Alaska State Fair Hooping

I had a booth at the Alaska State Fair this year! Ten days, ten hours a day hooping. It was good crazy fun.

Cosmic Hoops heads South for the Winter

Kammi and AmyLou of Cosmic Hoops have headed south for the winter! We're now in sunny Guanajuato where we are working speaking Spanish. It's going to take as much work as learning to chest hoop in the second direction it seems. Many clumsy attempts before we become graceful.

I (Kammi) brought about ten hoops plus my LED hoop, and my firehoop with me. Thankfully, the airlines didn't charge me extra for the big bubble wrapped package, but I did have to rent a bigger car than I'd reserved because the hoops didn't fit in the back of the PT Cruiser I was going to cruise around LA in. So I had to get a minivan.





Bringing the hoops in Mexico has been amusing too. No one understood what "hula hoops" were until I pantomimed the motion of spiraling my hips, and then "ahah!" it finally made sense. Some hooper friends who have traveled to Mexico suggested that I call it "hula hula" pronounced like "oola oola" and people would understand it better. And it's true! Everyone understands "oola oola" and makes the confirming spiraling motion with their hips to prove the understand.




We've noticed that there is a gym here, strangely called UnderFit that offers Yoga, Zumba, Pilates and other classes, and I'm going to go there and see if I can start teach "English Immersion HoopDance" classes. Maybe by the end of my six weeks learning Spanish at Academia Falcon I can teach the Hoop classes en espanol.

I'll keep you posted of our hooping adventures in Guanajuato!

Burning Basket Fire Hooping

Every Autumn Equinox, Mavis Muller and friends build a huge basket on Bishop's beach... and then burn it. This year, the theme of the basket was "Surpass". My prayer to the basket was to surpass previous expectations of what is possible through love.

I brought my fire hoop along in case I felt moved to hoop with it. I haven't been hooping for a while, and certainly not with my fire hoop because of the new little addition to our family, Marina Penelope Pearl. But, as soon as the fire poi spinners started weaving their magic around the burned down basket, I had to get my hoop lit.

I felt such a rush of energy - excitement & adrenaline - that I was shaking as Ivan lit my hoop. But as soon as I got in the spin, I felt like I'd been hooping forever. People kept calling out my name, and I wished they wouldn't because it wasn't about me, I wanted to be an extenstion of the life and power of the basket and part of the ritual of it all. I felt blessed to be able to add to the light of that special night.

Voluputous Hoopin' Mama

A friend in Holland just sent me this picture, and I love it!  (Thanks Bart and Alies!) 

It's great to see this image right now because I just saw a video of me teaching a workshop at the UAA Dance Together festival last weekend in all my 7-month pregnant glory, and I realized I look rather *voluptuous* right now.  Well, this photo helps me embrace those curves as something beautiful and sexy!

North Carolina rocks!

WOW - We just spend an amazing two weeks in North Carolina at the Hoop Convergence, and beyond.  Our first night there, we were blessed to stay at Pickard's Mountain Eco-Institute, a beautiful 350 acre organic farm/ green living sanctuary run by Tim and Megan Toben.  Their little girl, Kaya, is about Spencer's age and the two kids had a great time playing together, too. 

From there, we went to the Hoop Convergence which was five days of hooping bliss!  Amazing hoopers from all over the country gathered together at the Convergence to teach classes, share information, learn from each other, and of course rock their hoops.  I was in awe of the amazing talent, and the sweet community of people that are creating and leading the hoop revival.  I feel really blessed to be a part of a movement that is more than just an exercise trend (which some people think hooping is).  For me now, it's really a lifestyle choice!   And, it's great to meet a whole culture of people to whom hooping is just as important.

Much love goes out to Jewels, Spiral, Ali Cat, and Caroleena for organizing the event, to Anah from San Fran for pioneering a whole new way for hoopers, to Revolva for her incredible hooping journaling workshop, to AlleyOop for rockin' the multiple hoops and being so brave and real, to Stephan for being so fun and for editing the footage Kevin too, to Erica from Hooperville for superfun collobarations, to Jessie for being our little transportation angel, to Bonnie for being at rockin' hoop mama and making us laugh, to Michelle for all her bounciness, to Marria and Ammon for incredible partnering ideas, to Laura and Ariana for their awesome LED hoop, and to everyone else who I can't name right now for inspiring me by rockin' the hoop with love.

Hoop Convergence

Cosmic Hoops is at the Hoop Convergence in North Carolina!!!
We're having an amazing time!

More pictures and stories soon.

Ted Stevens HOOPS!

Our longest serving Republican US Senator, Senator Ted Stevens of Alaska, hoops!

Well, sort of.

While getting ready for a fierce craft competition at the Anchorage Craft Mafia Smackdown last weekend, Sen. Stevens warmed up by giving the hoops a few spins.

Cosmic Hoops was there to provide him with the hoop, and some hooping instruction.

At first he was wary of trying it because of "three lower back surgeries." But when I handed Sen. Stevens the hoop his eyes lit up and he said, "Let me see that thing! I used to hoop for hours when my daughters were young!"

He grabbed the hoop, and wound up for take off like a pro, and then let the hoop fly. A little more practice and we might see him rockin' it on the senate floor, who knows!