I was first introduced to the idea of hooping by Ariel Meadow Stallings, blogger and author (and hooper).  Last year or so I happened upon her wedding pictures and as you will see (follow the links on her site to the flickr pictures), there are pictures of hoops and hooping there.

Last September, my place of work hired someone for a one year contract to take over the job that I had been originally hired for (because I got a permanent position at this place of work-yay!) and this new employee and I got to talking and I discovered that she hoops.

Since I found this out, I have been encouraging her to bring her hoop along to any social activities and she brought her hoop to our Christmas party and demonstrated, then offered her coworkers the opportunity to try it out.

I sucked.  The hoop would barely manage one revolution around my body before it dropped gracelessly to the ground.  Undeterred I kept trying until it was time for me to return the hoop to its owner and let her go home.

We had a wedding shower for another coworker and at this shower she was presented with her own collapsible hoop!  I was envious and asked the resident hooper to make me one.  These hoops are not particularly difficult to make but I wanted a hooop now and didn’t want to wait to get all the required materials together.  Earlier this week, I entered my office to see my hoop waiting for me! 

I was so excited!  For the past couple of days I have gotten the women in my family and our houseguests to try the hoop.  My sister was a natural.  I am not.  The 11 year old houseguest is also doing well.

My record has increased though:  I can now get the hoop to do 4 revolutions before it falls at my feet in exhaustion.  My sister on the other hand, can do 100 revolutions and only stops when I ask if I can have my hoop back.

Hooping is fantastic exercise (either that or my lack of physical fitness makes it seem so) so I’m going to make some non-collapsible hoops for my mom, sister and our houseguests.  Nothing says Canada Day weekend like making hoops, right?

Once I manage to get the hoop to go around me 10 times without stopping, I’ll include pictures of the true hoopers doing their thing!

Filed under: Adventure, Mundane, flab gab by jummy