I got a request for a tutorial on how to turn with CAPs and found it to be a fun challenge. Here they are approached from the perspective of being fountains in opposite poi motion, wall plane turns that integrate triquetra hybrids, and finally as wheel plane reels--my personal favorite. Enjoy!

tutorialcapsturns.mp4

Starting off with a variant on an antispin shape I played around with a few weeks back--this time I'm realizing one can switch back and forth between which hand is doing antispin and which is doing extension on the wrapping and unwrapping--an effect I think is really cool. Next, some more atomic flowers based upon stall patterns and a switch that I didn't realize I'd ripped off from Insignia. Finally, some hybrid turns with the triquetra--vs. pendulum and vs. static spin.

techblog35.mp4

Lots of stalls this week! Starting with a simple transition between buzzsaw and wallplane, I'm also playing around with Yuta-style stalls that go between horizontal and wall plane, which it turns out are the product of stalling both out of wall plane circles AND the horizontal motion they lead to. Some explorations of 3D flowers based upon this concept, curves that move in S-curves, and an axis-shifting butterfly move I've seen Alien Jon do.

techblog34.mp4

Out in Malcolm X Park, I wanted to practice integrating a couple things I'd been playing with into normal flow to see what would happen. These items include the stall patterns I've been working with lately like 3D stalls (with some Yuta-style patterns), and improving my stance and footwork so my lower body is less wooden when I perform. For reasons I can't explain I seem to be blowing on something very hard every few seconds and for the life of me I can't recall why. Hopefully this vid gets flamed less than the last time I posted a video of myself playing with flow.

flowpractice5-17-09.mp4

Jordan Campbell, 2008 fire idol winner and member of the Vulcan crew spins some poi Saturday night at Firedrums 2009. Look, he even does requests!

jordancampbellfiredrums.mp4

A sample of the craziness of the circle at Firedrums 2009 in the circle Saturday night. Seriously, there was so much damn fire the safeties must've been going crazy. Cyrille is spinning just to the left of center about midway back, but I don't recognize any of the other spinners in this vid. If you do, let me know and I'll add them to the tags. Seriously, down in front, motherf$%ker!

saturdaynightfiredrums.mp4

Gah! Attack of the blurry! You can still make out some of the details of what Cyrille and Yuta were doing together. Incidentally if any of you out there have this problem with your camera, it turns out it can be fixed by swiping your hand real quickly in front of the lense, causing the camera to refocus.

yutacyrillefiredrums.mp4

My friend Nicole had an acupuncture conference the week before Firedrums in the Bay Area, so she was able to join us for the fun. This is her second burn! She's been working hella hard the last few months and it was a huge treat to get to watch her light up for the first time. In the background you can see a cluster of firebreathers attempting to do seven in a row.

nicolemclaughlinfiredrums.mp4

My buddy Thomas wows the crowd with a set of poi the last night of Firedrums 2009. Granted, not the best angle, but hopefully it captures the wonderful flow this guy has :)

thomaskiesfiredrums.mp4

Hopefully this isn't too late to be irrelevant, but here's part of a bitchin' spin Alien Jon did the last night of Firedrums in the main circle. Big fan! :)

alienjonfiredrums.mp4