This past Sunday (Sept. 13, 2009) I met my mentor, my inspiration, the person who taught me the basic tricks of hooping, whose tutorials I would memorize and then replicate on the grassy quad until each skill was accomplished.. I met SaFire. The creator of this wonderful space.

I traveled only 20 minutes to San Francisco's Saint Mary's Park on a drizzly afternoon with four other hooping fanatics. We searched the park for Sandra, holding hoops in the air, venturing through the park in the rain, wondering if she really meant we'd gather in "rain or shine." I didn't even care if I got to hoop with her, I just had to meet her...

It is amazing how someone can change your life and not even know who you are. Everytime I'm asked the question, "so, how did you get into hooping?" my story always includes the videos of Sandra I've watched on YouTube. (Which I tell quite often)

SaFire taught us some unconventional ways to move while doing basic hula hooping at the waist. She had us do different balancing exercises to really explore the movement of our bodies in keeping the hoop revolving. We worked on leg hooping, chest hooping, and even ran to the other end of the baseball diamond - while hooing - in the mud & rain. Everyone loved getting dirty, of course. The slimy hoop on the otherhand was getting a little dangerous. In the end she asked if we needed help on any sticky tricks and I was fortunate enough to get one in.

"I can hoop with my elbow, vertically, and pass it to my other elbow behind my back and continue in circles around myself, but how do you pass it when bent over, horizontally?"

After showing me once, the description of "draw a circle with your elbow" (I was just pumping my fist) is what got me to goal. I was able to pass it behind my back from my left to my right elbow and then onto my body while bent over five times before the session ended. A trick I had been toying with for over a month.

It isn't an exaggeration when I say I wouldn't be where I am today without SaFire's instruction. Not only did I learn my skills from her meticulous lessons; now, 16 months later, I teach my own classes twice a week using the same vocabulary that was so clear and concise for me to follow, and my students are turning out to be amazing as well!

Thanks SaFire!