weighty matters

for a very long time i pooh-poohed light hoops. “that’s not a hoop, that’s a pom-pom”.

i’ve had this bias because i learned on a heavy hoop. i spent literally years learning hoop skills with what i affectionately call my battle hoop, that first hoop i crafted with my own hands. that thing has been dropped more times than i can count. it has been dented, scratched, retaped, rolled in all kinds of unsavory substances, you name it. i’ve broken the connector twice. it has been the bane of many a glass item. and i’ve performed with it all over hell and gone. so, it follows that it has represented my favorite weight. my muscles strained against that weight, my lip/head/nose/cheek bled against that weight, my fingers figured out how to grip appropriately against that weight. love that thing.

personal history aside, i do think there is something really helpful about having substantial weight to work with. when you get that inertia going, it makes it easy to have that physical dialogue that feels so good. your body seems to learn better with something to work against, figuring out how to control it, where it can go, how to groove with it, particularly at the beginning when you are learning your chops.

not to mention there is something satisfying when you begrudgingly hand off your hoop to that 20th drunk chick at the party and she is surprised at how heavy it is. yep, me big man hooper. me big and strong.

that’s not to say that i like super heavy hoops. i find most psyhoops a bit too heavy. ditto for most firehoops. it is a fine line between hooppleasure and hooppain.

but, now that i own a lighter hoop ( a big grateful hug to bendy for the gift), i can see the advantages. primarily, having built up the strength to deal with the heavier hoop, i find my stamina is far greater with the lighter option (yes, you can insert your joke here). while i’m still learning to truly rock it with my lighter hoop, it is clear that my range is being substantially widened, that increasing the variety in my hooping arsenal is having a direct effect on my learning curve. i can already whip through some serious combinations with greater ease. the weight feels interesting, like it is the key to a whole universe of unexplored possibility. at some point soon, i know that i will hit that super comfort level with it, that i won’t overexert with the lesser weight. until then, it is fun to have the new challenge.

i’m considering switching back and forth between the two so that i can retain the heavy muscle training with the my battle hoop, while working on the finesse with the lighter one. we’ll see how it goes. as with all other hoopla, i encourage finding your own path with this. but i’m glad i’ve branched out.