!

Earl Bell

Earl Bell is one of the most famous pole vaulters/coaches in the world. He has been my mentor for the past 15 years. He has taught me, encouraged me and put up with me. He has helped numerous kids with the cost of camps. He has helped me with the cost of poles, pits and other equipment. He has allowed me to travel the world with him to coach other vaulters and maybe have a little fun. He has selflessly shared information about the sport of pole vault and human nature with me. He has allowed me to be a part of his family and I consider him one of my closes friends! Earl, thank you for all you do not only for me and the kids of our club but for the entire sport of pole vaulting!

Destiny Breault

My daughter Destiny was a 4 time state qualifier in the pole vault. She set  ever class record going through school. She taught me the joys of coaching  female pole vaulters. More importantly she taught me the joys of having a  daughter! I don't think she ever had a passion for pole vault but we had a great  time together, practicing, traveling and competing. More importantly we had a  great time hanging out together. When Destiny was 16, her and I spent a week  together, going to a meet, then a camp in Jonesboro. We ate out, went to movies,  went shopping, even went to the dog pound and animal shelter. I knew at the time  it was a very special opportunity for me. I will never forget that trip and all  the great time we had together! Destiny, Thank you for motivating and inspiring  me and thanks for spending so much time with me. I love you!

Charlie Bowers

Charlie has two kids who were very successful jumpers in our club. He has  purchased a number of poles for our club. He has donated a significant amount of  money to our projects and fund raisers. One year he paid money to a group of  professional vaulters to come to our club in Jamestown and jump. He sent his  kids to camps at Bell Athletics with us numerous times. He has often even paid  for the gas for us to go to camps. Charlie has been a great contributor to our  club. Thanks for all you have done! Our club is better from all your  support!

Bradyn Breault

While coach Baumann was instrumental in me being a vaulter, Bradyn is the  reason I am a coach. When he was in the eighth grade he was a vaulter without a  coach. That is the year I began coaching. Together Bradyn and I began a journey of learning the pole vault. We jumped together, went to camps and meets together  and had lots of fun. Bradyn helped fire the passion I have for pole vaulting  today, I will forever be grateful to him for that. Bradyn, I love you and thank  you for everything you mean to me and to our club! Most of all, thank you for insipring me to becaome a pole vault coach.

Tiffany Swanson

Tiffany has donated time and money to our club. She has driven her daughter, Taylor,  over 2 hour round trip to practice numerous times. She buys snacks, makes donations and buys poles for our club. When one of the camper couldn't afford to go to camp Tiffany paid their way so they could have that opportunity. Tiffany thank you for all you do for our club!

Tim Lewis

Tim has been helping our club since our beginning. His son, Andy, was one of my very first pole vaulters. Tim has helped us with our electric and heat needs donating his professional expertise, time, hard work and many of the parts. He is always there to help any time we ask. Tim thanks for always being there when We need your help!

Kevin & Jennifer Hewitt

Kevin and Jennifer has supported our club financially more then any other contributor to date. Without their generous support we would not have many of the things we do today. More importantly they have been a great moral support. I have leaned on them during stressful times and that has help me more then I can express! Kevin and Jennifer, thanks for always being there to support me and our club!

Gary Sipe

Gary has really come on over the past year to support our club both financially and physically. His son, Chris, has been one of my all time favorite pole vaulters and has been a tremendous help and support himself. Gary stepped up this year and took over the food for our night time event, Jamestown Oktoberfest. Gary, thanks for all your hard work and support!

Luke "Woo" Hood

Luke was a pole vaulter for me when he was in high school. Since then he has helped me with many projects. The biggest project Luke has done for us is the Climbing Wall. Most recently he is working on putting in a Restroom for us. These are great improvements for our club and would have been very hard to accomplish without Luke's help. Thank you for every thing you do for our club! And Thank you for being a friend.

Bernie James

Bernie's son, Jeremy, to date has been our clubs top high school boys jumpers. Bernie has always been there to help with every project, every time he is ask. Since his son graduated Bernie has complained when he isn't ask to help. He has used his semi-truck and trailer numerous times to help us move the pit and equipment. On one occasion he hauled the pit to a meet that didn't have one just so the kids could jump in that meet. Thanks for all you do for our club and thank you for being a friend!