Female contestants at the US Pole Dancing Championships compete at the amateur division. The United States Pole Dance Federation ( USPDF ) was founded at the beginning of 2008 by Anna Grundstrom and Wendy Traskos, with the purpose of bringing credibility to pole dancing competitions. These women perform and compete like athletes and are judged for their skill and craft, coordination, flexibility, sensuality, creativity, individual style, and physical strength, USPDF values all these elements equally, and believe it's the combination of these elements that make for a great pole dancer.