Hula hoop!

by HoopandGlory

Hula hoops are back like they never went away. But that's what you get with a ring: Like a boomerang, it just keeps coming back. We show you how to make a hula hoop - an item as lovely as it sounds.

When most people think of hula-hooping, it may conjure up memories of unsuccessful personal attempts at making a ring go round and round. Or girls in shiny leotards spinning with thirty hoops all at once. Or the acrobatic hooping skills of acts such as Hoop La La. Impressive as it looks, it certainly isn't accessible to most people.

However, there is a small scene that is trying to change people's perception of hula-hooping. Let me introduce you to the world of hoop-dance: a revolutionary way of hooping that is both easily attainable and fun at the same time.

If you are still haunted by frustrating memories of trying to hoop as a kid that's probably because you only ever used a toy hoop. These are notoriously difficult to use due to their flimsy construction. Today's hoops are much larger and thicker, making them easier to hoop with as the bigger the hoop, the slower the rotation. They can also be decorated in any way you desire, be made into a foldable, travel hoop or as a glow-in-the-dark, LED and even fire hoop.

Furthermore, hoop dance helps improve your co-ordination and balance by teaching you how to hoop on different parts of your body and combine these with a series of 'off-body' moves (known as hoop tricks) and music to create a dance all your own. It is accessible to everybody, irrespective of age, size, gender or 'dance-ability'.

How Does One Get Started Then?

1. Check out ukhoopdatabase to find a list of classes in your area. If there aren't any, then YouTube is the way to go, with plenty of hoop-dance tutorials and performance videos. There are also specialist hoop-dance DVDs available by Hoopnotica, Hoop Girl and BodyHoops.

2. Then you need to get your own hula hoop! If you manage to get to a class, the instructor there will usually have hoops provided so you can try out a size that's right for you.

3. Or... Make one!

As a general guide, it is recommended that you start off with a hoop that measures somewhere between your navel and nipple. It is important to get a hoop that you're comfortable with. As you progress with your hooping skills, you can experiment with different hoop sizes. It's quite common for hoopers to own a variety of hoop sizes, depending on their style of hooping.

4. Engage with the wider hooping community through Tribe.net or through events like World Hoop Day. Check out events like the one being held by the London Hula Hoopers, which, this year is coming up on Sept 9th 2009.

5. And if there's nothing near you? Start a hula hoop revolution (get it? They go round and round) of your own!

How to Make a Basic Hula Hoop

What you need to make a hula hoop:

• MDPE tubing (available from irrigation and plumbing stores). They come in a variety of thicknesses. The 2 that you'll need are 25mm and 20mm. Start with the 25mm for a beginner's hoop.
• Tape measure
• Marker pen
• Plastic tubing (PVC) cutter, which should be available in the same place as the tubing. Otherwise try DIY stores like B&Q or Homebase or your local tool shop.
• 1 x ½" connector from Fancy Tapes. (These are imported from the States and aren't commercially available in the UK).
• Hair dryer OR bowl of boiling water.
• Rubber gloves
• Tapes to decorate the hoop, available from Fancy Tapes.

1. Firstly, decide what diameter you want your hoop to be.

2. Most beginners start off with a 40" outside diameter - outside diameter size. If you still aren't sure, measure a size somewhere between nipple and navel height: the bigger the hoop, the slower it will rotate, so is easier to start hooping.

3. Work out the circumference of the hoop by multiplying the diameter by 3.14. So, for a 40" diameter hoop this would be 40 x 3.14 = 125.6" (I've kept the measurement in inches to avoid confusion, but you can convert it to work in cms if you prefer).

4. Use the tape measure to measure out 125.6" and then mark this with your marker pen. Get the PVC cutter to cut the tubing there you've marked it.

5. Put on the gloves. Have the connector ready by your side.

If you have chosen to use a hairdryer, turn it on to its hottest setting. Holding both ends of the tubing, point the dryer at the 2 ends. Spread the heat around the 2 tubing ends to speed up the heating process.

TIP: It helps if you have the concentrator nozzle on to speed up the process.

6. If you are using boiling water, dip the 2 ends of the tubing into it and hold it there for a minute, or until they have softened enough.

7. Once you are satisfied that both of the tubing ends have been softened, take the connecter and push it into both ends of the tubing. You should be able to get the tubing to go over the ridges of the connector. However, if all the pushing in the world isn't getting the tubing to move, you may need to heat up the tubing again. This will be easier if you have used the hairdryer method, as you can concentrate the heat where you need it. Otherwise, just dip the tubing back into the water or run it under hot water.

8. Keep repeating the heating process until the 2 ends of the tubing slide over the connector so that the 2 tubing ends meet. You shouldn't be able to see the connector (although you may still be able to see the middle ridge of the connector, but this shouldn't matter). Leave the tubing to cool or use the cold shot button on your hairdryer, if it has one.

At this point, if your hula hoop is looking more like an oval than a circle, you can bend the hoop to 'shape' it.

9. Now you are ready to decorate your hula hoop!

Start off with one tape, keeping the spacing as even as possible to ensure you don't get too big a gap for your next tape. It's easier to work standing up, keeping the hoop upright between your legs and wrapping the tape in an even motion around the hula hoop.

Repeat for the rest of the tape colours you have chosen.

You can put as few or as many colours on your hoop as you want, but remember that the more tapes you put on it, the heavier the hula hoop will be.

TIP: When you begin to tape your hula hoop, you may want to get your 2nd tape colour and 'measure' the gaps between the first tape to ensure that they are even. It's better to let the tapes overlap slightly to ensure there are no gaps. But even if you end up with a slight gap between tapes, that's no bad thing and may even look deliberate!

Mooky Eds: You can buy hand made travel hoops from Hoopandglory.co.uk if you do not wish to make your own but still want a hula hoop with a bit of love in it...

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Mookychick believes that climbing trees and riding giant turtles is more fun and girly than worrying about make-up. But if you want to worry about make-up instead of turtles? Fine by us. Be you feminist, kitten, punk, emo, indie, goth, witch, vegan, horror junky, intellectual, christian goth, corset queen, geek, unicorn, sea monkey... be you into alternative style, alternative health, spirituality, comics, manga, j-pop, harajuku or jock culture... we will always love you.