You do WHAT????

It seems like anytime one of us mentions our fire spinning hobby we get tons of questions. I plan on creating a post soon in the style of Q & A eventually but this one isn’t it. This post is about the biggest question you can ask a fire spinner…”Why fire spinning of all things?” and no we don't just do it cause it dangerous or to be cool. I think we are all old enough that we are beyond that.
This isn’t a question that I can answer for the other members of my troupe because it is different for each of us. I can however tell you how I got started fire spinning and why I continued.

I started spinning roughly about 4 years ago. I am also into photography and that is where it all started. One spring night my husband and I were sitting on the porch drinking coffee, across the street we noticed a couple of people playing with fire. Instantly the photographer in me kicked in and I said I have to shoot that. So we wandered over, introduced ourselves and asked if I could take some shots of them the next night. I took a ton of shots and before the night was done I ended up with poi in my hands and haven’t let it go. Of course I switched to beating myself with tennis balls to learn the different moves and then progressed into fire.

There is something mesmerizing about watching a fire performer but being the performer is a whole different thing. For me it is a somewhat relaxing feeling to spin fire. I know what you’re thinking…this chick is a nutcase but seriously hear me out. It takes a different level of concentration when you spin fire. My family has a pretty crazy schedule like most families today and this is a chance to really clear my head. The sound of the fire blocks all other sound out and allows you to really clear your head and focus on something other then the hectic schedule of life.

There are many benefits I have seen from fire spinning. Being a fire spinner takes plenty of work and practice, which helps to keep the whole family from the zombie effects of television. Being a performer has helped with the anxiety of getting up in front of a ton of people. Plus as a woman it helps to keep the arms tone, so yes ladies no grandma arms in this hobby. I will admit that of all hobbies I have tried in my life, fire spinning is one of the most challenging. Teaching your hands to do the same thing at the same time, or two different things at the same time isn’t
as easy as it sounds.

Wicked Wicks is like a big extended family (my husband and son also fire spin) so spinning has turned into a social event for us. We have other photographer friends, neighbors, co-workers and family come out for practices and performances.

--Angel