It is an art that has been taken out of the realms of male fantasy and into the world of women's fitness. Pole dancing is no longer the preserve of smutty clubs, but a fun and exciting way to lose weight and get fit.
It is even attracting men who want to change their body shape, too.
But, despite the growing popularity of the sport, with hundreds of people taking part in classes across the city each week, there had never been a regional competition for participants to enter locally and show off their skills.
Determined to solve the problem of having to travel to perform, and with the ambition of putting Hull on the pole dancing map, former instructor Lisa Oxtoby launched the Yorkshire Pole Championship.
After travelling across the country to enter competitions herself, she was determined to set something up locally and put Hull on the pole dancing map.
"Having entered competitions myself and also been a spectator at a few, I quickly realised there is nothing like it in this area," said Lisa, 33.
"We were all having to travel a fair distance to enter any competitions and I wanted to change that."
Starting from scratch, Lisa, who taught pole dancing for almost ten years and now runs her own business called Better Bodies, began planning the competition and was tasked with finding a venue, selecting judges, gathering sponsors and advertising for competitors.
"Obviously, it was hard work," said Lisa, of Brough.
"I had to so much to organise.
"I think there has never been one in Hull before because it's a lot of hard work and there isn't really any profit in it and so no one wanted to take the task on.
"Plus there are a lot of pole competitions around elsewhere, so there was a big question mark over whether we really needed a local competition or not, but I took the risk because I know there are some amazingly talented dancers in the area.
"We used Facebook to advertise for people to take part and the response was huge.
"I won't say it was easy planning it all as it was quite stressful, especially as we moved house two weeks before the final."
To enter, dancers had to first audition online by posting a video entry.
The top five per category were then invited to compete live in the final, which was held rec- ently at the University of Hull.
The finalists were challenged to perform a routine sticking to the rules of each category.
Lisa said: "The competition was open to all styles of pole dancing, we just wanted to celebrate our love for pole.
"There are competitions around that purely support the fitness side of pole and are trying to get it in to the Olympics and there are others that celebrate all styles of pole – be it sexy, contemporary or gymnastic- based routines.
"No matter what style you chose, the strength and flexibility needed to do the moves is the same.
"That's why the Yorkshire Pole Championship supports all styles of pole, as it is all amazingly difficult to do."
On the day, the quality of the competition did not let Lisa's efforts down.
"I'd like to thank all the competitors, because without them there to entertain us, there would have been no show," she said.
"It was obvious they had all worked really hard in preparation, and we cannot thank them enough for sharing their amazing skills with us.
"They proved there is the demand in Hull to host this type of show.
"Overall, it was a huge success and I am glad to say I have had amazing feedback from competitors and judges on how well it ran.
"At one point, I did say I would never do it again, but after watching the hard work all the competitors put in, I have already planned next year's."
The competition featured dozens of girls, all differing in shape and size.
"Pole is so popular and it's an amazing way of keeping fit," said Lisa.
"People have fun and make new friends in their classes.
"It can be whatever people want it to be. It combines dance, gymnastics, flexibility, strength and, for me, I also think you can lose yourself for a little while."
Although Lisa no longer teaches pole dancing, she does still have a pole room at home and has lessons herself.
She said: "I love pole as I love the fact that no matter what mood I am in, pole always makes me feel good. It's a massive confidence booster as well.
"I also loved seeing my students faces when they achieved something they thought impossible.
"As much as I miss all the girls I used to teach, it's nice just to do it for me now."
As part of her new business, which is based at the Yoga Therapy Lounge in Princes Avenue, Hull, Lisa has been involved in launching a stretch workshop specifically tailored for pole dancers, which combines yoga, thai massage and stretching techniques to help dancers increase their flexibility in a safe and effective way.
It is another example of how pole is separating its links with strip and dance clubs, and becoming accepted as a performance art that takes skill and dedication.
She said: "Yes, pole still does have the strip stigma attached to it, but not like it did a few years ago."
