I Learned My First Trick!

/ Tracy Abell

I bought my first hoop in June.  As mentioned before, this hoop is heavier and thicker than those we had as kids and so is much easier to keep moving.  I fell in love with hooping and the way it relaxes me.  I kept at it and after a while got good enough that I could remove one of the segments and hoop with the smaller hoop (which means I can hoop faster and really work up a sweat).  Then I started taking little steps and practiced doing some spins and turns.  Eventually, I could even skip as I hooped.

This is all good.  I feel better, I look better.  It’s all good.

Except.

I’d done some investigating and discovered that my little spins and turns weren’t much in the wide, wide, world of hooping.  Hoopers can pick up hoops with their feet, hoop around both shoulders or just one shoulder, around their knees, and even hoop blindfolded.  I wanted to do more.

So I made myself a lighter, thinner hoop because the one I have is too heavy for tricks.  I ended up making two hoops since the first was too small for me (although it’s a good size for Zebu).  And then I started trying to get it up.   I bruised my forearm, repeatedly smacked my leg with the hoop, and yesterday knocked my glasses halfway off my face but . . . TODAY I mastered** a slightly modified version of Push It followed by overhead twirls and bringing the hoop back to my waist without a break in the spinning.

This video shows what I’d like to be able to do someday.  I smile and feel all floaty as I watch Ammre:

** I was successful at two attempts in a row.  🙂

      

16 thoughts on “I Learned My First Trick!”

  1. Wow…how on earth does she get the hoop to move to different parts of her body? I’m afraid my best attempt at hooping was when I was around ten…and it only spun for maybe a few times before plunging to the earth.

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    • Isn’t it amazing? I can actually get it up to my shoulders but then can’t keep the momentum as you need an entirely different movement to sustain the spinning. I was getting so frustrated that I couldn’t keep it spinning around my shoulders than I decided to focus on other stuff right now. Hence the grab-overhead-twirl-back-to-waist movement!

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  2. I’ve been wanting to try hula hooping as some easy exercise. Strange thing is, I can’t seem to find a place to buy a hula hoop. Target doesn’t have hula hoops, how weird is that? I guess Toys R’ Us might have them, but now I’m kind of interested in the Gaiam one. Does it seem worth it?

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    • I really love my GAIAM hoop because it helped me be successful. Plus, you can break it down and take it traveling with you. It’s also nice that once you get good you can remove a segment to make it smaller, so it’s like getting another hoop. When I ordered mine, I did it by phone and it turned out they were on sale for about $24 or something. I’ve definitely gotten my money’s worth.
      If you want to hoop don’t go to a toy store. There are lots of places online that sell adult-sized hoops. I’d try one of those (and check ebay, too). Or if you know a bunch of people who wanted them you could buy the supplies and make them that way which is very cheap. The tubing comes in rolls that make about eight hoops, I think.
      Let me know if you have other questions.

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    • Isn’t she amazing?! I watch her over and over. Plus she’s so generous with her time and has made a number of “trick” videos to help other people.
      As for my video, I’m a little intimidated because I know all the really good stuff that’s out there. Someday, though, I hope to make my own!

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  6. I really love my GAIAM hoop because it helped me be successful. Plus, you can break it down and take it traveling with you. It’s also nice that once you get good you can remove a segment to make it smaller, so it’s like getting another hoop. When I ordered mine, I did it by phone and it turned out they were on sale for about $24 or something. I’ve definitely gotten my money’s worth.

    If you want to hoop don’t go to a toy store. There are lots of places online that sell adult-sized hoops. I’d try one of those (and check ebay, too). Or if you know a bunch of people who wanted them you could buy the supplies and make them that way which is very cheap. The tubing comes in rolls that make about eight hoops, I think.

    Let me know if you have other questions.

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  7. Isn’t she amazing?! I watch her over and over. Plus she’s so generous with her time and has made a number of “trick” videos to help other people.

    As for my video, I’m a little intimidated because I know all the really good stuff that’s out there. Someday, though, I hope to make my own!

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    • I don’t know how long it took her but I’m betting it’ll take me much longer! HA. She also posted a video of her sister to show her progress and her sister is way better than me but not nearly as good as Ammre.
      I went outside for an afternoon hooping session on my patio and was having a great time until I slammed the hoop into my left ear. OUCH.

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  9. I don’t know how long it took her but I’m betting it’ll take me much longer! HA. She also posted a video of her sister to show her progress and her sister is way better than me but not nearly as good as Ammre.

    I went outside for an afternoon hooping session on my patio and was having a great time until I slammed the hoop into my left ear. OUCH.

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