Forums > Social Discussion > why did you become interested in poi?
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shadow stranger
462 posts
Location: Carmi, Illinois, USA
shadow stranger
462 posts
Location: Carmi, Illinois, USA
Posted:
i have a question for all who would answer it what got you interested in poi? was it a friend or something you saw? as to answer my own question one of my friends was spinning glowsticks and told me of fire and i was instantly hooked on the idea
i have a question for all who would answer it what got you interested in poi? was it a friend or something you saw? as to answer my own question one of my friends was spinning glowsticks and told me of fire and i was instantly hooked on the idea
"Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is not omnipotent. Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent. Is he both able, and willing? Then whence cometh evil? Is he neither able nor willing? Then why call him God?" - Epicurus
GOLD Member
Fire Artist and Hooper
181 posts
Location: U.S.A
Fire Artist and Hooper
181 posts
Location: U.S.A
Posted:
Mine is kinda an interesting story that requires a short backround anecdote. So my mother was adopted and didn't find her birth family till recently. We are a hispanic family so there are TONS of us! Huge family lots of cousins lots of aunts uncles etc. Its a fiesta everytime we are together. Since we didn't find this new family until recently, new family members show up all the time! Its like I have a new cousin at least once a month. SO there's the backround.
My first experience with poi was when I was much younger. I was watching an earlier version of a kind of "America's Got Talent" kind of show where people would come on and showcase their talents. Well this girl came on who called herself "The Fire Pixie" and she spun poi and even lit a fire circle around herself. I was AMAZED!!! I remember it to this day. So some years went by (about 10 to be exact) and I had that in the back of my mind. Never thought I would do it but always thought it was cool. Then through the Magick of Facebook my mom discovers we have a cousin who lives in the next state and she seems pretty cool. Well one day my mom calls me over to show me a video my cousin had posted. It was of her fire dancing. She started with fans then lit up poi and a fire circle just like the fire pixie all those years ago! I immediatly got on Facebook, added her as a friend and she hooked me up with Home Of Poi, the site that she had learned from. And the rest is history
EDITED_BY: Flint_413 (1271556007)
Mine is kinda an interesting story that requires a short backround anecdote. So my mother was adopted and didn't find her birth family till recently. We are a hispanic family so there are TONS of us! Huge family lots of cousins lots of aunts uncles etc. Its a fiesta everytime we are together. Since we didn't find this new family until recently, new family members show up all the time! Its like I have a new cousin at least once a month. SO there's the backround.
My first experience with poi was when I was much younger. I was watching an earlier version of a kind of "America's Got Talent" kind of show where people would come on and showcase their talents. Well this girl came on who called herself "The Fire Pixie" and she spun poi and even lit a fire circle around herself. I was AMAZED!!! I remember it to this day. So some years went by (about 10 to be exact) and I had that in the back of my mind. Never thought I would do it but always thought it was cool. Then through the Magick of Facebook my mom discovers we have a cousin who lives in the next state and she seems pretty cool. Well one day my mom calls me over to show me a video my cousin had posted. It was of her fire dancing. She started with fans then lit up poi and a fire circle just like the fire pixie all those years ago! I immediatly got on Facebook, added her as a friend and she hooked me up with Home Of Poi, the site that she had learned from. And the rest is history
EDITED_BY: Flint_413 (1271556007)
If you can't stand the heat, get out of my way.
SILVER Member
journeyman
81 posts
Location: SW Michigan, United States, USA
journeyman
81 posts
Location: SW Michigan, United States, USA
Posted:
A comic called Devil's Panties, actually. It got me googling for poi and eventually I caved and bought a set.
A comic called Devil's Panties, actually. It got me googling for poi and eventually I caved and bought a set.
Happiness is a skill, not a commodity
I have been kidnapped by hooping.
GOLD Member
All High Dude, Ruler of What You Want
2,280 posts
Location: Trenton, MI, USA
All High Dude, Ruler of What You Want
2,280 posts
Location: Trenton, MI, USA
Posted:
Ok, I went on an exchange trip to Germany last summer. My student had come here the fall before that in October and I went to stay with him. He had told us he did firebreathing. It was sehr awesome When he cam we only had one picture of him firebreathing with a torch and it is sick. When we went there for the going away party, I got him to do a show for us and I was expecting firebreathing like everyone else, but I don't remember him lighting them, but I do remember him spinning. He started spinning fire poi for us. He's not very good I know now, like 4 years into it and I was better at 2 months cause he doesn't practice much. But it was the most amazing thing any of us had seen ever. We all had out cameras out. I will say, his technical skill is'nt good and he just stood there soing it, but man he knows how too look like a badass mother
while spinning. And when I had come back, I still feel nostalgic about Germany very often, but at one time, 2 weeks before Thanksgiving, I got really bored and decided to try doing that. So I looked around for something I could use as poi, I only knew what it was called because of his pics on Deviantart, and I just decided after looking to use a couple of belts (ow) and swing them around. I sucked, I could figure out anything for a few days because I was trying to figure it out on my own. I remember, m y favorite move was, exactly how I thought of it the, "the one where it looks like he's spinning a pole." Which I know now was a 3bt weave. I kept trying to do it, over and over and over again, with lots of bruises all over my shins and knees. I still had a ton of fun somehow though. And after a week or so I told Lukas (my old exchange student) over Facebook that I had started poi, he was like awesome and I still remember he called me a freak when I told him I could do a 7bt weave. That was also only a couple weeks in I could do that ,and now I can do a 9bt, but I never use it ever along with the 7bt, but 5bt weave and 4bt windmill motions still come out whilst moving around.
But yeah, now I'm in love with it, I now have double staffs. I am soon buying a nylon rope dart fro HoP, probably when I get my Kevlar to make a new wick. And then I want to do contact staff, then meteor. From there, who knows? Probably fire fans, devil sticks, whatever, just gotta keep goin!. Oh yeah, and I also glowstring.
Ok, I went on an exchange trip to Germany last summer. My student had come here the fall before that in October and I went to stay with him. He had told us he did firebreathing. It was sehr awesome
When he cam we only had one picture of him firebreathing with a torch and it is sick. When we went there for the going away party, I got him to do a show for us and I was expecting firebreathing like everyone else, but I don't remember him lighting them, but I do remember him spinning. He started spinning fire poi for us. He's not very good I know now, like 4 years into it and I was better at 2 months cause he doesn't practice much. But it was the most amazing thing any of us had seen ever. We all had out cameras out. I will say, his technical skill is'nt good and he just stood there soing it, but man he knows how too look like a badass mother while spinning. And when I had come back, I still feel nostalgic about Germany very often, but at one time, 2 weeks before Thanksgiving, I got really bored and decided to try doing that. So I looked around for something I could use as poi, I only knew what it was called because of his pics on Deviantart, and I just decided after looking to use a couple of belts (ow) and swing them around. I sucked, I could figure out anything for a few days because I was trying to figure it out on my own. I remember, m y favorite move was, exactly how I thought of it the, "the one where it looks like he's spinning a pole." Which I know now was a 3bt weave. I kept trying to do it, over and over and over again, with lots of bruises all over my shins and knees. I still had a ton of fun somehow though. And after a week or so I told Lukas (my old exchange student) over Facebook that I had started poi, he was like awesome and I still remember he called me a freak when I told him I could do a 7bt weave. That was also only a couple weeks in I could do that ,and now I can do a 9bt, but I never use it ever along with the 7bt, but 5bt weave and 4bt windmill motions still come out whilst moving around.But yeah, now I'm in love with it, I now have double staffs. I am soon buying a nylon rope dart fro HoP, probably when I get my Kevlar to make a new wick. And then I want to do contact staff, then meteor. From there, who knows? Probably fire fans, devil sticks, whatever, just gotta keep goin!. Oh yeah, and I also glowstring.
The only luck is bad luck.
Shut up before I stall my poi up your ass
stranger by the day
924 posts
Location: At the Back of the North Wind
924 posts
Location: At the Back of the North Wind
Posted:
dang it Ring! I hadn't been able to get into that one... now I have to!
The answer for me is I found it online one day when tired and suggestible and went "that looks cool"
dang it Ring! I hadn't been able to get into that one... now I have to!
The answer for me is I found it online one day when tired and suggestible and went "that looks cool"
Just a dancer in the dark
SILVER Member
Unofficial Chairperson of Squirrel Defense League
4,061 posts
Location: South Africa
Unofficial Chairperson of Squirrel Defense League
4,061 posts
Location: South Africa
Posted:
Friend here at uni. Pretty ordinary really.
Friend here at uni. Pretty ordinary really.
'We're all mad here. I'm mad, you're mad." [said the Cat.]
"How do you know I'm mad?" said Alice.
"You must be," said the Cat, "Or you wouldn't have come here."
- Lewis Carroll, Alice's Adventures In Wonderland
SILVER Member
newbie
35 posts
Location: NSW, Australia
newbie
35 posts
Location: NSW, Australia
Posted:
A friend at uni. It looked cool. I wanted to be cool.
...I'm still trying to be cool.
A friend at uni. It looked cool. I wanted to be cool.
...I'm still trying to be cool.
SILVER Member
Geek
1,261 posts
Location: Manchester, UK
Geek
1,261 posts
Location: Manchester, UK
Posted:
Saw some people spinning fire on the beach outside Cafe Mambo, San Antoni, Ibiza and thought - that's pretty cool.
A few years later I met some people in the UK who spun and just joined in with them.
Saw some people spinning fire on the beach outside Cafe Mambo, San Antoni, Ibiza and thought - that's pretty cool.
A few years later I met some people in the UK who spun and just joined in with them.
i dream in circles...
336 posts
Location: Scotland
336 posts
Location: Scotland
Posted:
stumbled across yuta on youtube 4yrs ago, decided i wanted to reach his level, got into circus, now it's my life, love it
stumbled across yuta on youtube 4yrs ago, decided i wanted to reach his level, got into circus, now it's my life, love it
even chuck norris can't pin you down if your on fire
BRONZE Member
Juggler/Spinner
612 posts
Location: Hicksville, New York, USA
Juggler/Spinner
612 posts
Location: Hicksville, New York, USA
Posted:
Devils Panties, awesome stuff, nice writer also.
Anyhow.... Juggler first who eventually stumbled upon poi videos on youtube. That is all.
I love the human body and the art of movement. I want to learn to better use what I have, instead of being as static as I am.
P.S. Poi is great fun too.
Devils Panties, awesome stuff, nice writer also.
Anyhow.... Juggler first who eventually stumbled upon poi videos on youtube. That is all.
I love the human body and the art of movement. I want to learn to better use what I have, instead of being as static as I am.
P.S. Poi is great fun too.
SILVER Member
enthusiast
375 posts
Location: Flying south for the winter., USA
enthusiast
375 posts
Location: Flying south for the winter., USA
Posted:
I started it because of my ex. I wanted to learn glowsticks so I could spin with him when we went out on the weekends. All I ever did was hurt myself and never really liked it much.
Then I found poi, went straight to the store for rope and tennis balls, and never touched a glowstick again
I started it because of my ex. I wanted to learn glowsticks so I could spin with him when we went out on the weekends. All I ever did was hurt myself and never really liked it much.
Then I found poi, went straight to the store for rope and tennis balls, and never touched a glowstick again
SILVER Member
20% more: DIET ASBESTOS©
34 posts
Location: Lower Mantle, USA
20% more: DIET ASBESTOS©
34 posts
Location: Lower Mantle, USA
Posted:
I started glowstringing in high school, but all I ever learned was how to butterfly and do 3bt. weaves. Fast forward to May 2009 I had been getting out to raves/parties more often and decided to learn glowstringing again. This led to finding poi, and I've been hooked ever since.
Poi was sort of a 'gateway' toy, I learned basic juggling last summer, and i've been learning CJ, and double staff too. It has impacted my life in a beautiful way.
EDITED_BY: Dr.Babs (1271690463)
I started glowstringing in high school, but all I ever learned was how to butterfly and do 3bt. weaves. Fast forward to May 2009 I had been getting out to raves/parties more often and decided to learn glowstringing again. This led to finding poi, and I've been hooked ever since.
Poi was sort of a 'gateway' toy, I learned basic juggling last summer, and i've been learning CJ, and double staff too. It has impacted my life in a beautiful way.
EDITED_BY: Dr.Babs (1271690463)
GOLD Member
enthusiast
324 posts
Location: SouthDakota, USA
enthusiast
324 posts
Location: SouthDakota, USA
Posted:
Ex got me started glowsticking and then I found poi. Me like it much better =D
Ex got me started glowsticking and then I found poi. Me like it much better =D
Listen to Your heartbeat and dance...
SILVER Member
member
118 posts
Location: England (UK)
member
118 posts
Location: England (UK)
Posted:
my uncle first found it through a friend down london way and then brought a practice set up during the summer. i had go but couldnt do much so that christmas he bought me my first tailed ones with removable tales (that i still use alot) after that i stumbled upon HoP and bought more and it goes on
my uncle first found it through a friend down london way and then brought a practice set up during the summer. i had go but couldnt do much so that christmas he bought me my first tailed ones with removable tales (that i still use alot) after that i stumbled upon HoP and bought more and it goes on
fire is alive. it lives and breathes. it consumes and destroys. but we control it and live with it, we are fire dancers
SILVER Member
The Dragon Professor
203 posts
Location: New York, currently homeless, USA
The Dragon Professor
203 posts
Location: New York, currently homeless, USA
Posted:
Always been a bit of a pyrohead, that lead me to fire poi, which in turn got me interested and watching a few tutorials to see the science behind it (Thank you Nick and playpoi) and then I threw tennis balls in socks and started swinging, there ya have it.
Always been a bit of a pyrohead, that lead me to fire poi, which in turn got me interested and watching a few tutorials to see the science behind it (Thank you Nick and playpoi) and then I threw tennis balls in socks and started swinging, there ya have it.
Don't let your world end with you
p.s. No, just in case you're going to ask, I did not misspell Warrior, its supposed to be like that.
SILVER Member
Elusive and Bearded
3,597 posts
Location: Scottsdale, AZ, USA
Elusive and Bearded
3,597 posts
Location: Scottsdale, AZ, USA
Posted:
it will be 3 years ago, tomorrow, that i first saw fire spun. It was a fire staff and i instantly knew that that is what i had to do.
it will be 3 years ago, tomorrow, that i first saw fire spun. It was a fire staff and i instantly knew that that is what i had to do.
O.B.E.S.E.
Owned by Mynci!
SILVER Member
Rampant whirler.
2,418 posts
Location: Geelong, Victoria, Australia!
Rampant whirler.
2,418 posts
Location: Geelong, Victoria, Australia!
Posted:
Warior Drake, I'd chuck some extra weight into those socks if I were you, tennis balls are a bit light.
1/2 a cup of rice (100g) to 3/4 a cup of rice (150g) in each balloon works perfectly depending on your size.
Warior Drake, I'd chuck some extra weight into those socks if I were you, tennis balls are a bit light.
1/2 a cup of rice (100g) to 3/4 a cup of rice (150g) in each balloon works perfectly depending on your size.
SILVER Member
The Dragon Professor
203 posts
Location: New York, currently homeless, USA
The Dragon Professor
203 posts
Location: New York, currently homeless, USA
Posted:
thanks MNS, I'll do it when I get the chance and yeah I noticed they were a bit light, still current situation allows for little recourse gathering
thanks MNS, I'll do it when I get the chance and yeah I noticed they were a bit light, still current situation allows for little recourse gathering
Don't let your world end with you
p.s. No, just in case you're going to ask, I did not misspell Warrior, its supposed to be like that.
GOLD Member
Poi Master Smurf
343 posts
Location: Tacoma, Washington, USA
Poi Master Smurf
343 posts
Location: Tacoma, Washington, USA
Posted:
First saw it at raves. A friends of mine picked it up, and eventually I decided I wanted to. From there it has never stopped.
First saw it at raves. A friends of mine picked it up, and eventually I decided I wanted to. From there it has never stopped.
Fly High
Spin Hard
Don't Stop
stranger
7 posts
Location: syracuse utah
7 posts
Location: syracuse utah
Posted:
i started glowsticking cuz of some buddys then i found poi and been hooked since
i started glowsticking cuz of some buddys then i found poi and been hooked since
Knock on the sky and listen to the sound. ~Zen Saying
Just Say Neigh
36 posts
Location: Pie Town
36 posts
Location: Pie Town
Posted:
I had seen a friend at uni fire spinning and was completely entranced by it. I promptly forgot about it and did not think any further, then I was living in camden with a shared garden, and my neighbour used to spin. So I decided to buy some and try and have a go. I stupidly bought cylinder wick fire poi, that I practiced with. I can vouch that they hurt when trying to learn the weave!
I had seen a friend at uni fire spinning and was completely entranced by it. I promptly forgot about it and did not think any further, then I was living in camden with a shared garden, and my neighbour used to spin. So I decided to buy some and try and have a go. I stupidly bought cylinder wick fire poi, that I practiced with. I can vouch that they hurt when trying to learn the weave!
i dream in circles...
336 posts
Location: Scotland
336 posts
Location: Scotland
Posted:
cylinder wicks for practice- know the feeling!! when i started out there was very little in the way of info/advice available online for learning poi, the discovery of sock poi in 2006 changed my life- much less bruises!!!
cylinder wicks for practice- know the feeling!! when i started out there was very little in the way of info/advice available online for learning poi, the discovery of sock poi in 2006 changed my life- much less bruises!!!
even chuck norris can't pin you down if your on fire
GOLD Member
Almost again
124 posts
Location: Finland
Almost again
124 posts
Location: Finland
Posted:
Stumbled upon Nick's tutorials on youtube. I had never even heard of poi before that, and it just looked like something very fun and pretty. Plus I just fell in love with Nick's character, I think he's such a fun person to watch (plus a great teacher, I think).
Stumbled upon Nick's tutorials on youtube. I had never even heard of poi before that, and it just looked like something very fun and pretty. Plus I just fell in love with Nick's character, I think he's such a fun person to watch (plus a great teacher, I think).
BRONZE Member
Macaque of all trades
8,738 posts
Location: wombling free..., United Kingdom
Macaque of all trades
8,738 posts
Location: wombling free..., United Kingdom
Posted:
TBH I'm still not really interested in poi
Learnt to juggle 3 balls when I was about 7 then never really took it further until school attempted a world juggling record, whilst everybody else leant 3 balls I learnt 4 then I forgot about it again then about 8 years ago when I started learning other stuff, bumped into a girl doing poi and she told us there was a load who went to the gardens in bournemouth I went and now I'm here...
that girl has a lot to answer for
TBH I'm still not really interested in poi
Learnt to juggle 3 balls when I was about 7 then never really took it further until school attempted a world juggling record, whilst everybody else leant 3 balls I learnt 4 then I forgot about it again then about 8 years ago when I started learning other stuff, bumped into a girl doing poi and she told us there was a load who went to the gardens in bournemouth I went and now I'm here...that girl has a lot to answer for
A couple of balls short of a full cascade... or maybe a few cards short of a deck... we'll see how this all fans out.
SILVER Member
Unofficial Chairperson of Squirrel Defense League
4,061 posts
Location: South Africa
Unofficial Chairperson of Squirrel Defense League
4,061 posts
Location: South Africa
Posted:
Mynci: What was the record attempted?
Mynci: What was the record attempted?
'We're all mad here. I'm mad, you're mad." [said the Cat.]
"How do you know I'm mad?" said Alice.
"You must be," said the Cat, "Or you wouldn't have come here."
- Lewis Carroll, Alice's Adventures In Wonderland
ODiE-;)~
8 posts
Location: Anaconda
8 posts
Location: Anaconda
Posted:
My first time seeing fire poi, was at Apocalpse in denver, co and I was mesmerize, but i only tried once or twice, to many things to do at the time, years later I came to job corps an these two guys do it all the time and are really cool, again I was really mesmerized, first I did it to look kool, now I do it cause it is awesomess. I'm hooked on it all the time since, well I have a lot of time, and I just made some sock poi, and it is fun stuff, so that is jistly what how I got into poi
-;)~
My first time seeing fire poi, was at Apocalpse in denver, co and I was mesmerize, but i only tried once or twice, to many things to do at the time, years later I came to job corps an these two guys do it all the time and are really cool, again I was really mesmerized, first I did it to look kool, now I do it cause it is awesomess. I'm hooked on it all the time since, well I have a lot of time, and I just made some sock poi, and it is fun stuff, so that is jistly what how I got into poi
-;)~
Travel a thousand miles in any direction and you will always find people with the same poi as us
BRONZE Member
newbie
30 posts
Location: Swindon, Wiltshire, United Kingdom
newbie
30 posts
Location: Swindon, Wiltshire, United Kingdom
Posted:
Umm I cant remember! 1 person at my old job use to do it, never seen her do it tho.. and seen youtube vids of ppl doing it.. I just think its better than the grinders!! alot more freedom in movement without a risk of cutting a limb off
Umm I cant remember! 1 person at my old job use to do it, never seen her do it tho.. and seen youtube vids of ppl doing it.. I just think its better than the grinders!! alot more freedom in movement without a risk of cutting a limb off
Poppys will always be close to your heart.
BRONZE Member
stranger
6 posts
Location: kentucky, USA
stranger
6 posts
Location: kentucky, USA
Posted:
raves
raves
BRONZE Member
member
197 posts
Location: Minneapolis, MN, USA
member
197 posts
Location: Minneapolis, MN, USA
Posted:
I saw a National Geographic or Discovery thing on it when I was young.
I saw a National Geographic or Discovery thing on it when I was young.
"Think of the pussy, Weevil."
"What's a pussy-weevil?"
GOLD Member
owner of the group property
1,277 posts
Location: Seattle, WA, USA
owner of the group property
1,277 posts
Location: Seattle, WA, USA
Posted:
Saw a fire show, didn't really think of it for about six years, met someone who offered to teach me, got obsessed, found out it was a pretty technical toy, got even more obsessed.
Saw a fire show, didn't really think of it for about six years, met someone who offered to teach me, got obsessed, found out it was a pretty technical toy, got even more obsessed.
p|.q|r:|::s|.s|s:|:.s|q.|:p|s.|.p|s
SILVER Member
Fire Spinner Exarch
514 posts
Location: New Orleans, LA United States, USA
Fire Spinner Exarch
514 posts
Location: New Orleans, LA United States, USA
Posted:
I went to a really [censored] up party in Dallas on Halloween (Disturbathon FTW ) and there were a few spinners there. I was instantly hooked and knew that it was for me. Somehow after the drunken haze I was able to remember the word "poi" and went from there.
I went to a really [censored] up party in Dallas on Halloween (Disturbathon FTW
) and there were a few spinners there. I was instantly hooked and knew that it was for me. Somehow after the drunken haze I was able to remember the word "poi" and went from there. "Are you sure it's safe to drink bleach?"
"Yes, bleach is 90% water, we are 90% water, therefore: we are bleach."
-Nathan Explosion, Metalocalypse
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