A 62-year-old pole dancing TikTok sensation has taken his skills from regional Queensland to American reality television in the hope he can convince others, especially blokes, to take up the sport.
Key points:
- Allan Reinikka, 62, has been pole dancing for about 12 years
- He has appeared on national talent shows, and now also an American talent show
- He wants to boost the profile of pole dancing, encouraging others to take part
Allan Reinikka created an online following in recent years, which was then bolstered when he appeared on a national talent show in 2022.
According to Mr Reinikka the secret to his success is his looks.
"Not too many 62-year-olds … with rather large bushy beards get on poles, [but] I just do it for fun," he said.
"Most people don't believe it until you show them some pictures or videos. I'm pretty much the polar opposite of what they're expecting."
Mr Reinikka attended his first pole dancing lesson in Rockhampton about twelve years ago, and has been hooked ever since.
Clad in a singlet and shorts, and sporting an infectious smile, he can often be found in the studio training hard.
His talents, which have clocked up millions of views on social media and landed him on Australia's Got Talent, have now taken him overseas.
Earlier this year he flew to the Unites States to audition in front of the judges for America's Got Talent.
Though he did not make it to the next round, and some of the judges called his performance "boring", Mr Reinikka is not letting it deter him.
"I would imagine every year they have thousands of applications to audition, so to make it through to auditions is just amazing. It was a whole new experience."
Mr Reinikka said the transition of flying from a hot and muggy Rockhampton in March to a cold and chilly Los Angeles was tricky.
"When it's really hot and muggy it's terrible because sweat and poles don't mix. You get no grip, so it was really hard to train before I went over," he said.
"Then being cold has the same effect. The skin dries out and it gets slippery, so it's a fine line finding grip on a pole."
Boosting sport's profile
Mr Reinikka's motivation for his social media videos and television appearances, all while keeping up his day job, was to boost the profile of pole dancing as a sport.
"It's about getting people off their bum and having a go at things, and not to worry about how old they are or what they look like," he said.
"If there's something you want to do, go and do it."
He is encouraging others, including men, to get involved in the sport which, for a large part, brings him pure joy.
"It's probably way more fun than going to the gym. It's good for your mind as well, being able to overcome some fears," he said.
A former newspaper photographer, Mr Reinikka lost his job at the start of the pandemic and began live streaming funerals at the start of COVID.
Though his sporting endeavours keep him busy, with another television appearance in the works for later this year he has no plans to give up his day job.