Most everyone enjoys spending a sunny afternoon playing catch or grilling out, but for some Auburn students, those afternoons are best spent hula hooping.
"It's just something to do when you're bored or it's a pretty day," said Katherine Kimbrell, freshman in nutrition. "It's fun, it's sexy, it keeps you in shape and it's always better with music."
Kimbrell began hula hooping, known as "hooping" or "hoopdancing" when done to music, after she attended the Rothbury Music Festival in summer 2009.
"I saw these girls who would hula hoop to music and I thought it was amazing," Kimbrell said. "I immediately went out and bought one for myself."
Kimbrell said when she returned home from the festival, she immediately set out to learn as many tricks as she could.
Common hula hooping tricks include spinning the hoop around different parts of the body, including the legs, neck and arms, or making the hoop move up and down the body without the use of hands.
Other variations on the traditional "around the waist" hula hooping depend on the types of hula hoops used.
Many hoopers use hoops with LED lights in them and some more experienced dancers use hoops with extensions that can be set on fire, Kimbrell said.
Kimbrell said she and her friends prefer to hoopdance at outdoor concerts, but they often practice in front of their dorms or any other open space they can find.
"It's kind of awkward to do it by yourself, but it has definitely started some conversations," Kimbrell said. "All of the people in Einstein's (Bagels) know
me because of it." Caitlin Reardon, undeclared freshman, said she thought Kimbrell was crazy when she mentioned how much she enjoyed hooping.
Reardon has since taken up hula hooping and learned a few tricks of her own.
"It definitely takes practice, but once you get the hang of it you can't stop," Reardon said. "Just do it
for two weeks and you got it. Learning a new trick is the greatest feeling in the world."
For anyone wanting extra guidance while learning to hula hoop, Auburn alumna Katina Dunkerly teaches a hoopdanc- ing class Tuesdays and Wednesdays in the Frank Brown Recreation Center.
"Tuesday's class focuses on getting down the basics and learning how to move your body, while Wednesday's classes are more about learning tricks," Dunkerly
said. Dunkerly
said hooping is more than just a fun hobby ; it is also a way to stay in shape.
A healthy person can expect to burn up to 600 calories in one hour from hoopdancing, Dunkerly said.
"I lost 35 pounds from hooping and changing my diet," Dunkerly said. "Nothing gets rid of love handles like hooping."
Kimbrell also said hooping is her preferred form of exercise.
"It doesn't feel like you're working out," Kimbrell said. "You're doing tricks the whole time and it's fun. It's not like running; you can always change it up."
Dunkerly said anyone who wants to try hula hooping should avoid using a child-sized hula hoop.
"They're really light, they're not that durable and they're just not made for an adult body," Dunkerly said.
Adult-sized hula hoops are between 35 and 45 inches in diameter, where-as a child-sized hula hoop is 28 inches in diameter, Dunkerly said.
Potential hoopdancers can purchase hoops at Da Gallery, Dreamscapes or from Dunkerly, who makes custom hoops.
As for now, Kimbrell said she plans to keep practicing and to bring her hoop to all the concerts she attends in the spring
and summer. "It's hard to stop once you really get going," Kimbrell said. "There's a lot better hoopers than me, but I'm goingto get really good."
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