Hometown favorite and pole dancing sensation Barbara Dial spun herself to victory last night to become the world’s first Pole Superstar champion. Dial, a 26-year-old professional pole dance instructor, lives in Manhattan and was chosen from among six finalists from across the nation for the grand prize.
Click here for video from the competition
While her act was less dramatic than some of the others — she didn’t use a samurai sword as a prop like one competitor did — Dial charmed the audience with her grace and obvious mastery of the metal. Since the winner was selected via text message vote from the audience, that charm paid off to the tune of $10,000 in prize money.