by Sean Stogner
Living, working and hooping in the Big Apple makes for terrific research opportunities in the field of hooping in public. So, with the help of other hoopers’ submissions to Hooper Problems, we’re going to offer our insights into the sometimes treacherous, but oftentimes rewarding world of taking your hoop to the streets!
Transporting Hoops:
In order to bring our hooping to the masses we have to, well, bring our hoops to the masses! And let me tell you that if you live in a large city and use public transportation, transporting more than 2 or 3 hoops can be difficult. Not only do you have to carry all those hoops, but you also have to make sure there’s enough space on the subway, bus, trolley, carriage, etc.
The one thing you can do to make this a little easier is bring your friends. Make it an outing for everyone! That way you can spread the burden out.
Also, when riding public transportation, try to be conscious of others around you. You’re not going to make any friends if you’re smacking everyone around you with your hoops. And when entering the station, be aware that those turnstyles can, and will catch the back end of your hoops. If this happens, kindly ask the next patron to use your turnstyle, and your hoops will come free.
Shameless Tip: Our Collapsible Hoops are great for transportation!
A Confused Public:
From the moment you step out your front door, you’re going to get quite a few awkward looks. And that’s because you’ve made a spectacle of yourself, whether or not you like it. Simply ignore the looks and act as if this is something you’ve been doing for years.
Eventually you’ll be able to laugh at all the crazy looks you’re getting. But at first, the shy hoopers among us can be quite put off by all this unwanted attention. Just think of all those onlookers as muggles (harry potter term meaning “non-magic folk”). It’s kind of like seeing everyone naked, but with less nudity.
And if those awkward looks turn into something less friendly, be aware of your surroundings and don’t hesitate to move on to greener pastures. There are some creepy folks out there, so keep an eye out.
My Bad:
This is one of those moments that can potentially destroy any flow, and cause you to quietly run away with your tail between your legs. But there’s no need to feel like you’ve killed someone’s baby polar bear.
We all make mistakes, especially when learning new tricks. And that means the hoop will go flying from time to time. This happened to me in a big way a couple years ago in Union Square, and let’s just say the victim wasn’t ecstatic. But instead of playing it off (because EVERYONE will know it’s you as they’ve been secretly watching you), simply pick the hoop back up and offer a heartfelt apology. Most times, people will understand, and sometimes even offer a friendly chuckle to reassure you. This moment can be your worst nightmare, or you can turn it into an opportunity to make a new friend.
People are Oblivious:
There is no excuse for other people’s stupidity. And this will probably happen to you more often than you can imagine, and in situations you can’t understand. But the good news is we can laugh about this later!
But seriously, people are going to walk into you while on their phones, tablets, or simply daydreaming. Just remember that it’s not you, it’s them, and try not to let it kill your flow. Just brush them off, pick your hoop up, and get back to being awesome.
The scariest aspect of this is when people walk into you while fire hooping. Not that fire hooping in public is a good idea, but it happens, and people are still completely blind. I mean how do you not see my flaming giant hoop?!
Learn to Say No:
This one is pretty self-explanatory. People will want to use your LED hoop. And people will not understand exactly how expensive your LED hoop is. And you will constantly be shooting down their dreams.
Firstly, they will ask where they can buy an LED hoop (at which point send them our way!), and how much it costs. Then they will be in disbelief at the price. Silly muggles!
Second, they might ask to borrow your LED hoop. Unless your an extremely generous person, you’ll probably have to put them down gently. This is clearly the most difficult when a wide-eyed child approaches you with this request. It might be hard, but do not relinquish your hoop. Stay strong!
A Confidence Builder:
Now this is the reason we schlep all those hoops out to the park. And honestly, this is the response you’re going to get more often than not. And it feels great to be appreciated!
You must learn to take all this praise with grace and modesty. After you are done, it is not a terrible thing to take a quick bow for your adoring fans, and to thank them for their praise.
People will also come up to your afterwards to tell you how awesome you are. So be prepared to interact with others, and try to present a positive face. At this point you’re representing hoopers everywhere.
Those are just a few of the peculiarities associated with hooping in public. Feel free to share your stories and experiences with us either in the comments section, or on our Facebook Page. And much thanks to the Hooper Problems Tumblr for assembling these great Perks and Problems!
Humans, and to be more specific, hooper humans are quite inventive as it turns out. What once started off as a simple concept, a circular hoop, has recently been transformed into a number of odd, crazy, and even whimsical variations. Here’s a rundown of our favorite hoops that have moved beyond the simple circle:
Hola interwebiverse! We been cooking up some mighty fun thought stew for you to devour, and wanted to throw this out there. Would the hoopers of the world like to see video responses to some of your urgent and movement based questions? We all know that it can be pretty hard to explain a technique using only the written word, but with recent advances in technology, we have the power to record images of ourselves and share them with you!
) Have a hoopy and happy holiday ya’ll!
