Friday, July 2, 2010

Heartbreak Hoopers

So when I got to my friend's place in San Francisco the other week, I barely had time to say hello when we went to her favorite store because she had just bought her husband a jacket there and thought I would want one just like it, and I didn't have time to blink before we were in her car driving over.

We got there and walked through the door of the store only to be greeted by a girl in full half moon yoga position, which went into lion position, and then against the laws of nature... went into feathered peacock position.

I'm sorry, WHERE are we?!

The girl then hopped up and started chatting away with my friend as I snuck on over to the jackets in the corner. I was alone for no more than three minutes when I hear a, "Hi! I'm Arielle! So how do you two know each other?!" It was the incredibly perky yoga master from the front of the store; so I jumped in telling her how my friend and I knew each other.

Somehow (still not quite sure how...) we got talking about how she was an aerialist (which I find to be quite the irony/foreshadow that her name is Arielle and that she is an aerialist... that's kinda like if I end up being a Hawk handler for the rest of my life; good to know I have options). We then got talking about how she would love to join Cirque du Soleil but never could because they require you to speak french fluently to be in their troupe. I informed her that I too had some reasons why the good people of Cirque du Soleil would never let me join their troupe either.

Check out 'Empathy' in the dictionary... you'll see the picture of us in the jacket section commiserating together as their reference picture.

Our conversation from utter left field somehow got more interesting as she started telling me that she specializes in hula hoop. Now once conversation has reached hula hoop status, one will find themselves completely invested and completely out of 'casual chit-chat' bounds.

She told me about where she had learned it, and she also told me that she teaches hula hoop classes at night. Then, out of bloody nowhere, there was a HULA HOOP right in front of me that she somehow had in her hands?!! Magical.

She then informed me that she makes all of her own hula hoops and this is one of the ones that she had made. By now a lot of the coworkers had gathered around chanting for her to 'hula', meanwhile my friend was nowhere to be found?!

What is happening?!

Here is another blatant iPhone plug... you will never know when you will cross paths with a professional hula hooper and mark my words, when that day comes you had better have some kind of recording device with you to capture the moment.

  Behold...



She is incredible.

Now I'm not one to brag, but I have been known to win a shimmy contest or two in my day... but never did I know what I have been missing all these years!

Shimmy + Hula  =  Default Win.

She gave me one of her business cards and I would be really selfish to keep it all to myself... so here you go.

Heartbreak Hoopers
Heartbreakhoopers.com
Arielle (aka 'Hooperella')

Apparently you get a hooper name when you turn pro.

I have been thinking of what my hooper name would be should I decide to reconsider my career...

Hawkahoop...

Hoopahawker...

Ken-a-hoopa-hawk-anator...

Hooper-hamhawk-a-loogie....

Hmmm, starting to have to have some horrible junior high flashbacks. I'll have to work on the name...

Morals of the Post:
  • I don't know if its the hippie in my blood talking, or the Native American connecting with ritual ring/rain dances... but either way, this is baller!! I endorse it! a lot.
  •  If interested, and you live in the bay area... have Arielle teach you! She's pretty much the best thing to hit hula hoops since, well... ever.  Tell her Hawk sent you.
  • If you own a company I HIGHLY recommend stationing yoga'ers, aerialists, and hoopers at every entrance... I felt guilty for getting a complete performance and not buying anything, so I bought the jacket. That my friends, is smart marketing.

  • To all my Heartbreak Hoopers out there... Hoop on.

8 comments:

  1. So, I've been feeling all sorts of directionless lately. Tonight I feel inspired, nay, not just inspired.. but driven... with every fiber of my being to check up on my good friend Hawkypuck. I now have some direction in my life. First thing tomorrow I'm going to purchase a yoga DVD and a hula hoop. Wish me luck! -Andi

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  2. Hey Andi -

    I endorse your decision with all my heart! Side-note: You can buy your hula hoop from the Heartbreak Hoopers website!

    My recommendation... the 'Sphinx'. Its like the Hilary Clinton/Sara Palin power suit of hula hoops. You'll go straight to the top with that one!

    Good luck, and keep me posted!

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  3. I think Hawkahoop is SUPER catchy . . . and memorable. Five stars on this discovery and inspiration. I really can't wait to see where you go with this.

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  4. I just died laughing during this post. And to think I left Provo without ever being privied to your shimmying. Such a shame!!

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  5. I didn't know a hula hoop was something you could just decide to make... I don't know how to process this information.

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  6. I like your life. To be a fly on the wall...

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  7. I vote for either: Hoop Doggy Dogg or Hoop Hawkey Hawk...you decide (but you only have those two options).

    Also...this is SO something that would happen to me. Imagine what our lives would be like if we were always in the same place at the same time...I think that the world would turn into a cartoon.

    I have to stop my reading for the night...I haven't eaten enough calories for this kind of burn-sesh. (laughing=exercise in my book). And you wonder why it takes me so long to read every post on your blog? It's because my body can't physically handle it.

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  8. i lost it at 12/13 seconds....

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