kahunahula

i’ve been busy.  super busy.

let’s visit the wayback machine shall we? (insert 70′s space music here….)

haven found

when i think of the word, “sanctuary”, i think of being safe, secure, and free to recover.  the last few months have been crazy hectic.  as i mentioned in my decompression post, i didn’t do a whole lot of decompressing there.  i was looking forward to the following long weekend of escape and chill at strategik’s sanctuary.

the place was beautiful.  an estate in wine country, complete with pool, palatial house and tennis courts.  add strategik’s dj’s, sound systems and vibing great peeps and you’ve got one hell of a party.

i love socializing.  i never fail to meet and connect with people unless i’m in that hide-in-a-cave mode or mid pre-performance jitters.  i’ve gotten into the habit of asking people what their passion is instead of what they do for a living.  the answers are always far more interesting.  i like watching people’s faces light up when they realize that i am asking them to tell me all about what they love.

i did a little spinning by the pool during the day, broke out the psi hoop at dusk, then transitioned to fire. the fire spins the first night felt like a fun warm up.  no music, alas.  a guy came up to me afterwards and said that as far as he was concerned, watching us spin was the most amazing aspect of the weekend.  that was nice.  to be honest, i’m still learning how to deal with the wash of compliments.  i try to be appreciative, humble and gracious.  i have no doubt that everyone who praises my spinning has something they do that would likewise blow my mind.

the second night i was on.  my fire peeps were there, bolstered by some new talented friends.  we had a dedicated audience, good music, and some decent room on the tennis court.  i had a couple of solid spins, deep in the zone, casting my spell.  check out this amazing photo.  so fantastic to have this newer level of comfort with fire.  makes it possible for me to really enjoy it rather than fear it.  (though i will always respect fire for the elemental force that is is)  to top it all off, hours later, i put on a private psi performance for a group of thoroughly intoxicated friends. that’s just fun.  then off to dance the rest of the night.

needless to say, i walked away from the weekend exhausted but happy.

photo by luiza leite, 2009.

doing it for the boobs

beats for boobs was a blast a few days later.  (say that ten times fast)  a strong contingent of solar flare alternated performances with temple of poi in support of this great fundraiser for breast cancer.  we did two shows.  in the first, we did solos.  in the second, we were put together in two’s and three’s at random, to see what we could come up with.  it was fun.  lots and lots of toss room.

it was great also getting a chance to chat with the fire marshall.  he said fire spinners are much easier to deal with than restaurant owners.  thought that was funny.  also, maestro got a clarification on a toss rule that just made my day.  there have been a couple of recent gigs where i was told i couldn’t toss.  wrong.  a performer can actually toss to themselves. it’s the tossing tools to one another that is a no-no.  sweet.

and, though it was a little weird having my lady’s father in the audience for the first time, i nonetheless rocked the black nipple tape in honor of the occassion.  HooppaiN!

photo by ramona tumber, 2009.

burning in hell

the hell-o-ween gig the next night was one of my better firespinning evenings in awhile.  i’d gotten the invite from fireflirt, one of my campmates at bman, to participate as part of her infernal circus with three other spinners i know and love in a pre-halloween party/benefit at a mansion in sf.

we were pretty much on our own to make it happen.  that meant spinning, safetying, crowd control, space control, etc, between the four of us at a party of hundreds.  not easy.

we rocked the house.  such fantastic performers!  nothing like spinning with peeps with exceptional skill and seasoned showmanship.  i felt part of a solid team of good friends.  at any time we had two people on safety, one dipping, one spinning.   we did two shows.  without music.  yep, we were told we’d be able to hear the band upstairs, but it was pretty faint.  i need to get in the habit of always bringing a backup sound system.

despite the super-tight space and no toss room (damn tree!), i was pretty on.  there was something about the space we created that spoke to me.  i felt safe.  without the music, it came down to doing the magic solely to the whish of the flames.  once i tapped into that, it was all gravy despite the obstacles.

photo by matthew freedman, 2009.

disco halloween

my halloween plans got a bit mixed up.  i’d committed early to a party gig, which fell through days before all hallows eve.  i found myself unable to buy tickets for the ghost ship party on treasure island that most of my friends were going to.  one alternative  was a disco campout in the woods that sounded intriguing enough to make me unpack all of my camping gear i’d just packed and drive unfamiliar windy trails in the (seemingly) dead of night, to a place i only knew about from a flyer i could barely read. ah, adventure.

nice place.  at the edge of a forest with an outdoor dance floor.  found a perfect camping spot at the edge of the tents:  close enough to easily go back and forth from the activity, far away enough to have some peace.

didn’t do much hooping, but had a good time.  the thing i missed the most was my peeps and the vibe that they bring.

the upside was i could put the damn hoop down for a night and just dance with my lady.  we felt pretty anonymous there, which is a rarity at events these days.  love dancing with wave.

when i did finally pick up my led, i chose an empty spot equidistant between the blazing back speakers and started to do my thing.  a fairly large crowd gathered almost instantly.  felt off from the start.  it was one of those less than ideal situations wherein not only am i not in my zone, i’m also a little too out of breath at the outset.  i rocked it for a bit and then put it away.  just wasn’t feeling it.  back to swaying with wave and a couple of friends.

it was a mellow, pleasant halloween.

the horizon

with the next gig a little over a week away, i’m going to use the time to get some site things done and start developing the intermediate tricks class i want to teach.  i just got some new moo cards that i can’t wait to start handing out.  i’m also being very diligent about continuing to work on my hoop skills everyday.  i feel like i’ve just grazed the surface of my hooping potential.

still so much to learn.

photo by donovan watts, 2007.

photo by benjy feen, 2007.

photo by benjy feen, 2007.

thanks to benjy feen for these pix from one of my favorite ambient mafia parties, ever.

photo by benjy feen, 2007.

decompression is my other top favorite event in san francisco. it’s a great opportunity to dust off the playawear and reconvene with some of the peeps from burning man in full regalia, to tap back into some of that playa flavor. nothing like shaking your ass with that crowd. having it a short drive away from a shower makes it particularly nice.

this year was special on two counts. the first was that it was my lady’s birthday. we’d had a birthday eve bash in the city with a gaggle of cool friends the night before. i crawled into bed late with every intention of getting as much sleep as possible. but, alas, insomnia decided to plague me for a bit- partially performance jitters, no doubt. when we finally showed up to decompression, i was working on about four hours of nervous sleep, excited, trying to make the day special for my lady, slightly hung-over, and nervous. all that pervaded by happiness that decom was finally here.

the second thing that made the day special was the city debut of firish with my fire troupe, solar flare. we’d reconvened practices post-playa to be ready to do an improved version of an irish jig for our flame-thirsty burner family.

as is my habit, i did a bit of hooping around; hooped with a bunch of paiNers and bah peeps. considered it a warm up for the evening. in the past i’ve blown out all of my energy during the day. since i was working on depleted resources already, i tried to strike a relaxed balance between hooping and socializing.

photo by colleen sullivan, 2008.

we knew going in that the stage would be a considerably smaller space than we were used to. we’d practiced in a mock-up of the space at the studio and seen that we were going to have to be collectively on our game not to collide and/or burn eachother. tough to fit six moving people with a variety of fire toys on such a small platform.

my other adventures for this gig included making a last minute kilt and dealing with a minor injury. i was assisted in the last-minute kilt challenge by participating in my friend’s creative coven gathering, where we all worked on costumes for decom. i then worked my ass off on the thing. i was so pressed for time with all of the birthday preparations on top of my other decom prep that i was still sewing in the car en route.

but, i did it. i’m proud. the thing that i am most enamored with is that i made the kilt out of duvetyn (what we use to put out flaming firetools). yep, a fireproof kilt. to a pyro like me that’s the shiznit.

the injury bit had to do with my knees. i do so much groundwork when i hoop that knee pads have become my habit. for the dress rehearsal in studio on friday, wearing the kilt-in-progress, i took the knee pads off. i thought the dance floor would be more forgiving. the practice went fine until, of course, i realized i had badly skinned both knees over the course of the evening. then they started to hurt a lot. i looked like a little boy who’d gotten all scraped up playing outside. in my fireproof kilt.

when solar flare convened pre-show, everyone was amped.  always makes me happy to see these people.  but, decom never seems to come without some drama. point in fact, my partner in firecrime lost her firetool for a few stressful hours. also, new fire marshal pressures were also putting everybody a little more on edge. but once the fire shows began, all that stuff started to drop away. we were preceded by several talented fire troupes, all rocking their stuff. a surprise birthday cake off to the side of the stage seemed to further cheer everyone up. in no time at all, firish was costumed, warmed up, dipped, and watching the rest of solar flare put on a great show.

then our music with it’s dramatic build up pumping through the speakers. our trio of graceful fans, karen, eimile and krista, posing then moving on stage. dave, pixie and i waiting in the wings. then dave is up with his fire fiddle and the crowd explodes. pixie and i follow. we all turn it on full blast. all that practice coming together in those few minutes of cool night.

the stage was indeed tight. fortunately there were no major accidents; just a couple of bumped tools, here and there. i know i had a few more bobbles in some transitions than usual because of the lack of space. but, we brought it. for sure. a pretty strong performance overall. with a great reception.

here is video of the performance:-)

here are links to some pix:

1 2 3

after the show, i finally started to relax at a friend’s houseparty. i realized en route that both of my knees had been opened up during the performance; i was noticeably bleeding from my right knee. will have to figure out a good solution to that dilemma for the future. we enjoyed some great company for a spell, as my post-performance exhaustion began to hit.  then, getting everyone to cars/home safely and to bed to pass out.

i think the upcoming sanctuary weekend is actually going to be more of a real “decompression” for me. a few days camping with friends, firespinning and great music.   just what this boy needs.

whew! busy weekend. lots and lots of hooping. unfortunately, walked away sick, sore and beaten up.  but getting there had its moments.

it started friday night with two solid hours of unlit practice in the studio with firish.  we are prepping for our next performance as part of solar flare at decompression.  we dove headfirst into detail work.  good practice. great group of spinners.  i think there is a bright future ahead for this project.

afterwards, i headed over to an impromptu international HooppaiN at proudmari’s.  they’d been at it for two hours by the time i showed up.  i made some new aussie and tokyo friends and got to watch some great hooping.  had one really sweet spin.  then home to pass out.

photo by joseph perla, 2009.

the next day i found myself in one of my playa getups for lovEvolution, the bay area’s version of the love parade.  bah starts the parade every year- we were able to enjoy the apex of mounting excitement.  hooping in the parade was fun but grueling.  there was weird footing with the trolley tracks and amorphous hoop space to work with, but, really the tiring thing was the constant forward movement.  music was hit and miss- we ended up moving backwards en masse in the lineup to latch on to better music.  all complaining aside, it was hooping with friends in costume in the sunshine down market street to cheering crowds.  pretty damn awesome.  kudos to all of my fellow hoopers who rocked it hard!

once inside the festival area, i spent the next several hours hooping in and out of small groups. i was feeling pretty worn out by the time this started, which sucked because this is usually my favorite part of these kinds of festivals.  i still hooped for awhile at a few different spots, said hi to friends, did a little dancing, but at the core i was wiped out.  i was a little surprised- thought my tolerance was a bit higher.

photo by philo hagen, 2009.

by the mid-afternoon the crowds had swelled to that obnoxious size when you can’t move from point a to point b without having to sample everyone’s b.o.  i was done.  i decided to scratch the idea of an after party in favor of a quiet night in bed.  in retrospect, i should have started the day with a banana and a multivitamin and brought electrolytes to the festival.  my cramping hands and feet screamed potassium depletion.  you’d think i didn’t regularly camp in the desert…

sunday, i carried my hoop to the hardly strictly bluegrass festival with the intention of hooping, but never made it happen.  no umph.  nothing.  lots of shoulder soreness and general malaise.  definitely starting to wonder, am i getting sick?  is my inner swine coming out?  everybody i know has been sick as a dog lately.

(the answer, unfortunately, is yes, my friends got me sick.)

looking at the weekend as a whole, the only time i really found my zone was at HooppaiN.  that was one of my better spins in some time.  other than that, didn’t really hit my groove at all at the love in.  on my perfectionist flow scale, i give myself a four, mostly for effort.  still happy i was able to attend everything.  i look at every hoop opportunity as an opportunity.  as to the whole notion of just overdoing it, i think it is important sometimes to push yourself beyond your limits so that you are reminded exactly where they are.

(my lady doesn’t quite agree with me on that one.)

photo by jaden rose, 2009.

last night’s gig at mission rock was fun and mellow.  a small contingent of solar flare broke out our led tools and came to spin in support of a benefit for leukemia.  we had a solid warm up jam at one of the nearly-empty dancefloors (always feel a little bad for djs playing to mostly empty space), then made our way to the crowded outdoor stage that juts out over the water to do our thing.

performing in such a tight space with a crowd that doesn’t realize you are supposed to be performing there is a little tricky.  we had one guy get a little belligerent when we started opening up the space.  i can understand the frustration of suddenly not having the dance space you want, i need room to do my thing, too, but he was being a jerk about it.  fortunately, it resolved itself.  i’ve had to deal with a few of these confrontations before, particularly at clubs where space is a premium.  the worst is when i manage to completely coldcock somebody in the face or drink with an errant hoop.  hard not to feel bad about it, even if it kind of baffles me how you can walk directly into my spinning, lit hoop and act surprised.  what part of that didn’t you see coming?

anyway, the space on the deck mid-crowd turned out to be too small for what we all had in mind.  karen and i tried to do the duet we worked on for conclave, but kept tagging chairs and being interrupted by drunks thinking this was the best time for a conversation.  it disintegrated into a short jam, then we called it.

later, we moved upstairs as a group to hang out and spin sporadically in the larger space.  i think this was my favorite part of the evening: led hooping with considerably more room to work with, in lower light conditions to louder music.  plus, love to rock the ilaniowear soft machine pants.  never get to wear any faux fur when i firespin, for obvious reasons.  i must have spun off and on for a good hour (HooppaiN!) before downshifting to dancing.  the last minute led tape job was a godsend- i sacrificed some glowiness to bring some serious control to my led, to counter the history of slippage in similar circumstances.

(check out the eventvibe photos by dirk wyse here.  there are a number of solar flarista shots if you look around this gallery)

ultimately, what made the night really great was chilling and playing with my bay area ohana.  look forward to doing it again at the love parade this weekend.

yes!

the new dedicated site is up. lots to do to get it where i want it to be, but i’m really happy to finally have kahunahula central a reality.  big thanks to dbug for making it possible.

i’ve reposted some of my recent hooping.org and hooppain.com posts below for your entertainment.

it always takes me a bit to readjust to daily life post-playa. my friend asked me a couple of weeks ago how my reentry was going. i told him i was still falling, smoking through the atmosphere.

that being said, without a doubt, burning man is my absolute favorite place to hoop. so much room! it’s all flat! great music emanating from every direction! generally less breakables! appreciative audiences!

though i didn’t end up hooping as much as i expected to, i still hooped a hell of a lot. even my hoops look like they need a nap. lots of hoop minstrelling; lots of impromptu jump-off-the-art-car-and-boogie hoopgasms. and, fortunately, the gigs went well. all of my shiva vista stage spins were fun. the irish dance piece was a big hit. felt delightful performing it. also, a small solar flare contingent pulled off a kickass show at the mal label gig. at another point, we opened up the pulsing crowd at opulent temple. i got a couple of serious skyscraper tosses in. and no major accidents.

photo by ryan wilson, 2009.

by far, my favorite regular, non-fire spin was in a dust storm late in the week outside of hookahdome. just me and my practice hoop enveloped in a vortex of white. at times i could only see about a foot in front of me. the ambient music was meditative and similarly engulfing. i found my zone quickly, channeling my inner whirling dervish to dance with the elements. it is a little challenging to hoop in goggles and a dust mask (so hot), but there is nothing like getting truly dusted by the playa. like being bathed by the wind. the most spiritual hooping moment i’ve had this year.

my favorite led spin was probably at opulent temple saturday night. it was actually a rather off night for me, my lady was sick, my bike had just been stolen, i was exhausted on multiple levels, and i couldn’t find my friends. nevertheless, i persevered and zoned deeply a few times. a photographer walked up to me when i was mainlining h2o and showed me several great shots he’d taken. led’s certainly lend themselves well to photography. i’ll share when i get a hold of the pix.

my favorite fire spin was on the shiva vista stage. like last year, i was happy to have gotten on shiva early in the week, ensuring that it actually happened. things just got too crazy later on. (so hard to coordinate increasingly tweaked out burners, self included.) my first two spins saw me sharing space with some of my favorite fire performers. i felt honored to be up there with them. dipping for my third spin, i realized i was finally warmed up and relaxed. miraculously, the stage cleared. i heard enthusiastic screams from friends as i walked up the ramp for a solo spin. great crowd. great music. me mostly in my zone. with fire cannons as accents. fantastic. you just can’t beat that.

as for the big event itself, my first realized performance in conclave was a bit of a saga. one of the biggest dust storms of the week hit saturday. so, like last year’s “nonclave”, we were on standby for hours, trying not to be depressed by the possibility of getting cancelled a second year in a row. even while we were art car-ing it out to our position in the great circle, i feared we were toast. it was like being in an antarctica movie- it was a struggle to get set up in the still vibrant storm. i had to continuously use eye drops to keep my contact lenses from stinging. at one point, i stepped away from the group and chanted a bit for it to happen. then, like in a story, the air cleared and we were suddenly, clearly a “go”.

it felt amazing to be able to celebrate months of hard work with my friends as a gift to the community, honoring the burning of the man. it was a special night. the only drawback to the performance was that the winds remained gusty-had to refrain from doing any of my high tosses since i couldn’t ensure that i could do them safely. but, regardless, after two years of work it was a joy to be there, doing what i love. on my first burn i determined to be in conclave. years later it is a part of my memory. to be honest, i think i’m just still in shock that it finally happened.

photo by steven walker, 2009.

separate from performing, of course, one of the joys of the playa is getting to spend a little time with some wonderful hoopers i get to see infrequently. this year was no exception. got lots of warm hugs from some great peeps from all over. in addition to the usual joy of seeing friends happily hooping, i finally got to meet and see brecken in action. absolutely amazing-i was blown away. shakti and michelle were also really inspiring with their exceptionally beautiful flow. the skill level of some hoopers these days is beyond belief.

it has taken a bit for my body to rebound from the trip. i had to battle soreness, the heat, lack of sleep, an air mattress when sleep actually happened, and that intense hoop-generated thirst all week. been focusing on rebuilding, renewing and recharging. feeling less like a battered turnip.

but serious practice resumes. just got an invite to spin fire at a club in a couple days, and decompression, that after-playa taste of playa, is only weeks away. we’re doing the firish dance again. need to get back up to speed.

a big dusty hug to all of you who joined me in representing the hoop community on the playa. that was a great burn. you are all fantastic. see you next year.

photo by steven walker, 2009.

encased in the deep shadowed box of the surrounding warehouse buildings, the front of the club is bathed in midnight neon light. a crowd of about thirty mingle raucously at the front by the dj table, cornered like freak cattle behind temporary metal barriers. little groups of talking people, drinks in hand. those gaggles of connection, intrigue, boredom and flirtation. the air thick with cigarette smoke and pheremones. a handful of partiers approaches from the distance in outrageous costumes, the women swaying with arms crossed as they try to navigate the cold, parked cars, and the oil-stained gravel in high heels.

the music is throbbing. it makes me want to move.

taking deep breaths and stretching to calm my nerves, i try to loosen up. my right shoulder is still a little sore from the beach thing, spinning fire as a gift to a graduating group of junior high school students. that gig absolutely kicked my ass. i needed a sherpa just to get back to the car. the soft sand is so taxing to move in, like doing jumping jacks in jello. i had to do more isolations when my legs got exhausted. it about killed dna, too. absolutely love them. a truly great couple doing it right. friends i always enjoy spending time with. and, they know how to put on a show.

final costume adjustments. pull up my socks. loosen the knee pads. package comfortable? waistband? run a grateful hand through the already damp hair before putting back on my black hat. i’m dressed in long, black, billowy thai wraparound pants, black sketchers and socks, black half gloves, an arm band, and the necklace my lady gave me. love rocking the black. a little cold being bare chested, but i’ll be warm in the fire. it’s a wonder i’ve come so far with being comfortable having my torso exposed. i remember too clearly feeling mostly like an irritated, beached whale, never wanting to share my belly with anybody. feeling slimmer and tighter again, almost where i was post-playa last year. nice to feel sexy. does a self good.

ditching the gum. a little more water. more. another breath. k is spinning his staff off in the middle of the street. the fuel is tucked away from the performance area, by the trash cans at the side of the club. a few feet away, one of the door guys looks bored out of his mind; the other is lasciviously looking at a brunette in a short skirt. she’s got a nice ass.

“we’re on”

i walk to the fuel, adjusting my gloves. i need to tailor their replacements- don’t like they way one of them is starting to curl at my palm. my fire hoop is resting against the wall, six blackened spokes speaking of the recent practice. i’ve beaten the hell out of that thing learning how to firehoop. but, i can’t wait for the new one to arrive. can’t wait for new wicks. i wonder what kind of adjustment it will be transitioning to a considerably lighter hoop?

i pick up my green and black, battle firehoop, double check that the wicks are screwed in tightly. once over of the hoop. relatively circular? tape tight? good.

kneeling to open up my ammo can. the sticker on the side says, “cleverly disguised as a responsible adult”. it’s about 3/4 full with lamp oil and white gas. as i crack the lid, i’m hit with that familiar fuel smell that seeps into my clothing. try not to breath it in- don’t want to think about toxicity issues at the moment. my wicks look worn out. beat the hell out of them, too, and this is like my, what, forth or fifth set of wicks?

as each one goes into the fuel bath, i start the slow count to ten in my head, and turn to see how the performance is progressing. k is getting into his zone. he is one of the most graceful staff spinners i’ve seen. great flow.

7-8-9-10. i pull the dripping wick out, shaking it lightly. rotate clockwise to the next wick. submerge. two. 2. 3. turn my head back to the fire.

the crowd is loving the show. what started as a few similarly turned heads has mushroomed into a dedicated, delighted audience, 3 or 4 rows deep. more people are coming outside to watch, squeezing in to poise their drinks somewhat precariously over the waist-high barricades.

10. rotate. submerge. three. 2. 3.

“great spin man”, i yell as k comes over to put down his staff. he’s bathed in a sheen of sweat- a little flushed. he’s got his relaxed smile on, the smoke from his tired wicks trailing behind him into the night air. he reminds me of a cheshire cat who has just apparated. (is apparated actually a word or am i just quoting harry potter?)

“thanks.” he replies.

“how’d it feel?”

“it felt good… there were a few things i wanted to do, but…..yeah…yeah, it was good… you ready to rock it like a bad motherfucker?”

“always”, i grin. i close the can, struggling a bit with the clasp one-handed, as my soaked hoop waits in my other outstretched hand. i stand up, adjust the back of my kneepads again (ouch) and walk away to shake off the excess fuel. the music is still pumping. sweet.

wish i’d taken a piss. fuck.

away from the activity, i whip the hoop a few times in my right hand vertically, the excess fuel spraying off into the air. it’s a fine balance. i don’t want to spray the audience with napalm, but i want as much fuel as i can burn. these wicks always go out too quickly. the new ones will make a difference, but i’m starting to wonder how much the speed at which i hoop plays a part?

i start loping back to the performance area in time with the music. shake off my shoulders. big exhale. time to get into character. wish i had my sunglasses.

j is just finishing up with double fire hoops. she is a born performer: charming, sexy, graceful. inherently knows how to connect with an audience. i admire how quickly she can transition into performing. sometimes i hit it. sometimes only for a moment; sometimes i’m deep blissing in my flow for an orgasmic timelessness. sometimes i chase it without ever achieving it.

nice move. she’s got one firehoop at her waist, the other atop her outstretched hand.

she dances back momentarily and sees me. she is almost done- her wicks are starting to sputter out. i shift more attention to the music. try to anticipate where the transitions might be. j winks that she is about ready to switch.

i close my eyes and breath. alright, let’s do this like a buddhist, kahunahula! all you’ve got! engage. if you fuck up, recover. find the flow. and don’t take it so seriously. it’s just a fucking hula hoop. have a blast!

j bows and pirouettes back with one remaining lit wick. the crowd is cheering wildly. rush of adrenaline. in a familiar sequence of movement she starts lighting my wicks. as each one catches, the bright light flares up, the dark smoke begins and another voice is added to the chorus of white noise. i make sure my hands and costume are away from the flames. as i wait for the final wicks to light in that purgatory.

click. one wick won’t light. click of lighter. click. click. dammit. (i know i dipped them all. hate to go on with an unlit wick but don’t want to burn too much fuel lighting.)

there it goes. it’s windier than it looks; even starting to gust a little bit. will need to keep that in mind. keep my tosses low at first and see what the drift is like.

“thank you”

i turn towards the audience. i am met with a wash of cheering, expectant faces beyond the glare of the flames. i walk to the center of the space and adjust my hoop to a place of beginning. jack directly into the music. almost at the transition. 4. 3. 2…

breath. and commit.

photo by kylla benes, 2009.

here is an unedited version of my recent hooping.org firehooping post

the intensity of the light. the tangible vortex of heat. that throaty fire-moving-through-air-white-noise-whoosh pulsing around your body. the smell of smoke and fuel with a hint of burnt hair. playing with darkness and light, wind and air.

i love fire hooping. i find it unique among my hooping experiences. while there are limits to the moves that i can safely translate from regular hooping to fire, i find the challenge interesting and the process of discovery intoxicating. there is absolutely nothing like getting into the flow with fire.

since i’m seeing more and more new faces, i thought i’d share a few things i’ve learned that can help those new to firehooping. i remember having tons of questions, even after reading everything i could get my hands on. i will reiterate a few basics that have been posted previously here and elsewhere, but i hope even old timers will get something useful out of this. i will touch base on fear of fire, equipment considerations, and safety suggestions.

the one thing that freaks people out the most is the what-if-something-goes-wrong-and-i set-myself-on-fire issue. people always ask me if i get burned. yep. lots. i spin fire 2-3 times a week; the hair on my forearms has an eternally scorched crew cut. particularly when working on new off-the-body moves, my forearms can get licked in flames. sometimes this means a light burn, sometimes not. (i personally prefer not to have my forearms covered) every once in awhile my hand or shoulder gets a hot kiss. really, that’s about it. i have an aloe burn gel that works really well; the burns heal quickly. the moral of the story is that, yes, you will probably get burned at some point, but it’s not that big of a deal. there is a lot you can do to minimize the risk. the truth is i am far more irritated at having my stuff reek like fuel.

i didn’t have a whole lot of experience with moving open flame prior to getting into firehooping. a campfire or candle just sits there looking pretty, nothing like half a dozen spokes of death in your immediate vicinity, under your (sorta) control. there is definitely an inherent danger in firehooping . fire is powerful. putting it in close proximity to your body is not something to be taken lightly. i’ve heard about some bad accidents in the fire community, particularly with poi getting wrapped around heads and limbs. fortunately, a firehoop won’t entangle you like that.

on some firehoops it’s the metal that is the real danger, rather than the flame. you know the trick you learned as a kid of moving your finger quickly through a small flame on a lighter? now remember touching the iron? it was the iron that left the mark. the best burn i ever got, now completely healed, was in the shape of the head of a screw. watch those metal bits!

photo by steven walker, 2009.

personally, i think it is important to build up a solid set of hooping skills before you light up for the first time. firehooping is technically more complex than normal hooping: you have all these pokey, hot things to deal with, often in low light conditions. it makes sense to build up a substantial familiarity with the hoop before taking the step to fire.

once you’re ready to flame on, you’ll need a firehoop that is the right diameter and weight for you. you want to be comfortable in it. that being said, i tend to like a slightly heavier hoop for the initial learning phase of firehooping. building muscle memory is easier with a little heft to work with. but, no doubt, a heavier hoop means it takes more out of you. don’t be surprised if you find yourself completely exhausted in the middle of your initial spins.

there is an increasing variety of firehoops available: attached/detachable wicks, rigid/floppy spines, led/fire combo hoops, collapsable, doubles, etc. i suggest trying a few different types before committing to one. you can also make your own. since i’m a better hooper than craftsman, i prefer to trust someone else’s skill in building a firehoop. plus, it’s cool to support the small businesses that hooping has created. the point is that you want a firehoop that is sturdy, balanced, and a good fit.

you have a few fuel options: white gas, lamp oil, kerosene, color additives, etc. i prefer a fuel mixture of 60/40 lamp oil to white gas. that way you get a bright, easy lighting, flame that will last. it is a little smokier and dimmer than just white gas, but i like to torque the hell out of my hoop and need that extra oil to keep the wicks burning longer. the one big downside with lamp oil is that it can make your spin area slippery. as to other options, i’m told that kerosene is super smoky: unfortunately, it seems to be one of the few fuel choices available around a good portion of the world. i generally stay away from the color additives. my understanding is that the pretty blue flame you see is supplied by a chemical in bug spray. no thanks. i figure i’m exposing myself to enough toxins with the fuel mix.

for fuel storage, after many different container trials, an ammo can is my favorite solution. it is metal, big enough to dip comfortably in low light conditions, easy to carry, and sealed. works great. you can get them in army surplus/used camping gear stores.

in addition to your firehoop and fuel, you’ll need some support gear. over the years i’ve assembled a basic firekit which includes all that i need to spin fire. i use a yoga bag to carry my collapsable hoop and firekit. inside, i use a medium-sized toiletry bag to protect my wicks and for the rest of the miscellany.

here is what is in my firekit:

aloe burn gel
advil
duvetyn
gloves
knee pads (kneeling on rocky ground or cement hurts)
hat
safety pins (for those clothing items that just won’t cooperate)
misc hoop supplies (extra tape, extra connectors, extra wicks)
wrench
headlamp
scissors (for trimming wicks)
water
lighters (i can’t tell you how many times i’ve been surrounded by 20 spinners with no means of lighting a fire)

the first time i lit up, i was very fortunate to have the support of a couple of top-notch firehoopers who graciously guided me through the process. it made all of the difference in my sense of safety and overall comfort level. definitely have someone experienced walk you through your first few burns, if you can.

when firehooping the first few times, i suggest focusing on just familiarizing yourself with the unique environment, the weight of the hoop, the heat, the brightness, the smoke, etc. take your time. as you grow more comfortable with it, you can start exploring your normal range of movement, staying aware of the position of the wicks/spines in relation to your body. in my experience, most burns happen when i’m doing things off-the-body.

if you ever get in trouble, the easiest thing to do is drop the hoop and step away. also, you can always ask your safety to put your wicks out at any time for any reason.

there are a few other things you can do to maximize your enjoyment while minimizing your risk. here are my top ten safety suggestions:

1) make smart clothing choices. i know, the fun materials are all flammable. natural fibers, like cotton or hemp, are always best. when ignited, they will burn in and of themselves instead of melting to your skin like synthetics. not sure if what you are wearing is flammable? snip off a piece and carefully light it over an ashtray or sink. it will be very clear whether you want that material burning next to, or melting into, your skin.

but you still want to wear the shiny one? one solution is to sew an inner, safer layer under the synthetics, giving you a protective barrier. one clever suggestion i’ve heard is to use ironing board fabric as the underlying layer.

also, try spinning in your fancy clothing with your firehoop unlit before lighting up. things snag, flowy bits get in the way, suddenly you don’t have the range of motion you are used to, etc. better to figure this stuff out before you have burning wicks to deal with.

skin is in. the natural stickiness of skin helps add that extra bit of control that is useful when hooping, in general, but is particularly helpful when spinning fire. obviously, be comfortable, but the more skin you have available, the more (potential) control you have.

2) protect your head. the way i hoop, my hair is just asking to be toast (and i simply don’t have enough to spare as it is). i almost always wear a hat. you can also wet down your hair, if you prefer.

even with a hat, it’s a good idea to wait until the flames have died down a bit to do any tricks that bring the flame close to your face. i’ve scorched eyebrows and eyelashes a few times. partially singed eyelashes just look funny.

3) designate a safe area for fuel. a tree. a rock. a curb. whatever. keep all of your fuel there and don’t spin anywhere near this space. make it a communal effort to keep the drunk idiot with the cigarette away.

4) double check your hoop/spines/wicks before each spin. you should give your entire hoop a once over before you dip, paying particular attention to the spines/wicks. if the spines are the screw-in type, they can come loose. (you should check the permanent spines, too: i’ve almost been brained by a not-so-permanently attached permanent spine that somehow came loose from a friend’s hoop) also, any frayed strings of kevlar should be trimmed from the wicks. this prevents flaming bits flying off. fire marshals don’t like frayed wicks. (i’m sure there is a good joke in there somewhere)

if you are using a collapsable firehoop with those plastic connector inserts, i suggest covering them with tape to keep them from snagging or scratching.

5) use safeties. hangups about using safeties abound, but it is just foolish not to have someone there to put you out if you are in trouble. clothing can catch fire without you noticing it. safeties should have duvetyn or a wet towel ready to go, and be watching your spin. here is some good fire safety information from temple of poi. make sure anyone volunteering to safety actually knows what they are doing. if not, take the time to teach them “hands-on” how to do it correctly.

6) let others know what is in your fuel mix. if you share your fuel with other people be sure to let them know if there is lamp oil (or anything other than white gas) in the mix before they dip. this is particularly true for other fire tools.

7) spin off. i still routinely see firehoops that have not been completely spun off. this results in a sputtering firey circle of death flying every which way. dangerous and avoidable.

lightly shaking off a newly dipped wick over your dip can is not enough. you need to spin off as well. my preferred way to spin off is to spin the hoop vertically over my outstretched hand a few revolutions, away from my body, avoiding the spray. the other way i’ve seen it done is to hold the hoop horizontally and whip it in a wide swath away from the body. you need to rotate the hoop and repeat until all wicks have been spun off. either way, you need some space away from everything else for this.

8) be aware of your surroundings. do you really have enough space to firehoop safely? is the ground even? is it windy? are there tree limbs in the way of that toss you can’t wait to try? is that person actually trying to come up and dance with you right now?

weird things can and do happen. if you are spinning with others, all kinds of flaming tools can end up in your spinning space unexpectedly. it is also easy to get disoriented within the light, heat and sound of the fire.

to make matters worse, you can cause mayhem without knowing it. i finished a spin at a large fire gathering and noticed i was missing a wick. checking with the safeties, i found out it had broken during my spin and been launched a good thirty feet towards the crowd. could have been bad. totally unforeseen and unnoticed until the end.

always double check your clearance before attempting tosses. you may not be in the same space you thought you were in.

9) once your spin is done, make sure your wicks are all out. i’ve seen several instances wherein spinners exiting the play/performance space don’t realize they still have a wick on fire. i’ve also seen other tools light up accidentally from wicks that looked like they were out. wicks and spines are still hot, even when the flame is out. let them cool down before redipping.

10) give yourself time. learning to play with fire takes practice. you may feel very limited in what you feel safe doing for quite awhile. the more you practice, lit and unlit, the more comfortable you will become.

i also thoroughly recommend stepping outside of the hoop-blinders to spin with other people using other fire tools (poi, staff, fans, etc.). you will learn an incredible amount from the greater fire community.

other than that, have fun with it. there is no space quite like the magical vortex within a spinning firehoop. playing with fire has it’s own challenges, but preparation, skill, awareness and common sense go a long way in making it safer than it looks. treat the fire with respect and you should be fine.

feel free to contribute your wisdom or feedback.

i’ll see you in the circle.

photo by mairead maheigan, 2009.

one evening a few months back, my friend pixie and i were talking about her idea of combining fire dancing with irish dancing. she had a strong background in irish dancing and wanted to explore combining her two passions; my only exposure being those lords of dance shows and my sister’s hysterical imitation. pixie and i had been wanting to work with eachother for some time and both liked the idea of doing a duet: her on staff and me on hoop. had a nice, gender balanced, non-traditionalism about it.

last night, after months of work, we performed the piece for the rest of our fire troupe as a sort of audition for the fire opera that we put on every year on the playa with salon soleil. (don’t worry, no opera is actually involved). while the central story of our firish dance is being told with hoop and staff, the group has grown to include fans, poi and a never-before-seen super-secret fire tool. definitely still a work in progress, but it was time to share.

the performance felt pretty good. i’m a perfectionist, by nature, and see much to work on, but i walked away happy. it’s funny, that’s the first time i’ve felt nervous spinning fire in front of my troupe in a long time. i think the underlying difficulty i’m facing is that i’m still finding myself mid-performance focusing a lot on the technical aspects of what we are doing, when i really want to step beyond that and spin deep into my flow. i know that will come with time and practice, but i’m impatient. i can’t wait to know instinctively where i need to be and what i need to be doing, to be able to synch myself into that vortex of flow that i think is inherent in any spin.

photo by mairead maheigan, 2009.

i find the piece challenging on two levels:

first of all, it is one of the more demanding hoop pieces i’ve choreographed so far. i’m pulling out a lot more stops in this one, stepping outside of my comfort zone. i hoop hard and fast near the beginning, do some close, intricate fire interactions, and end with a toss from the knees. (still don’t have that toss solid) endurance is an issue.

secondly, irish dance- an entirely new experience of physical and mental challenge. i have some relatively recent dance experience with tango, but really, hooping has been my main introduction to actually having some real body awareness in movement. i’m a bit of a klutz at heart. irish dance works me hard. i’m a panting, pool of sweat by the end of the routine.

trying to rock the hoop hard, doing often counterintuitive dance steps, while assembling an interesting fire dialogue between hoop and staff has been an arduous, but fun, adventure. pixie and her sister have been gracious in teaching me where my feet need to be when, and i’ve honored their time by practicing. i remember feeling super silly when i first started hooping. i only wanted to do it in private because i was so embarrassed at my complete lack of dexterity. felt like a spastic hippo most of the time. it has made me laugh having similar twinges while braving irish dance.

we’ve spent a couple of months in a studio choreographing and practicing before firing up. working in front of a large mirror with space and a loud sound system for a reasonable rate has been absolutely worth it. we would not be where we are now without having had the chance to work in the studio. it has been the perfect space to let the piece evolve in. with time available, i prefer to avoid the stress of figuring out each and every element of a routine from the outset. (the one exception to this is that i do like to commit to the music as early as possible. nice to have a solid, shared frame of reference.) i think it is a bit easier to find one’s flow when working on a piece that has benefitted from organic growth. you can develop things towards your strengths, identifying where you want to add an extra bit of challenge, and letting the muscle memory build over time. it has taken some faith to combat my impatient nature; i’ve had to reassure myself more than once that we would figure something out for this or that tricky part. unharried progress has been the reward for my patience. now that we’ve tried it lit up a few times, we have to make those additional adjustments to account for the reality of spinning with fire. polishing, polishing, polishing.

when i think of how far we’ve come on this piece, it makes me really appreciate pixie for having the initial vision and the passion to make it a reality. i’m really glad i jumped at the opportunity to try something new. regardless of how the playa performances go, this has been one of those afterschool special life lessons on the value of the process. that’s pretty cool.

i think it bodes well for things to come.