DAY 34 // "The Hoops"

Alright, so straight to the creative bit..it's not creative in a design sense but it's something that i've wanted to do for awhile.

Those who know me personally know that this year I have developed a love for hoola-hooping. It's a hobbie I picked up thanks to one of my coolest friends back in Van, Emily, who introduced me to the idea of hoola-hooping about 8 months ago and invited me to my very first "hoop jam" in a hidden little studio just off Main Street.

Here I met Ali, a crazy talented hoop artist who teaches and performs with hoola-hoops for a living, she even travels with a circus for a few months out of the year around the East Coast of Canada. She lives and works in the studio and holds workshops and "Hoops Jams" a couple nights a week there for anyone and everyone interested in circus arts..not just hooping, but poi, juggling, juggling sticks, diablo, ribbons, some things I don't even know what they are called..anything goes really. There's music blasting and the occasional beer consumed and you can stay as long as you like.

I felt like I was delving into this new sub-culture of awesome humans. These people were doing things I've never seen before, I felt like I was part of a little circus freak club. The people I met were all so lovely and welcoming, not to mention super talented. Always eager to help you with new tricks or compliment you on some awesome thing you just did. Everyone was learning from one another and sharing the space, while having the best time.. I was hooked.

So before I left on my trip I decided I needed to get some hoops to bring with me, so Ali made we two custom taped, collapsable hoola-hoops that fit perfectly on my backpack. People thought I was a little nuts.."really, you're bringing THOSE with you?" and many laughed, but I didn't care, I knew they were awesome and that's all that mattered. What I didn't know was that they would soon become the two most amazing travel buddies I could have ever asked for. 

These hoops have been the start to so many great conversations, budding friendships with strangers, fun afternoons at the beach, wild dorm room parties, hilarious photo op's and endless, endless laughter. 

They have been used by all kinds of lovely strangers and friends from young kids to backpackers, boys, girls, boys dressed as girls..even a cab driver and an 80 year old man in a speedo who wanted to "give it a go". 

These hoops have touched many hips in 7 months of travel..

So I thought It would be fun to compile all the photos I have taken, of the people who i've met who've tried their hand with the hoops and looked damn sexy doing it.  

Enjoy!

Thanks for reading this essay of a post !

xo 

- Day before I left on my adventure -

- First Beach Hoop session of my trip..in Byron Bay <3 -

-Two girls we met in Surfers Paradise. We hooped and drank goon on the beach under the moonlight -

Right: Olly from our hostel in Surfers hooping after a night at the bar // Left: The coolest cab driver i've ever met who drove us home one night in Mermaid Beach.

- A random guy we met at the bar In surfers -

-Left: In Byron Bay a old man in a speedo asked to try his hand at hooping, he was actually pretty good! // Right: My America friend I met at my hostel, we spent the whole next day together at the beach -

- Jodi and I crashed a front yard house party in Mermaid beach with the hoops at this amazing little surf shack called "The Blue House".. we hung out with these guys the whole time we stayed there, they became amazing friends -

Right: the bus driver at the Arts Factory was a sick hooper // Right: My friend from Van, Lauren, met me at the beach in Byron for some hoop jams.

- Our friend Sam who we met on the beach (Gold Coast) one day while trying to surf. he kindly offered us a place to stay at his place, 2 minutes from Beautiful Nobby Beach. We had plenty of fun afternoons drinking and hooping on the beach with this guy -

 - Jodi and I invented "Chug Hooping".. here's us chugging our home-made sangria in classy water bottles-

- I met Rob from England on my first night in Byron at the Buddha Bar. We spent the next day hanging at the beach together -

- This is in Coolangata. I'm hooping with a friend Jodi and I met named Conny. She was awesome and loved hooping!-

- Nobby Beach .. Jodi and Harley (Sam's neighbour) coming up with new hoop games-

-Left: Keith in Byron Bay, Jodi and I couch surfed with him for two nights in Mermaid Beach // Right: his friend who we spent the day in Byron with as well.-

- Group of girls we met in Mermaid Beach. Carly, Jess and Teagan. This was at the Burliegh Bongos which is a drum circle and park hangout that happens every sunday in Burliegh Heads.

Left: Cammie in our dorm room in Noosa, this is when we first met! // Right: Another lovely french Canadian friend I met in Noosa, Dave. We spent one of my days off at the beach, I brought my hoops.

-The sexy boys of Room 11, these guys were always getting the party started!-

-Also Room 11 roomies, Patrick and Magnus - total pros!-

- My friend Steff and I at the Perigian Originals Festival-

- Tom and Lewis, amazing friends of mine I met working at a Tapas Bar in Noosa. We had the best sunday sesh at Perigian Originals that day..They finally nailed this move down after a couple of failed attempts. Nice work boys -

 - These two little girls were so cute and both asked if they could use my hoops. They were amazing little hoopers! - 

- This little girl was awesome too..giving me a run for my money!-

- To girls from my Fraser Island Trip Hoopin' at the lake-

- Crazy British boys on The CLIPPA on the Whitsundays. This was our first night..everyone was tame... until the hoops appeared-

- They started jumping thought the hoops and seeing who could make it the highest-

 - The second night on the CLIPPA boat, fancy dress party was in full swing. Chris looked so beautiful hooping in this outfit-

- Eric, from Mexico- getting into it-

- Two super cool guys Cammie and I met one afternoon while we were hanging out, hooping by the lagoon in Cairns ( Wes, from Enlgand and Bjoirn from Germany) . I got chatting with these guys and the four of us ended up spending the rest of the day together. We had so much fun with them..too bad they had to leave on a flight to Darwin that night :( -

- This is Bart from Belgium who we met at Dougies hostel in Port Douglas. This was our first night there and we spent the evening with some awesome people playing guitar, having a couple beers and hooping-

- The Beautiful Camille here at the farm-

-The End- 

<3 <3 <3