TamimSILVER Member
member
28 posts
Location: California, USA


Posted:
Hey guys I have some questions, and need some help with what equipment I should chose.

Ok I am new to poi, right now I use 2 glow sticks with shoe laces tied threw the ends, thats my poi, and it seems to work OK.

I got into it more and have been doing it for a month now and noticed that on here the poi you guys use have those special handles, so I looked at the poi section in the store

https://www.homeofpoi.com/shop/browse.asp?cat=200&path=50,200

and was thinking of getting one of the proper pois.

so questions are as follows.

1. Do I really need to get a proper poi like the ones they sell in the store? Do they help me with the moves?

2. Is the shoelace and glowstick poi a crappy poi?

3. Which poi should I get? The beginner, performance, or Buzz poi?

4. If I learn moves with the glowstick poi will it be harder to learn them with the handled poi?

5. How come the fire poi on the chains dont have the special handles that the normal poi do?

Thanx

Your only one drug away from liking techno.


TheBovrilMonkeySILVER Member
Liquid Cow
2,629 posts
Location: High Wycombe, England


Posted:
Ok, lets have a go at these questions .

1. Having fancy poi doesn't help you learn new moves, they just look better most of the time.
In fact, for me at least, tailed poi usually make learning new moves harder because the tails keep tangling and take ages to untangle. I use juggling balls inside long socks to learn new stuff with.

2. Nope, they're not crappy at all, they work well enough. Just watch out for friction burns - depending on how you hold the strings, you might get them from the string rubbing on your fingers.

3. I personally have only used the beginner sets, and that was only for a couple of minutes, but I've heard very good things about the buzz ones, and the idea of having pretty much everything removable seems sound to me, so I'd recommend them.
I'd also recommend having a play with as many kinds of poi as you can to find which ones you like the most.

4. The moves won't be really harder, because they're the same motions, but spinning poi with a different weight than you're used to can take a couple of minutes to get used to.

5. Err, they do.
Have a look at this page, all of the fire poi sets here have handles.

Was that any help?

[ 30. July 2003, 06:14: Message edited by: TheBovrilMonkey ]

But there's no sense crying over every mistake. You just keep on trying till you run out of cake.


AchluophobiaBRONZE Member
Magical Sock Dancer
255 posts
Location: Newfoundland, Canada


Posted:
TheBovrilMonkey did a great job summing everything up.

I started with a pair of 6 inch glow sticks, I use the string that comes with them. I've gone through a couple pairs of glow sticks, and I plan to make some sort of short tailed poi so I can see better in the day.

Also never underestimate the usefulness of twriling your socks in the morning. That's how I learned the reverse weave, as funny as that sounds.

cicatrixmember
32 posts
Location: Montreal


Posted:
I'm pretty new at all this too, and I've just been wandering around spinning socks until recently. I just made myself a proper set of chains out of a dog chain with leather loops for handles from instructions I got on the Firechains site. They're pretty good cos you can switch back and forth between practise wicks and fire wicks. Even if you're not into fire poi, I think that you have greater versatility from your equipment if you just use a little ingenuity and some judiciously purchased hardware. I don't see any real reason why you have to spend the money if you don't want to. Anyway, whatever you end up deciding to spin, good luck, and have fun

'share and enjoy'


MillenniuMPLATINUM Member
Hyperloops suck
595 posts
Location: USA


Posted:
I recently switched over from Shoelaces with glowsticks to 13 gauge stainless steel ball chains with double finger loops and a D-link... still using Glowsticks, but I ordered Electroglos that should be arriving sometime next week.

Moves seemed very hard at first with chains, since they are so heavy, especially overhead stuff since they sort of "sag" towards the ground at the ends due to gravity. I highly suggest shelling out the money for chains, mostly for the ease of use (switching out glowsticks/whatever heads you use is very fast and easy) as well as always having your two pois be exactly the same length. The finger loops make everything MUCH more enjoyable, no more blisters.

Do NOT buy glowsticks from the HOP store if you plan on using them for poi... the connectors are flimsy and weak, after a day of spinning they'll snap and you have to duct tape them, which is... blah.

CharlesBRONZE Member
Corporate Circus Arts Entertainer
3,989 posts
Location: Auckland, New Zealand


Posted:
I use a stick...

HoP Posting Guidelines
* Is it the Truth?
* Is it Fair to all concerned?
* Will it build Goodwill and Better Friendships?
* Will it be Beneficial to all concerned?


AchluophobiaBRONZE Member
Magical Sock Dancer
255 posts
Location: Newfoundland, Canada


Posted:
I have a broom stick with some electrical tape on it that I play with sometimes. Not that I can do much other then spin it around.

Bender_the_OffenderGOLD Member
still can't believe it's not butter
6,978 posts
Location: Melbourne, Australia


Posted:
i carry a *biggeR* stick, so what do youse reckon huh? i bully the other inmates with it too, so there!!
firesticks rule!
(also, fyi, my first ever firetwirling equipement was a dodgy broomstick based firestick too )

Laugh Often, Smile Much, Post lolcats Always


AchluophobiaBRONZE Member
Magical Sock Dancer
255 posts
Location: Newfoundland, Canada


Posted:
I don't get too play around with my broomstick much though. I don't have the time right now. Learning Poi and contact juggling takes up plenty of time as it is. Maybe in the winter when its harder too do poi outdoors I'll be able to spend more time at it.

CharlesBRONZE Member
Corporate Circus Arts Entertainer
3,989 posts
Location: Auckland, New Zealand


Posted:
SIMPLE ANSWER

Drop the poi and contact and pick up the staff...

Mwuuhuhuhaaaar...

HoP Posting Guidelines
* Is it the Truth?
* Is it Fair to all concerned?
* Will it build Goodwill and Better Friendships?
* Will it be Beneficial to all concerned?


GlåssDIAMOND Member
The Ministry of Manipulation
2,523 posts
Location: Bristol, United Kingdom


Posted:
i like the concept of "proper poi"

I can show you some improper poi, but I'll probably get arrested

greenfyregirlSILVER Member
journeyman
55 posts
Location: Cheltenham, England


Posted:
are they made out of rude shaped vegetables?

Bender_the_OffenderGOLD Member
still can't believe it's not butter
6,978 posts
Location: Melbourne, Australia


Posted:
maybe it's not that vegetables are rudely shaped, but rather we that are wierdly vegetable shaped in certain ...bits. oh save me!

Laugh Often, Smile Much, Post lolcats Always


greenfyregirlSILVER Member
journeyman
55 posts
Location: Cheltenham, England


Posted:
What a thought!!

carrots, marrows, grapes, pineapples, spuds, oranges, melons, lychees, peas, runner beans....


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