What's Your Hoop History?

I was thinking about my hooping past the other day when looking at the Hooping Family Tree project. It is a compressive family tree made by having hoopers submit their hooping origins to be cataloged and connected. You can see your hoop history as well as those of many other influential hoopers.

So, what's your hooping past? Who inspired you to get started? Did you warm up to it right away or did your Hoop Love have to grow slowly over time? 

I started hooping in 2008. It was my last year in school and I was finishing up a thesis that I truly hated. My academic advisor, with whom I had worked with the entire year prior to establish the foundation for my work, literally disappeared the following year with no notice, no goodbye, and taking all of her research with her. Research that I needed desperately to perform my work. (Oh the drama.)

Hooping in 2008. Lookit that big ol' hoop <3

I had to start all over from the ground up. The end of college was looming, with fears of 'what's next' constantly swimming in my head. It was a stressful time and I needed a break. Then, one day, one of my friends appeared after a festival with a large, sparkly hula hoop. 

At first I was simply unsure of what it was - it looked like a hula hoop...but fancier...and MUCH bigger.

She showed me some tricks and instantly I knew that I had to give it a try. Learning the vortex, beginning my very shaky isolations, and 3 or 4 revolutions around my legs had me hooked. I finally found joy in something again! My brain stopped swimming. I knew I had to learn more.

Then I started dissecting YouTube for anything I could find. I found Safire's first tutorials and that was it - I was a hoophead. From then on my hoop history has only grown, and clearly, has shaped my life immensely. Certainly, FAR more than I would have imagined in those first few weeks and months. 

I am glad to know my hoop past. It is wonderful to remember those first few experiences and I am excited to see how it interacts with the histories of other hoopers.  What's yours?