Anyone who’s been to the Burn can certainly appreciate a good compilation video, especially from your friends. And this lovely homage to 2012 was created by none other than my hoop daddy Stefan Spins of Groovehoops! As you might remember his video from last year, “Home” racked up quite a few views (over 500,000). While I missed the burn this year, it’s lovely to see all the wonderful people who make it so special, and pumps me up to get back out there next year!

The people out in Colorado are really outdoing themselves with this event, The Spin Summit. Hooping, Poi, and more, all on top of a freaking mountain. Hell yeah! Ok, well the whole festival doesn’t necessarily take place on the mountain, but it’s a pretty awesome selling point to have a spin jam on a 14,000 ft. peak. So what else do they have to offer, and who exactly is going to be teaching at this event?

Think of this much like the other hooping centric gatherings, such as Hoop Convergence and Hoop Camp. I say this for a number of reasons, one of which is that many of the big name teachers are hoopers. Rich Porter, Brecken, Rainbow Micheal and many more hoopers are coming out to teach. Another reason this is a little different is that it’s a little more expensive. Like the other hooping festivals, the base ticket prices start at around $400. I’m not saying it’s too much, just pointing it out.

July 17-21 Winter Park, CO

So what else can you get for the price? Well, you can either choose Tent Camping, RV Camping, or if you’re willing to spend a little bit more, you can stay in a lodge. What an awesome festival. Basically this event is meant for people wanting to immerse themselves in the hoop, and don’t necessarily want to rough it out too much. But they’re trying to reach out to the poi scene, as well as other toys. Alien Jon is going to be teaching there. and remember that these prices are helping to better support the teachers and artists running the event.

So if you couldn’t make it to one of the big hoop events, or just want to jam out on top of a mountain give this festival a shot.

The summer season is upon us and with it comes a storm of festivals happening the world over, big and small. And today we’ll be focusing on the first skill toy festival of the summer, Play Immersion! This is run by the exact same people that brought your Play Immersion TX back in April, but this time it’s in Connecticut in June. Which means that no one has to worry about the terrible Texas heat in the summer, or those annoying burn bans which are sure to affect the upcoming Flipside. Instead you get to enjoy mild heat and cool evenings in the shaded forests up north. Who wouldn’t want to be a part of that piece of awesomeness.

June 24-26 Oxford, CT

That’s right, the folks from Try Out Toys, including our very own Thom Thumb, are putting on another great skill toy festival. This time, all the people that missed out on the fun in Texas can indulge up north. They’re having it at the same location as last year, Shcreiber’s Farm, and having been there myself, it is beautiful. And the scene last year was an awesome close knit group of people. It’s tent camping, bring your own food, etc. Just like many other festivals, except at this farm, you might get a hay ride! We did last year.

Here’s a Montage from the most recent Play Immersion for your enjoyment and consideration:

They haven’t released the teacher’s list yet, but have no fear. They have consistently great teachers at every event, and you know that Thom and Micheal will be there, so that’s a win. Unfortunately, I won’t be able to make it, for financial reasons. Money is a bitch, but we gotta save up for the move back to NYC!

Tickets haven’t been released as of this writing yet, but expect them to be in the range of $80-$100, and I bet it’ll be cheaper if you buy sooner. So keep an eye out. And keep abreast of all the information by checking out their website, or just give them a holler!

So I neglected a couple of events in the previous roundup of Spring Festivals, mostly because I was as then unawares of the event. But I’ve tried to make up for it since by devoting an entire article to both Camp Fire III, and now to the inaugural Spin Out, which is being put together by SaFire and her lovely crew up in Canada. This is basically the Canadian equivalent of the other festivals down here with one exception, and that it’s slightly more hoop-centric than the others. This is mostly because it’s being run by a hooper, so it makes sense. So, if you’re a hooper in Canada and couldn’t afford to go to Hoop Convergence, Hoop Camp, or The Spin Summit, this is your big chance!

Camp Maskepetoon, Canada: June 17-19, 2011

As many of us may be aware, SaFire is the creator and gracious host of the ever popular Hoop City site which is devoted to connecting the hooping community on a social media platform much like facebook. It has been and still is a wonderful resource which allows hoopers not only from Canada, but all over the world to connect with one another. And that’s a previous obvious connection which explains why Spin Out is going to be more hoop heavy than many of the other non-profit festivals here in the states.

As far as teachers go, this event certainly will be bringing their fair share of superstars to the table. Naturally SaFire will be teaching some hooping lessons, as well as Julia ‘Jewels’ Hartsell of Hoopdrum. On the poi side of things, G and Alien Jon are confirmed as instructors, along with Thom Thumb who I’m sure will be bringing many of his other skills there. Top that all off with Pali Endi teaching Wand, and Carisa Hendrix teaching Fire Eating and you’ve got yourself a party! But seriously the teaching lineup is fabulous. And it’s only $155 (Canadian!) to go.

And keep in mind these guys are going all out for their first year of the event. So the more people come out this time, the better it will be the next time around. I know I always say this, but I mean it: Support your Community! If you’ve got the time and money, which is never a certainty, and you want to learn something, festivals are the best way to meet new spin and learn. Hands down.

So, I’m sure we’ve all begun making plans for the spring/summer festival season. But what if you we’re unable to acquire those much sought-after Firedrums tickets, and unfortunately can’t make it out to Kinetic Fire. What spinning events are left? Well you’re in luck because right around the corner comes Camp Fire III! They’re making a big push this year to expand their event to include a larger audience. Much of that means reaching out to the community, securing nationally renowned teachers, and doing all that they can to make sure this goes off without a hitch. And I’m here to toot their horn in the hopes that some of you will hop on board and head out to the event.

Geneva, Minnesota: June 10-13, 2011

So what’s going on at Camp Fire this year? Well, first of all they’ve got some great instructors coming out. For all you hoopers, Brecken is going to be dishing out mad skills all weekend long. Jexime Icon with some tech fan and Ian Micheal Smith will also be attending. Noel Yee and Marvin Ong will be there to melt your mind with some tech poi goodness, and Aileen Lawlor is going to be throwing down some staff and wand flow. And it’s just been confirmed that Alien Jon and Thom Thumb will be making the trip! So, basically you’ll have plenty to learn and then some.

It’s also a pretty small event in size, allowing for only 250 people this year. Which means you’ll be able to mingle with everyone, learn, and actually get to spend quality time. It’s going to be cozy and comfy which is a wonderful environment not only to learn, but also to make friends. It’s also volunteer run, and non-profit which means it’s up to you guys to make sure this event takes off. Here’s a great description from Paul Dunkirk-Greenbaum, one of the organizers:

Camp Fire is an object manipulation retreat with heavy fire undertones focusing on almost every facet of performance art with a plethora of props and apparatuses to other forms of performance like body balancing and aerial arts. With over 60 plus workshops, 2 incredible organic meals a day, late night fire jams with tasty beats thrown down by talented djs, and performance show cases featuring some of Midwest’s awesome troupes; Camp Fire creates an atmosphere where performers from many walks of life converge to share their passion and help each other grow. 
Camp Fire is an event where no one makes profit, even the organizers pay to be there. Our goal is to create community through making life long connections with other performers and sharing performance skills. As this will be Camp Fire’s third year, we are bringing in nationally known talent to instruct some incredible next level classes. Keep an eye out on the workshop page as it continues to grow and please feel free to submit a workshop idea if you’d like to teach! Come be a part of an incredible weekend that will elevate your performance and burn sacred geometry into your synapses!

They’ll be helping to arrange rides for people from the airport to Camp Fire, so no worries there. And if you get your tickets now, they are only $90. Basically, if you live nearby and want to support a growing number of artists and performers in your area, as well as increase your knowledge, this is a great way to do it. And if you’re from elsewhere, but have the time and money, it’s definitely worth a look. Bottom line, if we don’t make it work, no one will. So get out there and support your fellow spinners!

“It’s Burning Man! Biggest party in the world baby!”-South Park

There’s a lot of information, and misinformation on Burning Man out there. And while South Park wasn’t completely off-track, it’s not just the biggest party in the world. It’s a community, it’s meditation, and it’s play. So for those of you who’ve gone to Burning Man at some point in your life, here’s a little video to make you feel at home. And for those of you who’ve never been, want to go, or simply don’t know what the fuck goes on out there, this video captures the feel and look of Burning Man better than anything else out there (at least as best as it can be captured on film).

Burning Man 2010 from Quinn Miller-Bedell on Vimeo.