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Black GnosisBRONZE Member
newbie
27 posts
Location: Caucasia, the land of gringos, USA


Posted:
hinki back to your first twirl toy that got you into your hobby, mine was a simple glow stick on a shoe string...i was bored last summer, then i got two and tried swinging them together and kinda remembered something from the polynesian cultural center....this soon spread researching glowstringing which mentioned an article about the maori people and then whoo-bam! i find this site, i made another account but i forgot the password...anyways soon i went from shoestring poi to home made poi with felt and chains, clothes, socks, and eventually my personal ballchain poi, im wanting to light them aflame but i wanna meet expirianced fire twirlers to help break me in the right way so i dont do something stupid... anyways biggrin

any one else remember their first toys and how it got them into it? weavesmiley

Vidi, veni, visa....I came, I saw, I did a little shopping....


AnonymousPLATINUM Member


Posted:
I learnt fire-eating, including fire breathing so my first toy was my homemade fire torches. Learning to juggle was next and then i bought my first juggling fire torches (clubs). I worked with MIG and he put me onto HOP, where i learnt about the fire twirling meet in Adelaide. I've started to learn poi and staff!

I broke my staff in first hour i got it frown

MikeIconGOLD Member
Pooh-Bah
2,109 posts
Location: Philadelphia, PA - USA


Posted:
My first poi were also glow sticks on strings but my goal was always fire... Only used sticks cuz I didnt know much else. After about a month and a half, I got a set of beamers smile Was about 5 months after that I first did fire.

Let's turn those old bridges we crossed into ashes.
We'll blaze a new trail,
and torch the rough patches.

-Me


DoktorSkellSILVER Member
addict
475 posts
Location: Van Diemans Land, Australia


Posted:
My first Poi were cheapies from Pure flame.

They hurt like hell when you hit yourself with them.

COme to think of it. i never burned with them.
i bought some HoP poi and burned with those and gave my pure flames away

Fair luna bright, fair luna moon
it shines at night but fades too soon
fair luna moon, fair luna bright
forever we dance
we dance under starlight


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


Posted:
Yellow fluffy poi from HoP named Sunny and Cher. Sunny is on the right, Cher is on the left. I've learned most of the moves I know on them, I heart them muchly.

-James

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


Spacecow00xSILVER Member
Member
170 posts
Location: Ft. Myers, Florida, USA


Posted:
hahahaha my first poi.... well,
i was thinking about how my friend in england showed me some poi pictures, after looking at everything he told me to make sock poi to give it a go, i didnt listen. Then one day when i used to work at Reebok i was describing it to a friend there. Then i made some poi out of pantyhose stocking, and shoe filling that you pull out scrunched into a ball. These still really hurt my crotch. Lol nothing back then prepared me for the real thing

You've got the wings of a fallen angel
You offer peace if they praise your name
You live your life taking everything you can get
Look down, time to fly!


ShuBRONZE Member
Retro Fyre Wizzard
538 posts
Location: Pietermaritzburg (KZN), South Africa


Posted:
i started straight into fire poi!
Stevo, his bro and ant got me into it!

took me 3 months of playing before i made a set of practice poi!

ubblol

Regards hug

Shu
(Ice-E FyreStorm - Group Manager & Performer)

You know those people your parentals warned you about?... I'M ONE OF THEM! ubbloco
Yes, i do bite!!


GherkinGOLD Member
Inventor
117 posts
Location: Australia


Posted:
I used a broomstick for about a week and a half, then I got a Concentrate long staff.

Das NoleyGOLD Member
newbie
7 posts
Location: New Jersey, USA


Posted:
my first toys were glowsticks on nylon cords, and then home made wicks. i learned from firechains.com. i still use the home made wicks to this day.

Oh, well if he was sleeping, than i would think he was me, because he is blue, and I like to sleep. but if he is dead, then it can't be me, because that would just be silly.
-- Caboose [Red vs Blue]


pricklyleafSILVER Member
with added berries
1,365 posts
Location: Manchester, England (UK)


Posted:
When I was about 12/13 I played with a cheap diabolo for a while, but it was rubbish so i stopped. I took up poi about a year ago, i first tried one night on my friends practice and fire poi, then bought my own-now I have lots! I then started going to a juggling club a couple of weeks ago and started unicycling, juggling and contact juggling and have taken diabolo up again. I hope to start plate spinning, club juggling, staff, cigar boxes, EVERYTHING! soon.! wink

Live like there is no tomorrow,
dance like nobody is watching
and hula hoop like wiggling will save the world.

“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson


marmaladeSILVER Member
journeyman
72 posts
Location: Toronto, Canada


Posted:
My friend Kristy (who got hooked while travelling in NZ) brought her sock poi to a birthday party back in January. Intrigued, I tried my hand at spinning them -- and couldnt put them down!

About 2 weeks later I found out that there were weekly classes in Toronto and started going. Instead of buying a set, we made our own from tennis balls and thin rope, sewing together tails from kite fabric that we bought.

Now, I want to get my hands on every kind of poi that I can save for fire as I'm quite positive that I would set myself on fire at this point.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
kelly


ShuBRONZE Member
Retro Fyre Wizzard
538 posts
Location: Pietermaritzburg (KZN), South Africa


Posted:
i started with juggling about 1998 or so... for about 3 years i couldnt put the balls/eggs/apples/rings/oranges/etc down!

ubblol

then i got onto poi!

Regards hug

Shu
(Ice-E FyreStorm - Group Manager & Performer)

You know those people your parentals warned you about?... I'M ONE OF THEM! ubbloco
Yes, i do bite!!


NephrurusBRONZE Member
newbie
10 posts
Location: Penrith, NSW, Australia


Posted:
The first fire stick i had was a gift! I was given an el cheapo Glebe Market firestick for my 21st. It burns for about 30 seconds because they were so cheap with the wick. Still, cant complain, it is a good pratice staff. I learnt poi from the SURCAS at Sydney Uni. Also double staff. What little contact staff I've learnt is stolen straight from Dentrassi (on this fine website). My first fire poi were made for me by a friend who performs with the "Fire Art Fanatics" in Sydney.
It's been a year and a bit since i started playing with fire.....

-H

"If you light a man a fire he will be warm for the night. Set a man on fire and he will be warm for the rest of his life!"


*HyperLightBRONZE Member
old hand
1,174 posts
Location: Great Malvern [UK]


Posted:
I first encountered Poi when I was away canoeing in the Alps. I saw some friends doing it and after a couple of nights I could do the basic 3 beat weave - I was hooked! I made my own set from tennis balls, string and some cotton straps for finger loops. I was commuting for the rest of that summer and spent about 20-40mins waiting for trains every day, so I just practised Poi on the station!

I moved on to tennis balls with chains and better finger loops. Then to some fairly dodgy wicks I made followed by several much better Kevlar wicks (which I still use!).

Next came my first set of LED poi, which have evolved into what I'm working on now - my crazy Luxeon powered Poi biggrin

Cake or Death?


vanizeSILVER Member
Carpal \'Tunnel
3,899 posts
Location: Austin, Texas, USA


Posted:
hehehe!



I still have my first poi from 5 years ago! whinny the pooh and piglet too, hanging by their necks. the chain is different, but they even still have the same handles!



I love them, and they have been all over the world with me. I thought I had lost them in Amsterdam last november, and I almost started crying.



can you imagine a 6' tall 185 lbs 35 year old grown man crying over a pair of lost stuffed animals? redface



luckily they turned up...

-v-

Wiederstand ist Zwecklos!


spritieSILVER Member
Pooh-Bah
2,014 posts
Location: Galveston, TX, USA


Posted:
My first toy was a staff vanize made for me. I'm actually still using that same staff (although it's seen a few updates) but it's time for me to make a new one as all of it has now seen it's better days.

I also still have my first set of practice poi...my frogs. Like Vanize, I'd be heartbroken if I lost them. I've still got my very first set of wicks (no longer use them) as well as Vanize's. They get used occassionally when someone wants to do their first burn simply because the fire no longer lasts for very long which is good for a first timer.

Since then, I've added to the pile with flags and sock poi and am currently thinking of doubles or meteors.

ShawnFmember
162 posts
Location: Springfield, MA - USA


Posted:
Started off with yo-yos years ago before getting back into them again around '98. Somewhere in that I did one or two poi-ish things using life and dead yo-yos, though I didn't know of poi. Also picked up juggling (thanks Klutz book!) and diabolo (grabbed a Henry Beach after seeing someone use it at a yo-yo contest).

My first home made poi were really odd contraptions. I used yo-yo string and tied it to a bag holding a pinky ball, and then used a plastic (shopping) bag to make handles. It wasn't all that sturdy, but it worked..heh

Eventually I got a pair of Zunis when I was able to stop at a juggling convention near Chico in 2000, when I was up there for the US Nationals for yo-yos.

Managed to use fire at the Northeast spinning thing in vermont and then later at the Umass juggling club, but have never owned any myself. Fire is fun, but doesn't interest me as much as for most people it seems.

Right now I've got a good streamer set from HOP, socks with pinky balls, and dead yo-yos. I want to get some glowsticks and socks made of thinner material and various other goodies.

On the staff side, there's Mom's old baton. We grabbed some wooden dowel of various lengths a while back to use as staffs but haven't had a chance to fuss much with them yet. I may try grabbing a new baton from online as well...

Cheers,
Shawn

Black GnosisBRONZE Member
newbie
27 posts
Location: Caucasia, the land of gringos, USA


Posted:
Hehe i remember using transaxle yoyo's back in 94...^-^ i had two good yomega's from Hi-Performance Kites on oahu island hawaii [is that place still around?]

hmm i shoud speak of my other toys

Ives never done Diabolo, but tried juggling, im co-ordinant enough to swing flexable PVC or poi but not enough to juggle x.x [meep's]
One of my quickly growing favorite toys is a peice of rope or string thats a bit longer then my hieght with two weights on it to meteor it :3 hehe i get bored too much x.x
i swung a broom stick around for fun but now i use a empty peice of PVC cause it flexes and i can attach glowsticks to it ^-^, hey that brings me to question...are there any recommended staffs from this site or others i should invest into, ill spend about 90$ for one....or at least materials to make one....preferably LED or Glowstick variety. hmm maybe i should go to radioshack this weekend...

Vidi, veni, visa....I came, I saw, I did a little shopping....


colemanSILVER Member
big and good and broken
7,330 posts
Location: lunn dunn, yoo kay, United Kingdom


Posted:
shawn - where do you get your pinky balls?

do you know if they are available online anywhere...?

my first poi were black and silver and they had tails and were made for me by friends so i never gave them away.

i find new props can help me get out of that plateau stage that everyone seems to hit from time to time - as much for the love of new precious things ubblove as for the difference in dynamics (and hence what is easy/possible with the new prop).


cole. x

"i see you at 'dis cafe.
i come to 'dis cafe quite a lot myself.
they do porridge."
- tim westwood


Disc0annoying boy
160 posts
Location: Sweden


Posted:
when i was 11 or something one of my second cousins had picked up diablo, so i bought one myself.. it was fun for a summer but i got tired of it quite fast.

5 years later, last summer, i saw quite a lot of people do poi and i mostly thought it looked sloppy, but i thought "you shouldn't judge it before you've tried it". so it tried, and got hooked after 5 minutes. two days later me and another friend (who started the same way) made ourselves a pair of fire-poi out of steel wire, two stones, hemp cord (is it called that?) and of course paraffin. they worked better than we thought they actually didn't fall into parts. but i found out they were quite hard, since i hit myself in the back of my head with them frown

since then I've also got myself a staff, proper fire-poi, tail-poi, tennisball-poi, sock poi, flags and a yo-yo i found in my cellar smile
scince then i've also got myself a staff, proper fire-poi, tail-poi, tennisball-poi, sock poi, flags and a yo-yo i found in my cellar smile

fire is just light and heat.
it's you friend!


.:star:.SILVER Member
Pooh-Bah
1,785 posts
Location: Bristol, United Kingdom


Posted:
my first poi were given to me by a supplier to the shop i worked in. It was a hippy shop and he shipped stuff over from india, i was talking to him about poi and the next day a box, adressed to me, arrive at the shop with three..yes three...pairs of spangly new fire poi. I was so happy! and i never got to see him again to thank him..

so

if you are the really really lovely man who sooo very generously gave a random stranger lots of fire poi
THANK YOU thankx Very very much!

Gremzmember
35 posts
Location: gravesend, Kent


Posted:
i put golf balls in a pair of my chunky boot socks. didnt know one had a slight hole. soon enough afeter 3 weeks of spinning the golfball made its way out and onto my table smashing 2 glasses, 1 mug then bounced off and racked my cd rack onto the floor. oh happy days....:)

Playing with fire for 23 years.... last year i realised it comes on the end of a poi and staff too.....


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


Posted:
i used a dodo bird as a first toy. 'course back then in the '40s, we could only get brown ones, because of the war an all.

Laugh Often, Smile Much, Post lolcats Always


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


Posted:
Golf balls!? Why not just use rocks? Jeeze, that must have hurt, I'm suprised you continued with poi after all the bruises you must have sustained.

-James

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


Singed Piper (formerly Mark1)resident bagpiper
342 posts
Location: Vermont, USA


Posted:
my first poi were streetlights rolleyes I broke them after about 2 nights, but continued using the deflectors (really not very effective) for about a month as practice poi. weavesmiley

Q:What's the difference between the Great Highland Bagpipes and the Northumbrian Pipes?
A:The Great Highland Pipes burn longer.


Gremzmember
35 posts
Location: gravesend, Kent


Posted:
after the flying ball incident, i went out and bought tennis bal practice poi, theni realised poi is more enjoyable than painful.

Playing with fire for 23 years.... last year i realised it comes on the end of a poi and staff too.....


AnotherPyronewbie
18 posts
Location: Sydney


Posted:
I started with a broomstick back in the 80's when I was around 10 years old. I lived on a farm from 12-16 and so I came to love fire and it's applications (I won't go into too many details). When I made my way back to Sydney I ended up with a friend who used to spin from time to time, so I had a go of his fire staff and was hooked on the second rotation. Made my own after a few weeks (almost got one from Glebe markets but they looked gay so I just got a few lengths of kevlar instead). Used aluminum tube with a piece of dowel down the middle. Since then I've gone through 5 staves, a three sectional that was insanely dangerous and had to be decommissioned, 2 sets of poi (that I still can't use), and I am in the process of making my first LED (maybe Luxon) Glowstaff. biggrin

Ahhhh Life.......So many wonderful shades of grey.


freakypoiBRONZE Member
Member
1 post
Location: leamington spa, warwickshire, england


Posted:
er im a bit new to poi but just reading ur maeesage about ur first toy , well im sure every body has done tis when they were young but conkers , isnt that kind of poi , when u werent hitting each other, or the other conker u were , well i was swinging them about like a poi!
what do u think!

SebPenguin of Mass Destruction and Tricky Bugger to the court of Claire the Askew
643 posts
Location: Check behind you.


Posted:
I always wanted to play conkers but I don't think they grow here in Oz. Yeah, that makles sense though. Unintentional schoolyard poi!

Chucks nuns
Property of mynci and blu_valley, and proud of it.


thelostSILVER Member
mmm...i feel all warm and fuzzy... 'no dude, that's your hair on fire'
355 posts
Location: Birmingham, Australia


Posted:
Heh, I remember all the really weird stuff people did to conkers to make them indestructible like soak it in vinegar then bake it in the oven or something...but that normally just made it brittle and smash on the first hit. biggrin

My first poi was/is a set of UV-reactive yellow and white tail poi. First got into poi when I went on a night out and saw poi-performers on stage and I knew I needed to pick it up...they were UV-reactive too... biggrin

It's better to burn out than to fade away


L0s3r_r@v3rSILVER Member
enthusiast
274 posts
Location: Swansea, Ma (US), USA


Posted:
my first was white nylon socks with tennis balls in them.. those really hurt!

You know what I'm thinking about right now? That's right, Tacos!


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