Race weekend Sunday 'cheer-hooping' fun

Robyn, Trish, Bryana, Rebecca cheer-hooped the marathon and half-marathon runners

This weekend was Race weekend in Ottawa. On behalf of the WBIA (Westboro Business Improvement Area) I assembled a small but mighty team of hoopers to cheerlead (with hoops) for the marathon and half marathon on Sunday morning, May 27. We were stationed at the corner of Island Park & Richmond Road, so that we could cheer the marathon runners heading a few blocks further west to Athlone Ave, and the half marathon runners, who would turn down Island Park heading to Scott Street.

The elite marathoners flew through not long after 7am, followed by a steady stream until about 8:45. Overcast skies made for ideal running and hooping weather. Shortly after 9:15, the half marathon runners appeared, and their numbers were huge. The clouds lifted and the temperatures rose, making it warmer for runners (and hoopers) but lovely for the growing crowds of spectators at our area. Families with strollers, cyclists and others packed the roadsides, cheering, high-fiving runners and clanging their cowbells. It was inspiring to see all ages of runners working so hard, and gratifying to see them smile, cheer or thank us for our hooping! :-) Our little corner became a bit of a hoop hub, with children and adults giving it a try with our extra hoops.

We felt like we'd run our own marathon, hooping hard for almost 4 hours. I still had to return to Dovercourt to teach my two Sunday morning classes, and was pretty depleted by the time they were done. 

Thank you to Natalie Hanson of the WBIA for asking us, and giant thanks to Robyn Brehaut, Bryana Katz and Rebecca Lantz for their enthusiasm, energy and hoop skills. 

The Official Dudes of Hooping Calendar 2013

Support a good cause and have a year's worth of hoop dudes to gaze upon!

Rich Porter of Isopop is fundraising for the 'SpinCycle' at Burning Man by selling calendars and taking donations, and is reaching out to hoop communities to spread the word and help out.

The SpinCycle is a large shaded space on the playa dedicated to hooping and music; it costs money to provide sound and power. They are shifting to a solar power system, which while environmentally superior to the diesel alternative, is also costly. 

The DOH calendar will feature such hooping luminaries as Rich Porter, Khan Wong, Rainbow Michael, Nick Guzzardo, Malcolm Stuart & more. You can find the details and links to purchase the calendar here on Rich's Isopop site >>

Hoop Jam Fri. May 25, 7-8:30pm at Dovercourt

Hoop Convergence 2012 hoopers assembled at the Weaver's Market in Carrboro, NCThere will be a hoop jam this Fri. May 25 at Dovercourt Recreation Centre, 7-8:30pm.

I'm just back from Hoop Convergence 2012…5 days basking in the company of about 150 hoopers. Here's a photo of part of the Convergence gang getting ready to parade from the Weaver's Market in Carrboro, NC to the Arts Center to take in the spectacular Performance Showcase last Saturday night.

Hoop Communities are pretty special; let's celebrate ours :-)

If i can pull together the equipment in time, i'll try to do a slide show at the jam of my 400-or-so photos from Hoop Con.

Hoop it up Fri. May 11, 7-8:30pm at Dovercourt

Come one, come all to our bi-weekly hoop jam. Celebrate last week's super moon, the tulips, the spring-like weather that's finally here… whatever turns your crank and makes you happy. 

As always, we'll have hoops and music. See you there!

Hoop Jam this Friday April 27, 7-8:30pm at Dovercourt

Come whirl with circular objects or other spinny things this Friday. At any given moment, you may see big hoops, small hoops, mini hoops, twin hoops, tandem hoops, gyro-doops, square hoops, poi, or acro yoga. We'll have tunes & hoops, and a space that's warm & dry (unlike last week's outdoor mini-jam in the rain at the Rideau Centre!).

Jenny has suggested some blind folded hooping towards the end of the jam, so this might be a good opportunity to channel Baxter, don your blindfold/ bandana and tap into your inner self. If you haven't tried it before, hooping blind is highly recommended. :-)