Hula-Hooping makes a Shelter Island comeback
“Arms up, have fun!” was the mantra of Hula-Hoop instructor Sara Lucas as she gave directions to young enthusiasts at the library’s special program August 6, from left, Elijah Davidson, Mimi Walkup, Lucas Shapiro, John Walkup and Charlie Murray.
Young patrons of the Shelter Island Library were able to take a spin through the past last Saturday, practicing their Hula-Hoop skills and learning new tricks as well.
A new program at the library organized and led by Sara Lucas, daughter of Library Director Terry Lucas, offered the kids a chance to decorate D.I.Y. hoops, learn new techniques and take the toy home.
Ms. Lucas, currently attending Green Mountain College in Vermont, had sent a video of herself Hula-Hooping to her mom. After being home from school for a few weeks, the director said, “I figured, why not put her to work?”
Attendees decorated hoops made by Ms. Lucas with brightly colored tape, making stripes and zigzag patterns, then headed outside and began swiveling their hoops and hips to the music.
According to “Hula-Hooping: Definitive Guide to Hoops and Hooping,” the Wham-O Company, founded by childhood friends Richard Knerr and Arthur Melin, made its fortune from hoops 28-inches in diameter made of plastic tubing. The company began passing out Hula-Hoops at demonstrations on Southern California playgrounds in 1958, giving birth to a Hula-Hooping “frenzy,” the book states. It’s estimated that over 100 million hoops were sold in its first year at price per hoop of $1.98.
In an effort to keep their success swinging, Wham-O added noise-making ball bearings inside the hoop, and began supporting the National Hula-Hoop Contest, which lasted from 1968 to 1981. The yearly contest judged several classic moves, such as “the Knee Knocker” and “the Stork,” as well as original routines.
Youngsters of all skill levels attended the library’s activity, from the amateur to the aficionado.
“I can teach the class!” announced one enthusiast, John Walkup. John put his money where his hips were, whipping the hoop around for impressive periods of time.
This reporter tried out some moves, but, sadly, was only able to master the stationary hula.
Ms. Lucas, who said she learned many of her tricks through YouTube videos, taught the young hoopers some of her favorites, such as the “Lasso,” spinning the hoop overhead around a raised hand, and the “Vortex,” using the lasso technique to move the hoop up and down the body. Mesmerized, the class tried to copy the moves and free-styled their own.
The excitement over learning new tricks could be heard in the youngsters’ shouts and laughing, and one might have thought the scene came out of one of those 1950s playgrounds, where the Hula-Hoop craze was born.
Many parents recalled their childhoods, spent playing not with technological devices, but with the plastic circle. Some adults even joined in the fun, mimicking Ms. Lucas and allowing muscle memory to kick in.
