Do you remember the last time you attempted to hula hoop? I remember having a small yet rather flimsy purple hoop as a child, and even attempted to use a similar one while at the toy store for my child. That was an ill fated attempt, and honestly I left thinking I had lost any and all hope for keeping a hula hoop around my waist, instead of on the floor.
Soon after, while reading the newspaper one morning, I came across an article about a woman who sells hoops that she made herself. Supposedly, her hoops were heavier and more substantial allowing practically anyone the ability to hoop, just as they remember doing when they were young.
I attended quite a few festivals that year and, surprisingly enough, each festival had a hula hoop vendor selling these fabulously creative hoops. Much larger in size from a child's hoop, it was visibly thicker and coated in various patterns of colored tapes. After trying my hand at hooping with the sturdier version, it was a complete success! I was amazed and inspired to make my own hoop, as I've been known to get crafty from time to time. Thanks to the many tutorial videos on YouTube, the ease of buying all necessary pieces and parts at the local hardware store, and my previous experience with color and design at art school, I was able to create my own spin on what I wanted my hoop to be.
Making your own hula hoop is a very simple process. To create a basic hoop you will need 100psi 1" irrigation tubing, a ¾" tubing connector, a set of ratcheting tubing cutters, and a pot of boiling water. I tend to make all of my hoops with a 9' - 9'6" piece of tubing by using the ratcheting cutters at the desired measurement. Once the tubing is the correct length, place one end of the tubing in boiling water for 10 seconds, and insert half of the connector. Insert the other end of the tubing in the boiling water for 10 seconds, and push the tubing onto the remaining connector to form the complete the circle.
In the wide world of hooping, you may hear that weighted hoops give you the most results if attempting to lose weight, but I am advising you to be wary of the many variations, suggestions, and opinions on how to improve the most basic model. You may possibly hear that you need a faster hoop, or slower hoop, which refers to the length of the tubing used. Slower hoops have a larger circumference, while faster hoops are smaller. Along with other professional hoopers, I am not partial to the so-called weighted hoops which tend to incorporate water or sand being poured into the tubing before it is finally connected. Weighted hoops move slower, and easily cause bruising on the hips if too heavy.
Other variations that are both fun and challenging to create include LED hoops which are made of clear tubing with soldered LED lights inside, and collapsible hoops that take up less space when being stored. Creating hula hoops allows many possibilities for prototyping and creativity. On top on the basic design, you can purchase an endless amount of beautiful tapes including vinyl, holographic designs, fabric, glow in the dark, and they consist of the entire spectrum of colors. While your basic design may be typical, the taping designs you decide upon will be absolutely unique to your hoop.
One of the best aspects of creating your own hula hoops are the vast free resources available on the net. The topic of crafting hoops is considered an open forum, complete with online communities of members ready to assist you with opinions and feedback as needed. So before you try another flimsy hula hoop from the toy store, consider your high quality, low cost, and fun alternative for creating your own unique hoop for everyone in your family.
About the Author:
Suzanne Willard has over 10 years of experience in broadcast media, along with web design and development, and has been designing and creating her own hula hoops for the past year. Suzanne is currently enrolled in the Master's Degree in Entrepreneurship Program at Western Carolina University. Webmasters and other article publishers are hereby granted article reproduction permission as long as this article in its entirety, author's information, and any links remain intact. Copyright 2010 by Suzanne Willard.
Article Source: The Reinvention of the Hula Hoop
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