Auckland man, 69, swings into competitive pole dancing

At 69, Glynn Owens will be the oldest person competing for the title of Ultimate Pole Legend.

Just months from turning 70, Glynn Owens is swinging for the ultimate pole dancing title in New Zealand.

The Glendowie retiree only took up the practice at 63 after watching an Ultimate Pole Legends competition for elite performers – the event he's now aiming for.

"I thought that's awesome, I'd love to do that," he told Te Waha Nui.

Last year he was selected as one of the top five male pole dancers in New Zealand to complete at the Pole Legends event, making him "the oldest competitor to do so", said organiser Karry Summers.

International judges select a top 20 performers from applicants' videos before they compete in live rounds for the title of Ultimate Pole Legend.

Glynn trains up to three times a week, each session lasting up to two hours.

"Having fun is high on my priority list," he said.

Currently, he is preparing for the New Zealand Amateur Pole championship, where he will perform in the Auckland heats in May.

"Regardless of how well I do in that, there is no greater achievement than being accepted into the Pole Legends competition," he said.

It's no mean feat, says former Legends competitor Natasha Patel, owner of Limitless Pole Studios in Mt Wellington.

"It is extremely hard to be admitted into the competition, it is even harder to progress through to the final," she said.

Recent changes have removed categories such as age or gender so now everyone has to competes against each other regardless.

"You truly have to be the crème of the crop to be chosen," she said of the changes.

Glynn said he is just excited for the opportunity to compete against New Zealand top pole performers.

This article originally appeared on Te Waha Nui and is republished with permission.