Talk:Hula hoop

Image:Hula hoop girl 01.jpg

This image is a suspected copyright violation and may soon be deleted from the Commons:. Since I am the original uploader, I am posting this message for informative purposes. —Viriditas | Talk 03:33, 20 July 2006 (UTC)

Female superiority?

Is there any truth to the theory that women are better hoopers due to having hips? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 84.65.35.254 (talk • contribs) 3:37, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

All normally constructed humans have hips. And what do you mean by better? Doctormatt 00:25, 10 August 2006 (UTC)

For the sake of argument, let's propose that the anon means to say that in competitive hooping, the question arises whether or not adult female humans may have an advantage over males due to the broad size of their hips (in many cases but not all, putting exceptions aside) thus being able to keep a hoop in movement more easily and for longer periods of time around their waist (as opposed to other parts of the body that may and are often used). The anon's question seems to be more about the physics of hooping than about the physiology of the female body. —Viriditas | Talk 03:24, 10 August 2006 (UTC)

By "broad size of their hips" I assume you mean relative to their waists, yes? For simply being large would not particularly be advantageous. Although I have not observed competitive hula hooping, my impression of hula hoopers generally is that keeping the hoop going is not really an issue. All good hoopers can keep their hoops going, essentially, indefinitely. However, in niche competitions, say, where the contest is to spin as many hoops as possible simultaneously, the shape of ones body may perhaps give one advantages.Doctormatt 04:46, 10 August 2006 (UTC)

I think the answer is most likely no, it is not an advantage. Keeping the hoop up has little or nothing to do with the curve in your hip. I think that is the default position more because its easier to get your muscles coordinated to the rhythm there. Hula hoopers rarely actually have the hoop in that postion anyways. Its usually somewhere a bit more interesting, and only on the waist in passing. The only significant difference between girls and guys that I've seen is that some basic tricks are actually more difficult for girls because of their breasts (its harder for some girls than others, but I know one girl who was initially having trouble getting the hoop to travel from her hips to her neck because of her large breasts.) Girls have one advantage when learning--they are usually more comfortable with the kind of body movements that you make when hooping. Some guys are initially more self-concious than most girls because hooping is associated with femninity. Some of the best hula hoopers I've seen is actually are guys. these two guys for example, and as you can see the dark haired one has very small hips.

Hips might actually make it a tad bit harder to get it to travel from your thighs to back over your hips too. But I don't think it makes too much of a difference. In my experience guys who take the time to try have no more trouble than girls learning (and like I said before, when learning to get it to travel to your shoulders and neck actually have an advantage over some girls)Brentt 10:02, 29 August 2006 (UTC)

Physics

The physics of hooping could also be mentioned in the article (relating it to the concept of angular momentum etc. Richard001 06:02, 7 December 2006 (UTC)

A friend of mine posted this excerpt from a book on her blog a while ago. Its the only thing related to the physics of hooping I've seen. Not much formulae, and I'm not sure how accurate it is. It seems right on first glance, but I'm not a physicist.:

"Hula hooping" is a complex skill in which an unstable object, a hoop, is kept in steady oscillation parallel with the ground plane by means of coordinate oscillations of the body. The physical basis of the skill is the conservation of angular momentum. In manipulating the hoop, the performer exerts small but carefully regulated impulses (where impusle equals force x time) by allowing the body to impinge on a small portion of the interior periphery of a short section of the hoop. ---excerpt from Balasubramanium and Turvey (2004) Biological Ckybernetics 90, 176-190.

Ideally it should be reference so as not to be OR. I'm sure somebody's done a undergrad thesis on the subject, but a in depth published despcription might be hard to come by. But looking at that quote there it might just be an excerpt of a longer passage. I'll ask my friend and tell you if it would be worth finding the book if your interested in doing that (I'm far to lazy). Brentt 11:05, 18 April 2007 (UTC)

Hudsucker Proxy?

I'm surprised there's no reference to the movie The Hudsucker Proxy - anyone mind if I add a bit to trivia? Pjc51 07:56, 18 April 2007 (UTC)

Please do. After watching the film I came here to see if the Hula Hoop really was invented by the fictitious Hudsucker president, Barnes. I was surprised to find no mention of the film anywhere on the page.--Chris (talk) 14:38, 14 November 2009 (UTC)

Stacey Laliberte

The third image, with the caption "Stacey Laliberte", who is Stacey? Is she a famous performer, or just someone that was posing for the photo? If she is "just someone" her name should not be there JayKeaton 11:16, 20 April 2007 (UTC)

As of this morning, Viriditas removed the name. If someone can provide notability it can be added back in, but for now, the problem has been solved. PaladinWhite 16:07, 20 April 2007 (UTC)

unclear what "today" means

In the "Today" section I read: "The past few years have seen the re-emergence of hula hooping." But there is nothing to which to relate either "today" or "the past few years" to. Can somebody knowledgeable please add a date, for orientation purposes? In 20 years..... Thanks --Martha (talk) 04:29, 25 November 2007 (UTC)

Good observation and I'll try to help out. —Viriditas | Talk 05:45, 25 November 2007 (UTC)

100 millions hula hoops after 1958...

• in two years? En:wiki: After the hoop was released in 1958, Wham-O sold over 100 million in two years.
• in half year? Houston Business Journal: Wham-O sold more than 100 million Hula Hoops in the recreational product's first six months on the market.

Julo (talk) 21:33, 11 March 2008 (UTC)

Removed bogus claim

I'm pretty sure this is wrong:

The word "hula" was added in the early 18th century as sailors who visited Hawaii noticed the similarity between hula dancing and tripping hoops.

The word "hula" may have entered English at that time, but the earliest OED citation for "hula hoop" is 1958, in the context of the Wham-O product. Mark Foskey (talk) 04:18, 3 June 2009 (UTC)

World record

The article says the world record is 105 set in 2007, but didn't I just watch her twirl 280 on Wetten Dass? I don't know what the qualifications for "World record" is... David Souther (talk) 21:19, 8 July 2009 (UTC)

Never mind; the rules are "between the hips and waist". Maybe that should be clarified? David Souther (talk) 21:22, 8 July 2009 (UTC)

Relation to Ooola Oop?

If the term "hula hoop" dates to 1958 (confirmed at Online etymology), then what of Alley Oop's girlfriend Ooola? The name "Ooola" appeared in the strip in the mid 1930s. Was the toy named after the cavegirl or is it just a coincidence?  Randall Bart   Talk  00:15, 22 July 2009 (UTC)

• Im pretty sure its just a coincedence, as well, you control it by moving your body like a hula dancer, and it is a circle round the waist, just like a hoop from a barrel goes round a barrel, hence the name, hula hoop. --86.158.17.143 (talk) 15:07, 11 January 2010 (UTC)

Shoop-Shoop Hula Hoop

Apparently these were marketed much later by Wham-o to add noise to the fun. Someone want to make a section on it? http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,899852,00.html

Contributions

Brainstorm/Ideas to the topic:

• Provide background history.
• Discuss its different purposes.
• Introduce its affect in various cultures.
• Add pictures.
• Present a timeline.

Jescelane (talk) 07:43, 15 June 2011 (UTC)

I can help out and collaborate. Which would you like to work on first? Viriditas (talk) 07:50, 15 June 2011 (UTC)

Hula hoop

File:Erica anderson

hula hoop can twirled around the waist limbs or neck children generally measure approximately 71 centimetres [28in]in 1.02 meters[40in].the hoop gained international popularity in the late 1950s plastic version was successfully markete by california's .in 1957