The Hoop Man Can!
As I have previously mentioned, I’m the resident hula hooper here at Sugar Blue. I started doing it just for something different for my acts and different from the other ladies. Plus I have secretly always wanted to learn. It looked like a jolly good bit of fun. I picked up the basics fairly quickly but they will only get you so far. Just spinning the hoop and prancing about a bit is boring. You need tricks. The people love the tricks. By far the best source is youtube. There are some amazing hoopers out there. I am forever looking at clips for new tricks to steal and perfect. So in my search to try and find some amazing 50’s pin up hoopers (which I sadly didn’t), which is when the hula hoop craze first started, I discovered Mat Plendl.
This gent is a hula hoop MAVERICK! He has been hooping since the 70’s. I have never been a fan of male hula hoopers. I don’t really know why. It looks a little bit odd or something. But Mat Plendl is something else. He was the international hula hoop champion in the 80’s and has appeared on all kinds of TV shows including The Tonight Show. Here is his winning routine from the US hoop championships in the 70’s:
He is 13!!!! 13!!!! He probably taught himself and invented a lot of these moves. It makes me feel very inadequate. Here he is in the 80’s:
Terrible outfit and music (really terrible) aside, AMAZING! I have never ever seem some of the stuff he is doing before. You see all these gorgeous russian ex gymnasts and ballerinas doing all these crazy moves using fexibilty and acrobatics and so on which is impressive in it’s own right. But Mat is not a gymnast. He doesn’t have that fexiblity to rely on. What makes Matt stand out is the sheer technicality of his tricks. It’s mind boggling to say the least!
And he is still performing! It seems he has gone down a more burlesque/cabaret route which is exciting! Here is a performance from 2007. It’s hilarious!
So witty! So clever! So inspiring!!
Watching Mat has definitely pushed me to practise more and perhaps start inventing some of my own tricks! He is truly a pioneer. It makes me even more excited about hula hooping! The possibilities are endless!
How about you lovelies? Who inspires you? Anyone from Coco Chanel (love), The Three Stooges to Minnie Mouse. Anyone who makes you want acheive something!
See you round like a hula hoop *badoom ching*
XOXO
Clara
