Forums > Social Discussion > How old were you when you started?

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ImmortalAngelSILVER Member
Scientist!
578 posts
Location: Waterloo, Ontario, Canada


Posted:
We have a how old are you now thread.
We have a what type of education do you have thread.
We have a what level of education do you have poll.
But no one has really looked into the How old were you when you first started juggling/spinning/staff/unicycling/balloon sculpting thread.

So here it is.
I have noticed alot of people have started when they were reaching their late teens or early 20s...Possibly something to do with the level of maturity at that age? Or just the fact that you can drive, drink (hopefully not both at once), and have nothing else to do? Or that maybe it's more popular with that age group more than any other?
I started getting into it when I was about 15, but it wasn't 16 that I really started learning or practicing anything.

Educate your self in the Hazards of Fire Breathing <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> STAY SAFE! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/hug.gif" alt="" />


NucleopoiBRONZE Member
chemical attraction
1,097 posts
Location: Ilkeston, Derbyshire, England


Posted:
i first started poi a short while after starting uni when i saw a guy iin my halls using a fire devilstick.i went to watch him for a while before we got close and a week later i was going out with him. he introduced me around october time last year.so i have been juggling foor about 5 months.i have been learning devilsticks on and off for about 3 months,started to juggle a moonth ago and have recently invested in a staff.

Sakura_MoonHop's Kitten Jester.
1,803 posts
Location: Wonderland igloo, Vic, Australia


Posted:
15, seemed like so long ago.... And i cant believe Aimee is only 16!

.:Pink Exocutioner:.

I am Jack's Raging Bile Duct...

Loving you from the deepest part of my loins.



GothFrogetteBRONZE Member
grumpy poorly froggy
3,999 posts
Location: Nuneaton, United Kingdom


Posted:
28 lol infact it was the end of last september, and i should really start practicing again as i have not done much in the past 3 months frown

Life's too short to worry about where you put your marshmallows


majikenthusiast
231 posts
Location: Byron Bay Australia


Posted:
I started poi when I was 13 staff when I was 15 and hoops when I was 17 I'm 20 this year so I think it's time to learn something new.

Live, love, laugh and dance!


Adya MiriyanaGOLD Member
*slou?
6,554 posts
Location: Adelaide, Australia


Posted:
I started poi just last year when i was 18, making me 19 now.

not sure if its a maturity thing.. for me, a procrastination thing.. but then, what isn't for me.. biggrin

I think I was drawn towards poi because it was something unique.. then the poi found me.. literally.. ubblove. I've since discovered like-minded individuals, and the attitude they share is just fantastic!

OrangeBoboSILVER Member
veteran
1,389 posts
Location: Guelph, ON, Canada


Posted:
Started at 14, 16 now..... Inspired by a lovely busker act in my hometown, and my friends (inspired by the same buskers) had already been spinning poi for a year... somehow didn't find it as impressive, but when I saw it with fire, was drawn more to it. Funny, because I barely spin fire at all tongue I'm a sock (and beamer!) lover biggrin ubblove shrug

And Fabergé, us youngins ain't always so fast to learn! It took me 6 months or so to nail down the foreward btb weave... Sometimes is still a bit sketchy too... blah!

~ Bobo

wie weit, wie weit noch?
fragst mich, wo wir gewesen sind...
du fehlst hier


_Aime_SILVER Member
Carpal \'Tunnel
4,172 posts
Location: Hastings, United Kingdom


Posted:
Written by: Sakura_moon


15, seemed like so long ago.... And i cant believe Aimee is only 16!




muhahaha

OrangeBoboSILVER Member
veteran
1,389 posts
Location: Guelph, ON, Canada


Posted:
*pokes Aimée*

Nyah nyah! tongue

~ Bobo

wie weit, wie weit noch?
fragst mich, wo wir gewesen sind...
du fehlst hier


BethMiss Whippy
1,262 posts
Location: Cornwall & Oxford


Posted:
16 when i started poi, 18 when i started juggling, am 18 now... about time to take up staff methinks biggrin

Aim high and you'll know your limits, aim low and you'll never know how high you could have climbed.


GelflingBRONZE Member
Watcher of 80s cartoons
665 posts
Location: Chepstow & Bristol, United Kingdom


Posted:
21 for juggling, 22 for staff and CJ, 22 and a bit for poi, 24 for swords and fans, 24 (almost 25 in fact 25 in 10 more days) for diablo - devilsticks in years to come

>What do you think about the state of the Earth?
>I'm optimistic.
>So why do you look so sad?
>I'm not sure that my optimism is justified.


pineapple peteSILVER Member
water based
5,125 posts
Location: melbourne, Australia


Posted:
i started fire poi at age 14. duno when i started unlit. started fire eating 6 months ago. started to do paid shows around the same time. turn 16 in one month and about to start floggers, a birthday present to myself

"you know there are no trophys for doing silly things in real life yeah pete?" said ant "you wont get a 'listened to ride of the valkyries all the way to vietnam' trophy"

*proud owner of the very cute fire_spinning_angel, birgit and neon shaolin*


HeluertoGOLD Member
Member
17 posts
Location: Oxford, UK


Posted:
I was 25 for the practice and 27 for the fire - now nearly 29 and haven't looked back.

Hx


ilsanyamanic over a fence
798 posts
Location: Tas, Aus


Posted:
started poi when i was 13, i'm 15 now. been doing fire since i was 14

Quid Pro Quo
5|>00|\|5 /-\|^3 <00|!


PyroMonkeyGOLD Member
b...bal...lence?....
370 posts
Location: Northern Beaches, Sydney, Australia


Posted:
well it looks like most people start in their teens. i wonder if its some love of danger and risk taking we develope around that age tongue

KatchGOLD Member
Beach bum
162 posts
Location: Singapore


Posted:
I was 22. I remember my friend telling me to grab my camera because one of our other housemates was spinning. Having just arrived a week before, I had no idea what they were talking about. Saw the fire and was completely mesmerized. smile It's interesting to see how there are quite a few people who started about that same age, or around 16.... (should take a poll) wink.

Experience is that marvelous thing that enables you to recognize a mistake when you make it again.
-Franklin P. Jones


ado-pGOLD Member
Pirate Ninja
3,882 posts
Location: Galway/Ireland


Posted:
ha ha,

i cant drive either

I was 21 when i saw it.

23 when i picked it up a year ago. I often worry i started to late but then i see all the oldies spinning and i reckon i've laods of time

ubblol

*runs and hides behind couch*

Love is the law.


FabergGOLD Member
veteran
1,459 posts
Location: Dublin, Ireland


Posted:
*jumps over couch and slaps ado-p upside the head*

tongue

*runs away again*

My mind not only wanders, it sometimes leaves completely smile


SCRUBSerm....can you smell parafin or is it me?
146 posts

Posted:
I started spining stick when i was 10 then as a teen got into playing and respecting fire the in 98 i went to Glastonbury for the first time and saw someone spinning a firestaff i had a go and found i was hypnotised by the sound of the flame the poetry of the movement I was hooked! Bought my staff the day i got back.
then i met dom who told me about clapham and i discoverd - CONTACT-The next level of spinning. but untill recently i havent had the time to spin much. so i am rusty. biggrin

StoutBRONZE Member
Pooh-Bah
1,872 posts
Location: Canada


Posted:
I started spinning poi when I was 40,,,two years ago,,,,staff at 41

Ado-p,, you do have loads of time

devkevSILVER Member
discoverer of phat and poigling
292 posts
Location: North London.. England


Posted:
started devilstix at 17.. learnt balls at 20 to improve left hand.. saw a cool club trick so i then started that. Dabled with the double staffs a very small ammount then found them again when i was traveling at 29, found poi at 29, and now 33 and still going strong smile

its all about the fun fun fun fun and more fun...


JauntyJamesSILVER Member
Carpal \'Tunnel
3,533 posts
Location: Hampshire College, MA, USA


Posted:
i started poi when i was 15... like three months ago tongue

-James

"How do you know if you're happy or sad without a mask? Or angry? Or ready for dessert?"


PrayerFireAngelBRONZE Member
member
30 posts
Location: Merced, Ca, USA


Posted:
44. I started a few months ago. I thought that learning staff would help with my left hand which has nerve damage due to a stroke. angel2

May All Your Prayers Be Heard...


pitmanSILVER Member
addict
544 posts
Location: swansea, United Kingdom


Posted:
i never really new what poi was. i had this rope thing to put my keys on and put it over my head to keep it safe, but it never stayed there i used to walk round the streets with my mates just swining it round seeing what i could come up with little did i know it would turn out to be the new love of my life lol.

i then went to a free party and saw this guy spining fire. and for sum reason i just asked for a go and told him i had been spining for ages. picked them up and just let lose. love it so went home and got some of my own.

i was 17 and now i am 18 but really i was about 16 when i started spining my keys

DONT DO DRUGS THERE BAD FOR YOU.
SO GIVE THEM ALL TO ME AND I WILL GET RID OF THEM FOR YOU!


Mr MajestikSILVER Member
coming to a country near you
4,696 posts
Location: home of the tiney toothy bear, Australia


Posted:
at age six i got a book about a guy called Jerome who became a juggler in a circus.--addicted.

hmm, there was a diablo craze in Australia when i was in grade 3, must've been about 8.

i First learnt to juggle when i was 12, 15 when i juggled clubs, 16ish when i juggled torches, 17(this year) when i juggled knives.

first did poi when i was 12 and a half, then left it until i was 15 and picked up staff and poi again(with fire) it seems to comes naturally

started shredding at school with friends at lunch last year, not too bad.

with a little devil sticks and contact juggling on the side, only a little.

Oh yeh, made myself a rola bola in the chrissie holidays, ordered a uni on tuesday.

i think i'm starting to scare myself, please tell me i'm not the only one!

"but have you considered there is more to life than your eyelids?"

jointly owned by Fire_Spinning_Angel and Blu_Valley


Fine_Rabid_DogInternet Hate Machine
10,530 posts
Location: They seek him here, they seek him there...


Posted:
eek U started really, really young... u must be pro! tongue

Are you?

The existance of flamethrowers says that someone, somewhere, at sometime said "I need to set that thing on fire, but it's too far away."


PeleBRONZE Member
the henna lady
6,193 posts
Location: WNY, USA


Posted:
I got into magic (though I really suck at it) when I was little.
When I was 5 I wanted to marry David Copperfield and be a Solid Gold dancer redface
Then my parents worked alot of carnival/fair midways and my Uncle worked the backend at a tattist.
My cousin and I used to hang by the freakshow (it wasn't a full fledged sideshow there). Can you say smitten by the bannerline?
(Though ticked that the unicorn inside was a goat and not a horse!)
Then I saw a RB&B&B circus with school and it was over for me.

My parents wouldn't let me take any lessons in any form of circus arts so I did gymnastics and dance for years. In college/uni I took theater and began to teach myself stunts when several of the "professionals" of the time told me girls were the assistants and men were the showmen.

Yeah, not a good thing to say to me.
The rest of that story is smattered about here on HoP.

I researched until I had a hard time finding stuff (for months and months), did experiments for safety and went on my way.

Didn't start Poi or Staves until my early twenties. I did other stuff, and focussed primarily on the many facets of fire eating/breathing. I am now in my early 30's with a *much* greater repetoire. I still research heavily everything I do, and enjoy learning at least one new toy/act per every 4-6 months.

I still can't juggle well or do very good sleight of hand though. frown

Ah well...it's a trade off.
wink
Pele

Pele
Higher, higher burning fire...making music like a choir
"Oooh look! A pub!" -exclaimed after recovering from a stupid fall
"And for the decadence of art, nothing beats a roaring fire." -TMK


Gav486SILVER Member
You have 23 seconds to comply!
122 posts
Location: United Kingdom


Posted:
Started poi about a year and a half ago, at age 30 after watching a (new at the time) friend spin fire a few times. Now spin staff as well, can just about juggle and do a bit of contact.

I have found many new vices.

You cannot trust this boy! His mind has been corrupted by colours, sounds and shapes.


FlameSILVER Member
addict
435 posts
Location: VIC, MELB, Australia


Posted:
I started staff and juggling when i was 18 went onto poi when i was 19 and then i started contact juggling and have recently taken up three sectional. am currently 21. jack of all trades master of none lol.

*In the car while Pink is playing on the radio*
Tristan aged 4 : "Mum is this Pink?"
Flame:"Yes mate this is Pink?"
Tristan:"Are you going to Pink?"
Flame:"Yes i am"
Tristan:"Cool well I'm going to BLUE" smile


Stainless MunchkinMaster of the Munchkins
246 posts

Posted:
staff and poi when I was 15, 1 year ago, im a newbie smile

Are you that clever that you smile forever? biggrin

What's from the Earth is of the greatest worth


Mr MajestikSILVER Member
coming to a country near you
4,696 posts
Location: home of the tiney toothy bear, Australia


Posted:
i wish, its always been a 'practice everything in my bedroom with nobody watching' kind of thing, i would'nt call myself a pro, i really dont know how good i am. although i stated juggling early nobody ever taught me anything so i didnt pick up much new stuff, actually lots of good jugglers i've met recently tell me i like to go really fast, when i was young i guess i didn't know what else to do besides :P. friends tell me i'm really good they wouldn't really know. i just put along happily, dreaming of running away to join the circus.

"but have you considered there is more to life than your eyelids?"

jointly owned by Fire_Spinning_Angel and Blu_Valley


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