LOW STRETCH, DOUBLE WIDTH
The Prodigy Silks are woven with a tricot warp knit, giving them a small amount of bounce without making them so stretchy as to drain your energy while climbing. This gives them enough cushioning for drops while leaving you with the stamina for long performances and routines. These may not be the best for learning drops; however, see our Firetoys Aerial Silks for more cushioning silks.
Low Stretch does not mean zero stretch, and the limited stretch these silks do have means that wraps won't constrict you or cut into you as some silks can do, allowing both efficiency and comfort.
At 2.8m/110 inches wide, these are excellent for cocoons and width-based wraps. They’re also perfect as a yoga hammock or silks hammock/loop/sling!
Although they’re wide, at 40 denier, they won't be too bulky for most aerialists' hands!
These silks have a beautiful shine, giving a fantastic look to any performance while remaining grippy enough to climb easily. They also have just enough weight to stay in place for you without weighing you down while wrapping.
USEFUL AND REUSABLE BAG
What's better than a single-use plastic bag to store your silks in transit? A bag you can use again and again!
The bag supplied with this is perfect for carrying and storing your silk and all the rigging.
FULLY TESTED AND CERTIFIED
Prodigy silks are regularly destruction tested and have been assigned a WLL (working load limit) of 220kg (485lbs) based on a safety factor of 7:1. These tests were done while rigged to a Prodigy Elevate - Figure 8 for Aerial Silks, which is the most common way of rigging this type of fabric.
If you want to increase your fabric's durability, you can rig from a Prodigy Aerial Silks Hook.
SLACK DROPS
All Aerial fabrics are prone to reaching high temperatures during long or high energy slack drops. This can result in small melted patches and even holes. These holes are caused by the friction of the fabric rubbing against itself and the performer during high-speed movement.
Nylon and low stretch fabrics are more susceptible, so it is crucial to inspect these silks regularly if you routinely perform slack drops. However, you should always take care when practicing slack drops and be aware of the high amount of friction you can generate during these drops. Please note that these melts can happen to new silks and old ones, so the condition of your silks will need to be inspected regularly throughout their lifespan.
If you regularly perform slack drops, you will need to regularly inspect the entire length of your fabric, and the material will need replacing more often.
You can find out how to care for and wash your silks here.
IMPORTANT NOTE…
Everything above assumes you have a suitable and safe rigging point, like a professionally installed rigging point or a reputable and rated freestanding rig. Not every home/studio will be the same.
If you haven’t established a safe rigging point, please do this first with the help of a structural engineer/experienced rigger/professional familiar with what you're hanging and where you're hanging it.
These silks are listed as the entire length of the cut fabric, but to use as silks will need folding in half and tying to a Prodigy Aerial Silks Hook or Prodigy Elevate - Figure 8 for Aerial Silks (sold separately). This knot usually takes up about 0.5m of the fabric, and you will also want some fabric left at floor level to allow slack for wraps.
For a low ceiling height (4m and below, for example), you may want to consider a longer length of fabric to give you more tail. You will run out of tail quickly when practicing wraps with a low ceiling height.