Day 43 - The Hooping Game and OH YEAH I'm going to HoopPath!

My poor neglected blog.  Blogging is so time consuming, makes me wonder why I keep starting them when I can't keep up.

I think it's Day 43, something like that.  Still going strong.  Some days the spinspiration is there, other days it is lacking.  I find the best way to find it is to start with one movement, and focus on that.  It usually grows into something else by the end of it.  I'm trying hard to not get discouraged.  Some days I'm so happy with how I am doing, and other days I feel like I will never be as good as I want to be.  On those days I try to look back at where I started and remember how far I've come.  It helps to see that I'm leaps and bounds from where I was in the beginning, so there is only one way to go and that is up.

The Hooping Game.  It's on Facebook.  It's pretty cool.  Read about it here on Hooping.org:  The Hooping Game

I thought this was such a neat concept so I wandered over there to check it out.  I figured I'd join the page then check out a few videos to see if I felt confident joining the game.  It took me a whole of 5 minutes to decide to jump in.  Ack!  Totally scary putting yourself out there like that, but my logic is that the only way I am going to get better is to challenge myself and step outside my comfort zone.

The Hooping Game is kind of like homework.  There is a bit of pressure to get your video in within a certain time frame, and I felt a little like I was in school again.  And I don't deal well with pressure, I get easily stressed out.  The first song I got was so not what I would ever hoop to, and the beat was way too fast for my turtle speed hooping.  I stressed out all afternoon about how I was going to hoop to that song and not look completely ridiculous.

I could not film my videos at home because I knew my husband would lose it if I played that song over and over again while he was around, so despite being completely exhausted at the end of the day I packed up my hoops, music, and camera and headed to the Y where I could focus and have more space.

I filmed two hooping videos for two songs I got challenged with, and while I did not feel like they were particularly great as I had trouble with the fast beats, I certainly did have fun.  And the challenge had me all pumped up at the end, you know that rush when you finish your assignment and are relieved that it's over?  Yeah, that kind of thing.

I also hooped harder than I probably ever had.  By the time I was finished dancing to each song I wanted to keel over and just lie on the floor panting.

I spent the evening wondering what people would think of my videos.  I am easily the most novice hooper on the page from what I have seen so far (but I have only watched a sliver of what has been posted, I can't even keep up with the rate people post vids there!), so I know I am not the only one.  Still it's a little unnerving seeing all these amazing hoopers rocking out, and knowing that I'm not quite at that level yet.

I can totally see how these challenges improve one's hoop dance though, and I am going to keep up with it for a bit so that I can get better.

Everyone over there is so nice and supportive, that I felt fairly good posting my videos today knowing that no one was going to criticize them.  I would put them here, but it's still telling me there is an error uploading and I'm not sure that will ever get sorted.

On to the next item of hooping interest in my life.  I started a FB page!  Find me at Hoopla Hula Hoops.  It's where I can post my hoops for sale, and share any hooping info and videos with the people I connect with. 

And in further, most exciting, hoop news.  I got tickets to Hoop Path Puri-fire in Toronto with Baxter!  I'm still a bit in shock, and am actually really nervous.  But totally excited as well.  It is 3 days of workshops and I still can't believe I am going. 

Onwards and upwards 2014!

 

Day 29 - Trial and Error

Finally getting somewhere with these hoops!  I finished my first 'batch' from the tubing Tyler had bought me.  They look really nice, but I didn't love the tubing.  However I figure I will offer them at an introductory price, and they would work fine for beginner hoopers.  They're a bit large and heavy, which is fine for beginners and for fitness, but not at all good for learning tricks.  However I remind myself that people who are just starting out need a beginner hoop, and won't be tossing it around just yet anyway.  My friend Monica tested one out for me and could use it easily, so I think they will work fine for the workshops and for whoever might want to buy one.

I was still searching though for the 'perfect' tubing.  The hoop that I purchased locally last year was ideal, and I went to Home Depot hoping to find the same kind of tubing.  However they did not seem to have exactly what I was looking for.  I found something similar though, not exactly irrigation tubing but it was a good size and weight, so I was going to give it a try.  Then a well meaning HD employee talked me out of it and into buying something that ended up not being what I needed at all.  So after getting home with my purchases and trying to make a few hoops, I was feeling rather discouraged. 

It didn't help that my second hoop tape order arrived, and there was an error.  I got two rolls of florescent green glitter tape instead of one green and one pink.  That added to my growing frustrations.

Luckily the hoop tape company, Hoop Tape Canada, is sending me the pink one asap.  So I will certainly recommended them, especially from a customer service point of view!

I was freaking out a bit about not having the right tubing, and so desperate to find out what my locally made one was made out of that I ripped all the tape off it to try and see what kind of tubing it was.  It's ok, the tape was getting worn out anyway and I figured I could just re-tape it!  But the writing was worn out and I really couldn't tell what kind of tube it was.  I figured it was probably from another local hardware store and would have to go hunting for it. 

After asking for some help from a friend who has made hoops before, and talking to my husband (who is always helpful when it comes to making stuff!), we decided to go back to Home Depot and buy the tubing I was going to buy in the first place before being talked out of it by one of their employees.  Tyler went and picked up a roll for me, as well as the insert material I would need to connect them.

And success!  Last night I assembled 9 hoops, ready for taping!

I taped up one, using some of the new tape I got.  Much like I suspected, 1" vinyl and 1/2" gaff really is the way to go.  Unfortunately I still have more 1/2" vinyl and 1" gaff, than the other way around, so I really want to order more tape, but don't think I can just yet so will have to make due with what I have.  I was really happy with the results of last night's hoop, it's perfect!  The perfect size and weight, and the design is really nice too!

I experimented a little bit when re-taping my own hoop and ended up with something really pretty, though I think it's a bit busy.  Still it's nice, and I just have to keep playing around and practicing.

I have so many hoops now, I better start advertising and selling them because I am running out of space!

And still getting my hooping in of course, though I'm so busy that I am literally having to squeeze it in here and there!

The workshops at the Y start this Saturday and I really hope it goes well.  I'm not nervous about teaching them as I have a lot of great ideas in mind, but I am a little worried that no one is going to show up since it's such short notice.  Keeping my fingers crossed!

Day 22 - Busy being a hoopmaker.....

Do not mistake my absence for slacking off.  On the contrary I've been very busy!

I'm getting better and faster at making hoops.  And I've ordered some more tape, since I'm getting bored of working with the same four colours.  There are only so many combinations one can do!  Logically I should be purchasing a lot of tape at once to avoid having to pay shipping more often, but so far I can only get a bit at a time.  Hopefully if there is a demand for more hoops, I can put in a bulk order.

I already have some interest in my hoops, and in the workshops I'm supposed to be teaching.  I'm really excited and looking forward to more hoopy things in the future!

Day 19 - Hoop #3, Finding Flow, and Y Workshops

My favourite one so far!  Though I do love them all.  I am still finding it a challenge to get all three tapes perfectly even all the way around, but I still think it looks pretty good.  I made this one a bit smaller than the first two, probably around 40" instead of 42".  I'd like to make a variety of sizes for people to choose from.  This one is a nicer size and weight though, and I enjoyed trying it out last night!

I still have not missed a day, though I have been finding myself rather uninspired lately.  Sometimes I don't feel like hooping only because I just don't feel like I'm as good as I want to be.  So I pick up my hoop with the intention of just spinning it around for 10 minutes or so, just to say I did it that day.  But something pretty amazing is happening!  I pick up my hoop and rather than decide to dance, I decide to do one (or two, or three!) of Deanne Loves 7 minute workouts.  Next thing I know 30, 40, even 60 minutes has passed!  And all I have been doing is drills, not really dancing.  By the end of it I might start dancing freely a bit, but I'm really enjoying on just working on the basic skills instead of putting it all together.  There is a time for flow, and a time for conditioning, and both are fun!

I found that in the past I was always so eager to learn new 'tricks', that I really did not spend much time working on the fundamentals.  Usually once I learned a new move, I incorporated it into my dance but didn't spend much time perfecting it on its own.  It lead to a lot of sloppy hooping.  Now I am enjoying spending time working on just one move, even if it is something as simple as waist hooping.  I find Deanne's workout are amazing for this kind of stuff.

Flow comes in ebbs and waves.  Sometimes I find it, sometimes I don't.  But when it is there, it is amazing.  It can be fleeting at times.  I have recently discovered that unlocking flow has been more critical to improving my hoop dance than learning fancy tricks.  Sometimes a hoop dance that is lacking in crazy tricks but chock full of simple moves and flow is much more appealing to watch.

In a few weeks time I am going to start running some hula hoop workshops at the Y.  I was approached about teaching hooping at the Y last year, and although I was always game to do it, I felt a little shy about it because I'm not technically trained as a hoop instructor.  But I want to be, and I feel like this is a good place to start.  I can get a feel for teaching, and also get a feel for how much interest there is in hoop lessons in this area, before shelling out a lot of money on training.  I feel like I know enough about fitness to teach it confidently and safely.  So I am going ahead and running the workshops, and I am nervous and excited about it.  I have so many great ideas for how to make it fun for both kids and adults, and I hope that I can pull it off.

Day 16 - Just, you know, whatever

Got some hooping in at the Y this morning after my pump class.  I've been overdoing it a little bit with exercise the last few days I think and my legs are in agony.  But still managing to get my hooping in every day!  Like I said, sometimes it is only for 10 minutes or so.  Sometimes I get in these really great phases where I feel like I'm doing great, and other times I hit a bit of a rut and I'm not really doing anything exciting with my hoop, but in my opinion any hooping is good hooping!

I really want to add some of my hooping videos to the blog, but blogger isn't letting me upload them for some reason.  It just keeps saying 'error'.  I'm not sure what the problem is, but I'll keep trying!

The most recent trick I have learned would I guess be called something like a vertical duck in, where I pop into the hoop for one revolution while vertical hooping then pop back out again.  I'd like to figure out how to pop the hoop onto my body while vertical hooping and keep it there but I am finding it tricky.  I find vertical/angle hooping to be fairly difficult in general.  I can do it for the most part but am not that great at it, so I guess that means I just have to keep practicing.

I need to prep a few more hoops for taping.  Hoping to get a chance to do that tonight!

Day 15 - Hoop #2

Attempt #2!

I'm really enjoying making hoops.  Taping is actually kind of fun.  It is taking me about an hour and ten minutes to finish one hoop.  I find the glitter and vinyl tapes easy enough to work with, but am a bit more frustrated by the gaff tape.  I'm not sure if that is because it is harder because I have to manipulate it more to get it to stay on track, or if it just seems harder because it is the last tape I lay therefore I'm trying to fit it in perfectly with the other two.  I am also thinking I'm not keen on using the 1" gaff.  I would much prefer to have more glitter tape showing, and I am thinking of making the move towards using 1" glitter (or other fancy type, like mirror or holographic), 1" vinyl (instead of the 1/2" I am currently using), and 1/2" gaff.  I just find the gaff is the least appealing to look at, and since it is really only used for function (to add grip) anyway, I'd like to see less of it on my hoops.  But one thing at a time!  I'll keep taping them like this for now since these are the tapes I have to work with, and just try and play with the spacing so that more of the glitter shows.

I have such grand plans for making hoops, and I want to make dozens of them but first I really need to establish that I will be able to sell them before I go ahead and make them all.  Still, I'm hoping that once I finish off the roll of tubing I currently have (which is working well but it is not exactly what I like so I'm going to try a different size/PSI next time), I can get another roll and make another batch of hoops.  Is that what they are referred to, a batch?  Hee hee!

Day 14 - The First Hoop I Ever Made

Check it out!

I made this!  It is the first hoop I have made myself.  Well, I should give credit to my husband who helped me with the tubing.  But the taping was all me.  Not too bad I think!  Not perfect, but it's a good start!