Hey footbaggers
\nFor our sport to survive and evolve we constantly need people to take off their shred gear and put on their workwear and do something for footbag.
\nHere are some ways to get involved:
\n\nGreetings IFPA Members,
\nAs you know, IFPA is a non-profit volunteer organization.
\nGlobal footbag scene is run by this group of people with passion.
\nThe organization is ultimately led by the Board of Directors, elected by the players (or in some cases, appointed by the executive director).
\nIt is time again for the election for positions on the IFPA Board of Directors.
\nThe Board of Directors is elected by all footbag players worldwide.
\nActual Board of Directors list:
\nWiktor D\u0119bski Executive Director
\nJulie Symons Secretary
\nTim Vozar Treasurer
\nGrischa Tellenbachbach Sanctioning Director
\nCaroline Birch Membership Director
\nAlex Dworetzkytzky Rules Director
\nDaniel Boyle Education Director
\nNick Polini Marketing Director
\nSee working group for more details: http://www.footbag.org/groups/list/1
\nThere are 3 positions on the Board that need to be filled.
\n\n
\n- Executive Director, (3 years of Term, 2017-2019) The mission of this position is to run the IFPA as a whole association, Ensure that all IFPA activities support our purpose.
\nIt’a a wide range task, that includes co-working with every World Footbag Championships, Run elections, Approve expenses, etc.
\n\n
\n- Rules Director (3 year Term, 2017-2019) Such person works as a chairman of International Footbag Committee (IFC) to keep the Official Rules of Footbag Sports up to date.
\nConsults potential rules changes with the players’s community and incorporate new rules into the Rule Book.
\nSee more here: http://www.footbag.org/rules/
\n\n
\n- Membership Director (3 year Term, 2017-2019)
\nThe duties are to look after the footbag.org members database.
\nUpdate the status of members if needed.
\nAsk new players to register to footbag.org account., etc.
\nNominations are welcome until November 19, 2016, for any of these positions.
\nAfter the nomination period there will be an online election.
\nThe election will be set online in late November.
\nPlease send your nominations to directors@ifpa.footbag.org or the me
\npersonally.
\nThanks for your support,
\nWiktor Debski
\nIFPA Executive Director
\nwiktordebski@footbag.org
\nAbout IFPA: IFPA is a charitable (US 501c3) non-profit corporation dedicated
\nto the sport of footbag world-wide.
\nIFPA provides you with the www.footbag.org website, the annual World Footbag
\nChampionships, the Rules of Footbag, and more.
Are you not ready to take a director position? The current and coming directors can always use a hand – feel free to contact them and offer your help.
\nNot interested in IFPA? You can also get involved the following ways:
\nThe EFC is the IFPA body responsible for the oversight of the development of footbag sports in Europe. One of its main responsibilities is the organisation of the European Footbag Championships as it moves from country to country each summer.
\nhttp://www.footbag.org/groups/home/5
\nContact your local club and get involved there. Footbag.org har a list of local clubs here:
\nhttp://www.footbag.org/clubs/index
– Host a footbag tournament or jam
\n– Help Nick Polini with his instagram account.
\n– Write something for bsos.it
\n– Make a footbag video
\n– Help Grischa with updating IFPA Players’ Rankings.
\n– Teach and spread the word
\n", "content_text": "Hey footbaggers\nFor our sport to survive and evolve we constantly need people to take off their shred gear and put on their workwear and do something for footbag.\nHere are some ways to get involved:\nIFPA\nGreetings IFPA Members,\nAs you know, IFPA is a non-profit volunteer organization.\nGlobal footbag scene is run by this group of people with passion. \nThe organization is ultimately led by the Board of Directors, elected by the players (or in some cases, appointed by the executive director).\nIt is time again for the election for positions on the IFPA Board of Directors.\nThe Board of Directors is elected by all footbag players worldwide.\nActual Board of Directors list:\nWiktor D\u0119bski Executive Director\nJulie Symons Secretary\nTim Vozar Treasurer\nGrischa Tellenbachbach Sanctioning Director \nCaroline Birch Membership Director \nAlex Dworetzkytzky Rules Director \nDaniel Boyle Education Director \nNick Polini Marketing Director\nSee working group for more details: http://www.footbag.org/groups/list/1\nThere are 3 positions on the Board that need to be filled.\n\n Executive Director, (3 years of Term, 2017-2019) The mission of this position is to run the IFPA as a whole association, Ensure that all IFPA activities support our purpose.\n\nIt’a a wide range task, that includes co-working with every World Footbag Championships, Run elections, Approve expenses, etc.\n\n Rules Director (3 year Term, 2017-2019) Such person works as a chairman of International Footbag Committee (IFC) to keep the Official Rules of Footbag Sports up to date. \n\nConsults potential rules changes with the players’s community and incorporate new rules into the Rule Book. \nSee more here: http://www.footbag.org/rules/\n\n Membership Director (3 year Term, 2017-2019)\n\nThe duties are to look after the footbag.org members database. \nUpdate the status of members if needed. \nAsk new players to register to footbag.org account., etc.\nNominations are welcome until November 19, 2016, for any of these positions.\nAfter the nomination period there will be an online election.\nThe election will be set online in late November.\nPlease send your nominations to directors@ifpa.footbag.org or the me\npersonally.\nThanks for your support,\nWiktor Debski\nIFPA Executive Director\nwiktordebski@footbag.org\nAbout IFPA: IFPA is a charitable (US 501c3) non-profit corporation dedicated\nto the sport of footbag world-wide.\nIFPA provides you with the www.footbag.org website, the annual World Footbag\nChampionships, the Rules of Footbag, and more.\nAre you not ready to take a director position? The current and coming directors can always use a hand – feel free to contact them and offer your help.\nNot interested in IFPA? You can also get involved the following ways:\nEFC\nThe EFC is the IFPA body responsible for the oversight of the development of footbag sports in Europe. One of its main responsibilities is the organisation of the European Footbag Championships as it moves from country to country each summer.\nhttp://www.footbag.org/groups/home/5\nLOCAL\nContact your local club and get involved there. Footbag.org har a list of local clubs here:\nhttp://www.footbag.org/clubs/index\nOther ways to get involved:\n– Host a footbag tournament or jam\n– Help Nick Polini with his instagram account.\n– Write something for bsos.it\n– Make a footbag video\n– Help Grischa with updating IFPA Players’ Rankings. \n– Teach and spread the word", "date_published": "2016-11-15T08:25:25+00:00", "date_modified": "2016-11-15T08:25:25+00:00", "author": { "name": "asmus", "url": "https://modified.in/bsos/author/asmus/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/04c37ae2f760408975cf17dc683e43c4?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "https://modified.in/bsos/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2016/11/14022126_1161547980574415_8859823829620247801_n.jpg", "tags": [ "Inspiration", "Knowledge" ] }, { "id": "https://modified.in/bsos/2016/09/22/conclusion-your-start-with-footbag/", "url": "https://modified.in/bsos/2016/09/22/conclusion-your-start-with-footbag/", "title": "Conclusion: Your start with footbag", "content_html": "I did a survey and asked players who started after 01/01/2010 and a bunch of questions regarding their first experience with footbag. Here are my conclusions to their answers..
\nIf we want to attract new players, we need to know why new players start playing now; not why those of us that started 10+ years ago did so. Because of this, I did a small survey and asked you – the new footbaggers how you started playing.
\nIn business there is something called \u201cCustomer Acquisition Cost\u201d. It is the cost associated in convincing a customer to buy a product/service. In footbag I think we have a very high \u201cNew Player Acquisition Cost\u201d. Not in money, since we don\u2019t have any, but in time. I hope the results presented here, can help current players spend their time better when trying to acquire new players.
\nPresented here are the results of the survey and my conclusion to the results:
\n| Age | \nFirst saw footbag | \nStarted playing footbag | \n
| Less than 10 | \n16,10% | \n0% | \n
| 10 to 14 | \n22,60% | \n9,70% | \n
| 15 to 18 | \n41,90% | \n35,50% | \n
| 19 to 22 | \n9,70% | \n29% | \n
| 23 to 27 | \n3,20% | \n9,70% | \n
| 28 to 32 | \n6,50% | \n9,70% | \n
| 33 to 40 | \n0% | \n6,50% | \n
As we can see people are most like to start between 15 and 22. Trying to convince kids under 10 years of age, does not make any sense.
\n| Influence | \nFirst saw footbag % | \nStarted playing footbag % | \n
| YouTube | \n18,75 | \n23,53 | \n
| Footbag.org | \n6,25 | \n0 | \n
| Other online | \n3,125 | \n0 | \n
| Friends or family | \n31,25 | \n26,47 | \n
| Other IRL (Festivals, schoolyard etc.) | \n31,25 | \n26,47 | \n
| Met footbagger | \n9,375 | \n23,53 | \n
Very few started playing the first time they saw footbag and if they did it was because it was friends who were playing. A lot of people saw footbag first online, but first started playing when they met somebody who did. Generally speaking seeing footbag multiple times in different places online and in real life makes the chance that people start bigger.
\n| Started playing | \n|
| Net | \n10,30% | \n
| Freestyle | \n100% | \n
| Now play | \n|
| Net | \n23,30% | \n
| Freestyle | \n86,70% | \n
What we can see from these numbers are problably three things. 1. Net players should try to get new players through freestyle or 2. Freestyle is much better at acquiring new players. 3. It is easier to make the jump from kicking to freestyle than to net.
\nMy final question in the survey was \u201cDo you have any suggestions on how we can attract new footbaggers?\u201d. Here are all the answers I got to that question:
\n![\"\ud83d\ude42\"](\"https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/12.0.0-1/72x72/1f642.png\")
i think we need more presence on media / internet. most young people are taking their information/news from there, so we can reach out for many of them there. youtube for example. maybe ask some big youtubers to come along and try footbag one time. they tend to have a big audience, so some of them could get interested.![\"\ud83d\ude09\"](\"https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/12.0.0-1/72x72/1f609.png\")
More recently, I\u2019ve started to question what it truly means to be a footbagger. What sort of criteria dictates the definition of a footbagger? What motivates us to progress and excel in such a sport? When does one really become a footbagger in earnest? These inquiries came about as I progressed a bit further into the world of footbag, myself being somewhere in the intermediate level after two years of playing. I do not represent myself to be any sort of expert on the philosophy of sports or footbag in specific\u2014what follows is simply my efforts to piece together a coherent response to the aforementioned questions that have been kicking around (no pun intended) in my brain lately.
\nIn order to be able to comment on when someone becomes a footbagger (physically and mentally), it is likely logical to first start with a definition of what constitutes a footbagger. A simple enough task if we stick to the quite literal interpretation of a footbagger as merely someone who engages in the sport of footbag. However, let\u2019s attempt to convolute this definition in the interest of creating an overarching argument to our story. A footbagger: someone who plays footbag, yes\u2014but at what skill level? How frequently does one need to play? Does the equipment or situation (i.e. solo or with another footbagger) they play in matter?
\nRegarding the topic of skill level, my own personal experience has been the basis of writing this piece. As I have progressed further, learning and developing beginner tricks into strings of increasing length, I\u2019ve felt a shift in my brain in regards to being a footbagger. Now that I am a pretty comfortable tiltless player, my identification has started to shift from simply being someone who plays footbag to being a \u201ctrue\u201d footbagger. However, this is only my personal experience of transitioning, and should not be included in our definition of the true footbagger. In my opinion, skill set or expertise in footbag should not be a determinant of whether or not someone should be a considered a footbagger\u2014that would be, frankly speaking, elitism to the point of arrogance.
\nConcerning the frequency of play to be considering a fully-fledged footbagger, this is one area where my opinion may not be elitist, but perhaps more exclusive than called for in our search for what defines a footbagger. It is my own opinion that in order to be labeled a \u201ctrue\u201d footbagger, some level of consistency must be maintained in regards to the intervals of play time that one commits to the sport. In the interest of providing an actual quantifiable amount to said consistency, I\u2019d propose that at least one or two sessions (length may vary) of footbag a week would suffice. You could miss a week or two here and there, but in relation to a base line amount of play, this is what I would consider sufficient.
\nHowever, it is understood that this statement would not be inclusive enough to fit into our overall definition of a footbagger. Certain circumstances may prevent someone from playing with this level of frequency, or they may have other hobbies that take up most of their time. Along a similar thread of logic, I would consider, for example, someone who spends 90% of their free time drawing or painting and only 10% on footbag, to be an artist who happens to play footbag, not a footbagger who happens to practice the arts, if you follow me. What about someone who used to play footbag at some level of frequency but now only plays once or twice a year? For our interests, we can probably say for frequency of play: a footbagger is someone who does or has played, with some level of frequency as befits their schedule, the sport of footbag. A highly refined outline I\u2019m afraid these guidelines are not.
\nIn the area of equipment and situations of play, this aspect will enjoy some brevity of explanation as my own opinions, and what I will establish as an inclusive definition of footbagger in this area, are one and the same. Whether you play in the most pristine Lavers ever found on this graceful Earth, or shred in the most beaten up running shoes. Whether you are student or mentor, playing in rain or shine, day or night, I would consider that person a footbagger as long as they meet the above set standards for playing footbag. For our definition however, it will simply suffice to say that the conditions and equipment that you play in does not matter in regards to being defined as a footbagger.
\nWith all three of these aspects now covered, we can summarize all of the above to be simply read as what follows: a footbagger is someone who does or has in the past engaged in the sport of footbag with some amount of frequency at essentially any skill set level. What a highly concise and narrowed down definition, right? But let\u2019s try to add some more substance to our admittedly somewhat expansive description by discussing our second theme to this piece\u2014the motivations for playing footbag.
\nFor motivational factors related to why someone would play footbag, we need not necessarily look at the footbag world / footbag culture in specific; perhaps only determine why someone would play any sport in general. Certainly, what is arguably fundamental to any sporting event is the thrill or fun associated with either playing or watching it. To exceed and expand your own abilities and technical skills in said sport, most definitely another aspect of possible motivating factors. Also, on some instinctual level, the need for human interaction in regards to social events or gathering may also be presumed. I\u2019m no sociologist, certainly not any level of biological expert or practitioner. However, it is easily apparent to see the level of bonding or friendship that occurs when two people / a group of athletes play the same sport together.
Thus far however, we have not really discerned any motivating factors that would lead one to play footbag in particular. In this area, I can think of several reasons that are readily apparent to anyone who has played footbag for more than a couple months / been to a footbag event, jam, or tournament. The community or culture in general, having a friend or crew to shred with, or even getting props or recognition on your game, a particular good run, or personally difficult trick. Last, but certainly not least, is the drive to constantly improve and develop your trick selections, variety, and skillset.
\nFootbag culture or events are perhaps known for being highly welcoming and friendly, in my own experience and likely others as well\u2014more-so than any \u201cregular\u201d or mainstream sports. This statement has several different aspects to it which I would like to discuss, but for now let\u2019s focus on footbag events or tournaments themselves. Jams are informal to the point of being intimate\u2014what I mean by this is that virtually nowhere else in mainstream sports (that I have seen) will you likely find a group of players get together from all over the country (U.S. in this context) simply to play a sport together for the weekend, all the while crashing at some player\u2019s house for an extended amount of time. The closest analogy I can think of would be something akin to basketball or football (North American or European) camps, although the validity of such an analogy I cannot comment on from lack of experience in this regard.
\nOverall, however, past the point of being informal, what strikes me as being somewhat unique about footbag is the very personal nature of events or tournaments. This is meant both in the form of footbaggers in general being known to be a pretty friendly or at least chill crowd, as well as the unusually high level of interaction between the very top and very bottom of footbag compared to other sports. Footbag events offer an opportunity for the inexperienced to look at and interact with the giants of the sport at a very human and individual level when contrasted with mainstream sports. However, bringing the conversation back from my slight digression, what I find to be motivating about all of the above discussed elements is 1) the friendliness, selflessness, and openness of the community, and 2) the opportunity to interact with both the top and bottom levels of the sport in an equal manner\u2014along with the realization that, given enough time and effort, you can push yourself to be at or near the top of the sport.
\nAs to having a friend or crew to play with, this is probably a core motivating factor to some footbaggers in the form of having others to gain insight or expertise from, or even just to shred with on a regular basis. Excelling and refining footbag skills by yourself is one thing, but quite another to have a whole group of footbaggers consistently playing and improving as a whole. One need only look at some of the crews around the U.S., let alone the rest of the world, to see the motivation and progression that comes from being in a group: Michigan, Boston, and PA, to name a few.
The third point of getting props or recognition for your progression in footbag has, coincidentally, already been discussed somewhat in depth on the recent \u201cBAP\u201d thread in the Freestyle Footbaggers group on Facebook. However, leaving aside the arguments poised in that thread, getting recognition for your hard work and progression in a skill, hobby, what have you can be a highly motivating factor in continuing to succeed for some people. However, in order to advance, I think it highly more efficient and practical to cultivate a love for footbag itself rather than simply thrive on the recognition and props from others in order to progress. But this is simply my own opinion rather than being reflective of what could be a motivating factor for someone to play footbag in general.
\nMy last point\u2014or the drive to constantly improve and develop the self in relation to footbag progression\u2014I believe is the single most motivating factor that leads someone to continue to play footbag. The sensation that accompanies hitting a new trick, link, or combo are, in the words of Nick Polini: \u201c\u2026that feeling right there, chills all throughout my spine, perfect day man, perfect day.\u201d To anyone who has ever played footbag, I\u2019m sure this comment needs no further explanation.
\nThis element of footbag leads me into my third and final question (which may be somewhat easier to answer accurately now) that is: when does someone become a footbagger? In sum, there is no requirement on the level of shred you put out, nor any major requirement concerning the number of hours you put into the sports, nor even the necessity of having Lavers and a standard metal-filled 32 panel. At the end of the day, all that matters is an obsessive craving for that \u201cchills down your spine\u201d feeling that comes with consistently advancing and improving that one trick, drill, or concept. In short, being constantly addicted to progression in its purest form of footbag advancement\u2014the need to become better.
\nWords and Photo\u00a0by Daniel Carey
\n", "content_text": "More recently, I\u2019ve started to question what it truly means to be a footbagger. What sort of criteria dictates the definition of a footbagger? What motivates us to progress and excel in such a sport? When does one really become a footbagger in earnest? These inquiries came about as I progressed a bit further into the world of footbag, myself being somewhere in the intermediate level after two years of playing. I do not represent myself to be any sort of expert on the philosophy of sports or footbag in specific\u2014what follows is simply my efforts to piece together a coherent response to the aforementioned questions that have been kicking around (no pun intended) in my brain lately.\nIn order to be able to comment on when someone becomes a footbagger (physically and mentally), it is likely logical to first start with a definition of what constitutes a footbagger. A simple enough task if we stick to the quite literal interpretation of a footbagger as merely someone who engages in the sport of footbag. However, let\u2019s attempt to convolute this definition in the interest of creating an overarching argument to our story. A footbagger: someone who plays footbag, yes\u2014but at what skill level? How frequently does one need to play? Does the equipment or situation (i.e. solo or with another footbagger) they play in matter?\nRegarding the topic of skill level, my own personal experience has been the basis of writing this piece. As I have progressed further, learning and developing beginner tricks into strings of increasing length, I\u2019ve felt a shift in my brain in regards to being a footbagger. Now that I am a pretty comfortable tiltless player, my identification has started to shift from simply being someone who plays footbag to being a \u201ctrue\u201d footbagger. However, this is only my personal experience of transitioning, and should not be included in our definition of the true footbagger. In my opinion, skill set or expertise in footbag should not be a determinant of whether or not someone should be a considered a footbagger\u2014that would be, frankly speaking, elitism to the point of arrogance.\nConcerning the frequency of play to be considering a fully-fledged footbagger, this is one area where my opinion may not be elitist, but perhaps more exclusive than called for in our search for what defines a footbagger. It is my own opinion that in order to be labeled a \u201ctrue\u201d footbagger, some level of consistency must be maintained in regards to the intervals of play time that one commits to the sport. In the interest of providing an actual quantifiable amount to said consistency, I\u2019d propose that at least one or two sessions (length may vary) of footbag a week would suffice. You could miss a week or two here and there, but in relation to a base line amount of play, this is what I would consider sufficient.\nHowever, it is understood that this statement would not be inclusive enough to fit into our overall definition of a footbagger. Certain circumstances may prevent someone from playing with this level of frequency, or they may have other hobbies that take up most of their time. Along a similar thread of logic, I would consider, for example, someone who spends 90% of their free time drawing or painting and only 10% on footbag, to be an artist who happens to play footbag, not a footbagger who happens to practice the arts, if you follow me. What about someone who used to play footbag at some level of frequency but now only plays once or twice a year? For our interests, we can probably say for frequency of play: a footbagger is someone who does or has played, with some level of frequency as befits their schedule, the sport of footbag. A highly refined outline I\u2019m afraid these guidelines are not.\nIn the area of equipment and situations of play, this aspect will enjoy some brevity of explanation as my own opinions, and what I will establish as an inclusive definition of footbagger in this area, are one and the same. Whether you play in the most pristine Lavers ever found on this graceful Earth, or shred in the most beaten up running shoes. Whether you are student or mentor, playing in rain or shine, day or night, I would consider that person a footbagger as long as they meet the above set standards for playing footbag. For our definition however, it will simply suffice to say that the conditions and equipment that you play in does not matter in regards to being defined as a footbagger.\nWith all three of these aspects now covered, we can summarize all of the above to be simply read as what follows: a footbagger is someone who does or has in the past engaged in the sport of footbag with some amount of frequency at essentially any skill set level. What a highly concise and narrowed down definition, right? But let\u2019s try to add some more substance to our admittedly somewhat expansive description by discussing our second theme to this piece\u2014the motivations for playing footbag.\nFor motivational factors related to why someone would play footbag, we need not necessarily look at the footbag world / footbag culture in specific; perhaps only determine why someone would play any sport in general. Certainly, what is arguably fundamental to any sporting event is the thrill or fun associated with either playing or watching it. To exceed and expand your own abilities and technical skills in said sport, most definitely another aspect of possible motivating factors. Also, on some instinctual level, the need for human interaction in regards to social events or gathering may also be presumed. I\u2019m no sociologist, certainly not any level of biological expert or practitioner. However, it is easily apparent to see the level of bonding or friendship that occurs when two people / a group of athletes play the same sport together.\nThus far however, we have not really discerned any motivating factors that would lead one to play footbag in particular. In this area, I can think of several reasons that are readily apparent to anyone who has played footbag for more than a couple months / been to a footbag event, jam, or tournament. The community or culture in general, having a friend or crew to shred with, or even getting props or recognition on your game, a particular good run, or personally difficult trick. Last, but certainly not least, is the drive to constantly improve and develop your trick selections, variety, and skillset.\nFootbag culture or events are perhaps known for being highly welcoming and friendly, in my own experience and likely others as well\u2014more-so than any \u201cregular\u201d or mainstream sports. This statement has several different aspects to it which I would like to discuss, but for now let\u2019s focus on footbag events or tournaments themselves. Jams are informal to the point of being intimate\u2014what I mean by this is that virtually nowhere else in mainstream sports (that I have seen) will you likely find a group of players get together from all over the country (U.S. in this context) simply to play a sport together for the weekend, all the while crashing at some player\u2019s house for an extended amount of time. The closest analogy I can think of would be something akin to basketball or football (North American or European) camps, although the validity of such an analogy I cannot comment on from lack of experience in this regard.\nOverall, however, past the point of being informal, what strikes me as being somewhat unique about footbag is the very personal nature of events or tournaments. This is meant both in the form of footbaggers in general being known to be a pretty friendly or at least chill crowd, as well as the unusually high level of interaction between the very top and very bottom of footbag compared to other sports. Footbag events offer an opportunity for the inexperienced to look at and interact with the giants of the sport at a very human and individual level when contrasted with mainstream sports. However, bringing the conversation back from my slight digression, what I find to be motivating about all of the above discussed elements is 1) the friendliness, selflessness, and openness of the community, and 2) the opportunity to interact with both the top and bottom levels of the sport in an equal manner\u2014along with the realization that, given enough time and effort, you can push yourself to be at or near the top of the sport.\nAs to having a friend or crew to play with, this is probably a core motivating factor to some footbaggers in the form of having others to gain insight or expertise from, or even just to shred with on a regular basis. Excelling and refining footbag skills by yourself is one thing, but quite another to have a whole group of footbaggers consistently playing and improving as a whole. One need only look at some of the crews around the U.S., let alone the rest of the world, to see the motivation and progression that comes from being in a group: Michigan, Boston, and PA, to name a few.\nThe third point of getting props or recognition for your progression in footbag has, coincidentally, already been discussed somewhat in depth on the recent \u201cBAP\u201d thread in the Freestyle Footbaggers group on Facebook. However, leaving aside the arguments poised in that thread, getting recognition for your hard work and progression in a skill, hobby, what have you can be a highly motivating factor in continuing to succeed for some people. However, in order to advance, I think it highly more efficient and practical to cultivate a love for footbag itself rather than simply thrive on the recognition and props from others in order to progress. But this is simply my own opinion rather than being reflective of what could be a motivating factor for someone to play footbag in general.\nMy last point\u2014or the drive to constantly improve and develop the self in relation to footbag progression\u2014I believe is the single most motivating factor that leads someone to continue to play footbag. The sensation that accompanies hitting a new trick, link, or combo are, in the words of Nick Polini: \u201c\u2026that feeling right there, chills all throughout my spine, perfect day man, perfect day.\u201d To anyone who has ever played footbag, I\u2019m sure this comment needs no further explanation.\nThis element of footbag leads me into my third and final question (which may be somewhat easier to answer accurately now) that is: when does someone become a footbagger? In sum, there is no requirement on the level of shred you put out, nor any major requirement concerning the number of hours you put into the sports, nor even the necessity of having Lavers and a standard metal-filled 32 panel. At the end of the day, all that matters is an obsessive craving for that \u201cchills down your spine\u201d feeling that comes with consistently advancing and improving that one trick, drill, or concept. In short, being constantly addicted to progression in its purest form of footbag advancement\u2014the need to become better.\nWords and Photo\u00a0by Daniel Carey", "date_published": "2016-08-28T18:23:33+00:00", "date_modified": "2016-08-28T18:23:33+00:00", "author": { "name": "asmus", "url": "https://modified.in/bsos/author/asmus/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/04c37ae2f760408975cf17dc683e43c4?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "https://modified.in/bsos/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2016/08/mVoL9cqg.jpg", "tags": [ "Inspiration", "Knowledge" ] }, { "id": "https://modified.in/bsos/2016/03/31/asmus-thoughts-on-organizing-worlds-2/", "url": "https://modified.in/bsos/2016/03/31/asmus-thoughts-on-organizing-worlds-2/", "title": "Asmus\u2019 Thoughts On Organizing Worlds", "content_html": "There are no golden rules or answers set in stone here, every Worlds is different and there are hundreds of ways of doing things the right way.
\nI haven\u2019t touched on half of what hosting a World Championship is, but I hope this does answer some of the questions I have gotten up to, during and after Worlds in Copenhagen.
It should also be said that these are my experiences and thoughts, not the opinions of the Worlds Operating Committee or FootbagDenmark.
\nThe first thing you should do, if your club is thinking about hosting Worlds, is to get your hands on the Host Application. It sums up the requirements nicely and will make it easier for you to get an idea if you want to do this or not. The Worlds Operating Committee (woc@.ifpa.footbag.org) will be more than happy to send it to you.
\nThe second thing you need to do is to commit to the idea of hosting Worlds. First the core organising team have to commit to the idea and then you need to get the rest of your club to do it. Organising Worlds isn\u2019t easy and it isn\u2019t always a lot of fun. I would estimate that between us we spent over a thousand hours on Worlds even before it started. That is a big commitment and everybody has to sign off on it.
\nWe were 5 in the core team and around 15 more volunteers. That is the absolute least you will need. Twice as many volunteers would have been great.
\nThe skills you will need are the following:
\nA thing I would have done differently, if we had been a bigger team and knew what we know now, is assign some people to not work during week and only take care of the aftermath. The clean up, delivering back borrowed items, etc.
\nMy tip on how to get an awesome venue for Worlds would be to become an officially recognized organisation. Obviously, how this is done and what you can get out of it varies from country to country, but here are some of the advantages you might get from it:
\nBecause FootbagDenmark is an officially recognized sports organisation, we can apply for indoor training facilities in Copenhagen. The municipality owns most of the gyms in the city and also the venue we used for Worlds. Indoor training facilities are not usually used much in the summer holidays which made it easier for us. We wrote an application to them. Here is the table of contents:
\nAfter that there was a couple of meetings and then a contract was signed.
\nWhen you have found the venue, you will have to raise some cash money. The player registration fees and donations will not be enough. It was about a third of what we spent AND we got the main venue for free.
\nWe did not have a lot of success attracting sponsors and I think that could have gone better with a more focused effort by assigning one guy to focus solely on this. Preferably a person with telemarketing experience.
\nWe did however have a lot of success applying for grants and funding from foundations. How things like this work of course varies from country to country, but it is definitely the route I would focus on.
\nOne of the foundations had focus on development and implementation of socially beneficial initiatives and activities, the second one focused on supporting organized citizenry, research and social and cultural purposes. The last one supports activities and events that are helping to strengthen our district of the city’s social and cultural resources and which brings together citizens across social and ethnic backgrounds.
\nGetting media coverage was one thing we definitely failed at. Early on we got a lot of verbal commitments from print and tv media that they would like to cover it, however once crunch time came we were too focused on actually getting the tournament up and running and following up on these verbal commitments took a back seat.
\nA World Championship in footbag is definitely newsworthy and getting coverage should be possible. A way of avoiding our situation would be to have a person solely focus on this. The best would be if that person were a communications officer or journalist with experience in writing press releases.
\nFootbag lives in small pockets around the world and on the internet. During a very special week in late July or early August a big pocket appears wherever Worlds is hosted, but an important thing to remember is that there are still more people sitting waiting on updates on facebook or modified than actually at the championship. It is an important job for the organizing team to cater to them – not only because they are footbag but also because it makes the sport look much more professional if we have a strong online presence.
\nI think we took some good steps in this direction, with frequent updates in text, pictures and videos during the week, a great website and online streaming of the finals.
\nWhat I would like to see in the future is:
\n– Online streaming of all events (with commentary during Finals)
\n– Social Media Officers
\nThis could be players that in exchange for not having to pay registration fee instead had to make X numbers of posts each day on different social media apps and websites.
I have more ideas in regards to this but I have to put some more thought into them.
\nJust to clear something up:
\nWe considered prize money at Worlds but finally decided against it. We even considered only giving prize money only to Doubles Freestyle since we had a sponsor who for unknown reasons really were into that event.
\nLet me do some math that shows why I think that was a wise decision.
\nIf we take every official event (except the masters net competition, intermediate competitions, golf and women\u2019s sick trick since there was only two competitors), there are 16 events that should get prize money. This means 16 first places, second places and third places. 12 times the prize money is shared between two players because of doubles. So, if nobody got first through third in more than one event 60 players would get prize money. However only 34 players ended in the top three in any of the events. Let\u2019s say number one(s) get 100 euros, number two(s) get 60 euros and number three(s) get 30 euros. That would add up to 3040 euros. That is a lot of money.
\nWhere could we find that money? It is pretty much exactly the same same as it cost to give every (170+) players a free meal every day. Or it will would have been the same as raising the registration fee for over (170+) attendees with 50%.
\nSo we decided to benefit 170+ players instead of 34.
Organising Worlds is a hard and often thankless job. It is also one of the best experiences of my life. It feels amazing to give a lot back to the community that has given me so much. Not only do I appreciate footbag and footbaggers much more now, I also feel like I know them much better and I even feel like I know my own strengths and weaknesses much better. Would I do it again? Maybe. Would I recommend others to do it? Definitely.
\nYou are more than welcome to post questions here, if you questions you don\u2019t want others to see you can PM me and I will answer to the best of my ability.
\nWritten by Asmus Helms
\n", "content_text": "There are no golden rules or answers set in stone here, every Worlds is different and there are hundreds of ways of doing things the right way. \nI haven\u2019t touched on half of what hosting a World Championship is, but I hope this does answer some of the questions I have gotten up to, during and after Worlds in Copenhagen.\nIt should also be said that these are my experiences and thoughts, not the opinions of the Worlds Operating Committee or FootbagDenmark.\nHost Application for Worlds\nThe first thing you should do, if your club is thinking about hosting Worlds, is to get your hands on the Host Application. It sums up the requirements nicely and will make it easier for you to get an idea if you want to do this or not. The Worlds Operating Committee (woc@.ifpa.footbag.org) will be more than happy to send it to you.\nCommit!\nThe second thing you need to do is to commit to the idea of hosting Worlds. First the core organising team have to commit to the idea and then you need to get the rest of your club to do it. Organising Worlds isn\u2019t easy and it isn\u2019t always a lot of fun. I would estimate that between us we spent over a thousand hours on Worlds even before it started. That is a big commitment and everybody has to sign off on it.\nThe Team\nWe were 5 in the core team and around 15 more volunteers. That is the absolute least you will need. Twice as many volunteers would have been great.\nThe skills you will need are the following:\n\nGraphic and webdesign\nVideo editing\nStrong writing skills in a serious business language\nTwo people with driver\u2019s license and cars\nBudgeting\nA problem solver\nPeople with big networks\nExperience running tournaments\n\nA thing I would have done differently, if we had been a bigger team and knew what we know now, is assign some people to not work during week and only take care of the aftermath. The clean up, delivering back borrowed items, etc.\nGetting the Venue\nMy tip on how to get an awesome venue for Worlds would be to become an officially recognized organisation. Obviously, how this is done and what you can get out of it varies from country to country, but here are some of the advantages you might get from it:\n\nEasier to seek grants\nSupport from local government and municipality\nAbility to open bank accounts etc.\nLooks professional\nTax advantages\n\nBecause FootbagDenmark is an officially recognized sports organisation, we can apply for indoor training facilities in Copenhagen. The municipality owns most of the gyms in the city and also the venue we used for Worlds. Indoor training facilities are not usually used much in the summer holidays which made it easier for us. We wrote an application to them. Here is the table of contents:\n\nIntroduction\nCollaborators\nAudience / Target Group\nFinals\nEstimated number of athletes\nProgram\nBudget\nWhat is footbag?\nWhat can we offer you\nAbout us\nContacts\n\nAfter that there was a couple of meetings and then a contract was signed.\nSponsors and funding\nWhen you have found the venue, you will have to raise some cash money. The player registration fees and donations will not be enough. It was about a third of what we spent AND we got the main venue for free.\nWe did not have a lot of success attracting sponsors and I think that could have gone better with a more focused effort by assigning one guy to focus solely on this. Preferably a person with telemarketing experience.\nWe did however have a lot of success applying for grants and funding from foundations. How things like this work of course varies from country to country, but it is definitely the route I would focus on.\nOne of the foundations had focus on development and implementation of socially beneficial initiatives and activities, the second one focused on supporting organized citizenry, research and social and cultural purposes. The last one supports activities and events that are helping to strengthen our district of the city’s social and cultural resources and which brings together citizens across social and ethnic backgrounds.\nMedia\nGetting media coverage was one thing we definitely failed at. Early on we got a lot of verbal commitments from print and tv media that they would like to cover it, however once crunch time came we were too focused on actually getting the tournament up and running and following up on these verbal commitments took a back seat.\nA World Championship in footbag is definitely newsworthy and getting coverage should be possible. A way of avoiding our situation would be to have a person solely focus on this. The best would be if that person were a communications officer or journalist with experience in writing press releases.\nDigital World(s)\nFootbag lives in small pockets around the world and on the internet. During a very special week in late July or early August a big pocket appears wherever Worlds is hosted, but an important thing to remember is that there are still more people sitting waiting on updates on facebook or modified than actually at the championship. It is an important job for the organizing team to cater to them – not only because they are footbag but also because it makes the sport look much more professional if we have a strong online presence.\nI think we took some good steps in this direction, with frequent updates in text, pictures and videos during the week, a great website and online streaming of the finals.\nWhat I would like to see in the future is:\n– Online streaming of all events (with commentary during Finals)\n– Social Media Officers\nThis could be players that in exchange for not having to pay registration fee instead had to make X numbers of posts each day on different social media apps and websites.\nI have more ideas in regards to this but I have to put some more thought into them.\nPrize Money\nJust to clear something up:\nWe considered prize money at Worlds but finally decided against it. We even considered only giving prize money only to Doubles Freestyle since we had a sponsor who for unknown reasons really were into that event.\nLet me do some math that shows why I think that was a wise decision.\nIf we take every official event (except the masters net competition, intermediate competitions, golf and women\u2019s sick trick since there was only two competitors), there are 16 events that should get prize money. This means 16 first places, second places and third places. 12 times the prize money is shared between two players because of doubles. So, if nobody got first through third in more than one event 60 players would get prize money. However only 34 players ended in the top three in any of the events. Let\u2019s say number one(s) get 100 euros, number two(s) get 60 euros and number three(s) get 30 euros. That would add up to 3040 euros. That is a lot of money.\nWhere could we find that money? It is pretty much exactly the same same as it cost to give every (170+) players a free meal every day. Or it will would have been the same as raising the registration fee for over (170+) attendees with 50%.\nSo we decided to benefit 170+ players instead of 34.\nConclusion\nOrganising Worlds is a hard and often thankless job. It is also one of the best experiences of my life. It feels amazing to give a lot back to the community that has given me so much. Not only do I appreciate footbag and footbaggers much more now, I also feel like I know them much better and I even feel like I know my own strengths and weaknesses much better. Would I do it again? Maybe. Would I recommend others to do it? Definitely.\nYou are more than welcome to post questions here, if you questions you don\u2019t want others to see you can PM me and I will answer to the best of my ability.\nWritten by Asmus Helms", "date_published": "2016-03-31T15:24:37+00:00", "date_modified": "2016-03-31T15:24:37+00:00", "author": { "name": "asmus", "url": "https://modified.in/bsos/author/asmus/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/04c37ae2f760408975cf17dc683e43c4?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "https://modified.in/bsos/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2016/03/tshirt7-e1459437816187.png", "tags": [ "Competition", "Inspiration", "Knowledge" ] }, { "id": "https://modified.in/bsos/2016/03/23/the-trademark-hacky-sack/", "url": "https://modified.in/bsos/2016/03/23/the-trademark-hacky-sack/", "title": "The Trademark \u201cHacky Sack\u201d", "content_html": "So I have had this crazy idea bouncing around my head for a couple of weeks. I think we should buy back the trademark \u201cHacky Sack\u201d!
\n
It will probably never happen but I will share my thoughts on it anyways.
\nA little history lesson: Hacky Sack was invented in 1972 by John Stallberger and Mike Marshall. Marshall died of a heart attack in 1975 and Stallberger continued to push the sport and the business. It gained popularity in the early 80s and was registered as a trademark in 1981. In 1983 John Stallberger and others sold the title to toy producer Wham-O.
\n\u201cWhy should we buy it back?\u201d you might think. Here are my reasons:
Wouldn\u2019t it be too hard to change the image of Hacky Sack?
\nIt would be hard, but not impossible.
\nPublic perception changes naturally over time for all sports. Skateboarding went from being considered a fad, to a DIY business sensation, to almost dying and today to be big business. And the perception of skateboarders has changed from being seen as long haired weed smokers, to destructive drug addicts and adrenaline junkies to well respected athletes and businessmen.>
\nOur problem is that we are known to the public as hacky sackers, but we are so scared of the name (+ it is a trademark), that we have no chance of changing the perception of it.
\nAnother semi-related topic to this is fashion. Skateboard companies doesn\u2019t earn their money on selling boards but on clothes and shoes. This is a field I am sad that footbag hasn\u2019t tried to get into early. Now you might say that short shorts and no shirt is not fashionable and it probably isn\u2019t, but footbaggers could look more fashionable. Sneakers are big business and in fashion (why do you think the Rod Laver was re released?) and short shorts and tights are in fashion – Just take a look at Mr. Jeezus
I have heard that the trademark was originally sold to Wham-O from around 1-1.5 million dollars. I don\u2019t know anything about big business or trademarks on a monetary scale but according to this site 1-1.5 million would be 2.5-3.5 million today due to inflation.
\nI am pretty sure it would cost much more than that for a couple of reasons:
\n*Cash cow is business jargon for a business venture that generates a steady return of profits that far exceed the outlay of cash required to acquire or start it.
\nAnd now you might think \u201cWhy could this not happen?\u201d. Simply because I think it would be waaaay too expensive. However if I won a 100 million dollars I would totally give it an attempt.
\nYou can search up the trademark here: http://tmsearch.uspto.gov
\nHere is Wham-O\u2019s page about Hacky Sack: http://www.wham-o.com/product/Hacky_Sack.html
\n
Written by Asmus Helms
\n", "content_text": "So I have had this crazy idea bouncing around my head for a couple of weeks. I think we should buy back the trademark \u201cHacky Sack\u201d!\n\nThe Idea\nIt will probably never happen but I will share my thoughts on it anyways.\nA little history lesson: Hacky Sack was invented in 1972 by John Stallberger and Mike Marshall. Marshall died of a heart attack in 1975 and Stallberger continued to push the sport and the business. It gained popularity in the early 80s and was registered as a trademark in 1981. In 1983 John Stallberger and others sold the title to toy producer Wham-O.\n\u201cWhy should we buy it back?\u201d you might think. Here are my reasons:\n\nHacky Sack is a better name than footbag.\nWe can control who produces hacky sacks, make sure they are of a certain quality and that they give out the right information\nWe could earn money on licensing\nIt is a worldwide known brand\nBy buying it back and controlling the trademark we could work against the stoner image much more focused.\n\nThe Image of Hacky Sack\nWouldn\u2019t it be too hard to change the image of Hacky Sack?\nIt would be hard, but not impossible.\nPublic perception changes naturally over time for all sports. Skateboarding went from being considered a fad, to a DIY business sensation, to almost dying and today to be big business. And the perception of skateboarders has changed from being seen as long haired weed smokers, to destructive drug addicts and adrenaline junkies to well respected athletes and businessmen.>\nOur problem is that we are known to the public as hacky sackers, but we are so scared of the name (+ it is a trademark), that we have no chance of changing the perception of it.\nAnother semi-related topic to this is fashion. Skateboard companies doesn\u2019t earn their money on selling boards but on clothes and shoes. This is a field I am sad that footbag hasn\u2019t tried to get into early. Now you might say that short shorts and no shirt is not fashionable and it probably isn\u2019t, but footbaggers could look more fashionable. Sneakers are big business and in fashion (why do you think the Rod Laver was re released?) and short shorts and tights are in fashion – Just take a look at Mr. Jeezus\nThe Financing\nI have heard that the trademark was originally sold to Wham-O from around 1-1.5 million dollars. I don\u2019t know anything about big business or trademarks on a monetary scale but according to this site 1-1.5 million would be 2.5-3.5 million today due to inflation.\nI am pretty sure it would cost much more than that for a couple of reasons:\n\nWham-O would want to get something back for what they have invested in promotion over the years<\nWith the way Wham-O seems to handle the Hacky Sack brand, I am pretty sure it is a decent Cash cow* for them. You don\u2019t want to sell your cash cows unless you get a lot of money for them.\nI am sure it is much harder to buy something from big business than the original inventor\n\n*Cash cow is business jargon for a business venture that generates a steady return of profits that far exceed the outlay of cash required to acquire or start it.\nAnd now you might think \u201cWhy could this not happen?\u201d. Simply because I think it would be waaaay too expensive. However if I won a 100 million dollars I would totally give it an attempt.\nYou can search up the trademark here: http://tmsearch.uspto.gov\nHere is Wham-O\u2019s page about Hacky Sack: http://www.wham-o.com/product/Hacky_Sack.html\n \nWritten by Asmus Helms", "date_published": "2016-03-23T09:58:18+00:00", "date_modified": "2016-03-23T09:58:18+00:00", "author": { "name": "asmus", "url": "https://modified.in/bsos/author/asmus/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/04c37ae2f760408975cf17dc683e43c4?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "https://modified.in/bsos/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2016/03/hackysack.png", "tags": [ "Equipment", "Inspiration", "Knowledge" ] }, { "id": "https://modified.in/bsos/2014/11/20/a-dialog-with-ken-somolinos/", "url": "https://modified.in/bsos/2014/11/20/a-dialog-with-ken-somolinos/", "title": "A Dialog with Ken Somolinos", "content_html": "First, thanks for taking the time. We’ve known each other for a long time now, I’m glad they tapped me\u00a0to interview you. I figure we can have this be nice and personal, but not too personal. You have a long\u00a0history in the sport now, so I’ll start back at the beginning and move forward. There will be some\u00a0greatest hits stuff mixed in with lesser known facts.
\n\n\nAs the greatest actor of our generation is known to say: “alright alright alright!”
Ha ha yes. Kicking this off, when did you begin your freestyle career, and how did you get into it? I\u00a0remember meeting you for the first time at Worlds ’99 and you were already strong.
\n\nI first got into hackysack in 1996. We were on vacation in the Fla keys and got locked out of our car, and\u00a0my sister bought one so we could kill time. I spent the next year or so learning to kick basic kicks and\u00a0fliers, and I think toe stalls? Then in 1997 my best hack friend told me he had bumped into players who\u00a0were way better than us (which I was skeptical was possible) and that there was an actual tournament\u00a0that weekend in NYC. I went to the tournament, met Goldberg, Tu Vu, Bruce Dole, Eric Wulff and Ian\u00a0Brill, and realized I hadn’t even scratched the surface of what was possible. I started going into NYC\u00a0every weekend to play and learn more, and by my first Worlds in 1999 I was pretty hooked. I\u2019m pretty\u00a0sure you were the one who challenged me to hit my first Superfly at 99 worlds.
I think I remember that, Ryan and I saw you playing and were like “who’s this guy?” Then we went out\u00a0for lunch. You were definitely one of the strongest new players there. You dropped some big names\u00a0with the people you first met which leads me into my next question; who were your role models back\u00a0then? I think I can guess a few.
\n\nRon Jeremy?
That’s one haha.
\n\nI remember going for Mexican with you, Ryan, and Brian McK.
That was it.
\n\nI was just so excited and in awe that the people I had watched on videos really existed, and that they\u00a0were friendly and funny. My encyclopaedic knowledge of Simpsons finally paid off socially!
That did impress us greatly!
\n\nRyan was probably my biggest influence back then.
That was another guess. He influenced about everyone past, present and future.
\n![\"ryan](\"https://modified.in/bsos/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2014/11/ryan-mulroney.jpg\")
\nRyan Mulroney
\nYeah, I was a fan of lots of people, but if I had to single out one person it’d be Ryan.
Good to one to choose, he led the pack for that generation. As you were coming up, did you have any\u00a0core schooling partners/buddies? There have been some epic schooling teams over the years, any\u00a0shredder you played with more than anyone else when you were on the rise, or after?
\n\nYes and no. My last year of high school I got to play with NYFA a good bit, but almost from the get go I\u00a0was the strongest player in that club, so I didn’t feel anybody was pushing me. The next 4 years I went to\u00a0undergrad in Rhode Island, and never built/found a scene there. So those first 5 years I only got to play\u00a0with NYFA, and occasionally with Yacine and the Montreal crew on trips…but nobody on a regular basis.
\nThen after college, I moved to Japan…which had no footbag scene to speak of when I arrived. Over the\u00a0next 3 years I helped build up a pretty strong scene, and got to play with them on a weekly basis. It\u00a0wasn’t until the end of my time in Japan though that anybody was at a high guiltless level. I was always\u00a0jealous of places with footbag scenes with players at a high level, like the first family in San Fran, or the\u00a0Shred House in Boulder, or the dictators in Prague.
Yup, I always liked to call them houses, like the house of Sole Purpose. It is more difficult to stay\u00a0motivated with no group around, I can see where some of your drive came from. That was great work\u00a0you did in Japan, we have seen the seeds of that for years now and currently with Taishi and his success.
\n![\"taishi](\"https://modified.in/bsos/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2014/11/taishi-badass.jpg\")
\nTaishi Ishida
\nSo proud of Taishi. I’m so impressed by people who follow their dream, and he’s really going for it. Such\u00a0a great guy too. But yeah, playing most of my career either entirely solo, or with small crews that are not\u00a0at the guiltless level, you have to find other ways to motivate yourself, and there are times it can be\u00a0hard to sustain that motivation.
I bet, but the payoff to the perseverance it built definitely shows. Ok, now that we are getting into your\u00a0professional level career, let’s jump to 2003 and another one of your greatest hits so to speak. I\u00a0remember in Prague you were invited into the Big Add Posse, but politely declined. That was the first\u00a0time and last time I know of that happening. Can you give us some insight on why you chose not to\u00a0accept the invitation? Not everyone knows this story, or your thoughts behind it.
\n\nMan, that feels like forever ago….and I guess 11 years kind of is a lifetime.
Yup, to me it went by fast, darn it.
\n\nWe’re old dude. 11 years is longer than most people’s entire footbag careers.
Haha you’ve held up better than I, but yup, we’ve been in the game a while now.
\n\nYou’ve got a couple years on me though. But anyway, to answer your question, I think it\u2019s easiest to look\u00a0at a few years/events.
Please.
\n\nFrom 97-99 I learned pretty fast, and was having a lot of fun. At 99 worlds people first started\u00a0mentioning to me that I had a shot at BAP, and for some reason that changed the way I approached the\u00a0game. I spent the next year focusing on trying to hit what the BAP guys were hitting, and frankly it\u00a0wasn’t much fun at all. I went to 2000 Worlds, but at that point footbag wasn’t really fun for me, and it\u00a0kind of showed. I didn’t play well that week, and I felt like I was disappointing everybody…which is\u00a0weird, because it\u2019s a hacky sack tournament, and what did I have to prove? I came home from that\u00a0Worlds and reevaluated why I was playing. I decided if it wasn’t fun for me, and I wasn’t getting much\u00a0out of it, then I should spend my time doing anything else. I took off 6 months from playing, and that\u00a0could have been the end of my career right there. Instead, I found my shoes 6 months later and started\u00a0messing around with the game again, rebuilding it from the basics up. This actually fixed some problems\u00a0with my clippers and stepping set, and my strong clipper and weak clipper switched. Anyway, I\u00a0rediscovered my original love for the game, and by consciously making a point to stop caring what\u00a0others thought of my game or my potential, I ended up getting a lot better than I was before I quit. In\u00a0the summer of 2001 I went to Denver for an internship, which meant I missed Worlds, but got to play all\u00a0summer with Rippin, Daryl, Jon S, Red, and Sunny. I played really strongly, and even hit some tricks like\u00a0Stepping Ducking Symple Blender clean on film.
I remember.
\n\nI had to miss Worlds that year, but I remember visiting Yacine in Montreal and he showed me the BAP\u00a0vote paper, and I had gotten some votes despite not being at the tournament. He told me he thought I\u00a0would have gotten in if I was there. If I was there, and was put on the spot with an invite, I’m not sure\u00a0what I would have said. But when I talked to Yacine that summer, it made me start thinking about BAP,\u00a0and since I had time to think about it, I realized that when I was motivated by BAP, my game went to\u00a0shit…and that when I let go of caring about other people’s expectations, my game flourished. Once I had\u00a0that realization, it seemed disingenuous of me to accept BAP. I thought that, since I benefited from\u00a0playing for myself, there might be other young players who would benefit similarly, and that the best\u00a0way to send that message would be to turn down BAP. At the end of the day, it really comes down to\u00a0proving stuff to yourself, and being happy with yourself, and not caring what others think about you.\u00a0That’s a lot easier said than done.
\nAt least in the case of BAP, it didn’t cost me anything material. You\u00a0look at Grigori Perelman in the math world for example, and that guy turned down a million dollars. You\u00a0could also look at other sports too… Dirk Nowitzki was told his entire young career to play back to the\u00a0basket and eschew 3 pointers. If he had followed other people’s advice, or done what he thought\u00a0everybody wanted him to do, he wouldn’t have ended up being Dirk. Verbose enough response for you?
Yup, there’s a quote I always liked from Hemingway I believe; “There is nothing noble in being superior\u00a0to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self”. Sounds like there’s a little bit of\u00a0that here. I can tell you a lot of the BAP players and everyone else respected that, I certainly did. And\u00a0yup, you nailed it! To move on, what has been your favorite Worlds tournament that you have been to,\u00a0and why?
\n\nWell, to help me figure that out, let me tally up the list of Worlds I’ve been to: 99, 00, 03, 04, 05,\u00a007,08,09,10,12,13
That’s a good run of Worlds.
\n\nI’m still kind of bitter I missed 2002 Worlds.
I’m bitter I missed 2003!
\n\nReally hard to say which was best. 13 was special to me because I finally made routine finals, but it\u00a0wasn’t my best performance either. 99 was special because I got to meet everybody. 03 was the most\u00a0fun in terms of partying and just shredding like crazy. 09 and 05 were run so well…I really don\u2019t know\u00a0which I would pick. Sorry for the cop-out answer on that one.
Ha ha no sweat, it is tough to decide, I don’t know if I could say either. Just glad we have gotten to\u00a0attend so many.
\n\nYes, we’re lucky. It\u2019s weird, on one hand I can complain that my job doesn’t allow me to prepare as\u00a0much or play as hard as I want in preparation for tournaments…but if I didn’t have a job there’s no way\u00a0I’d be able to go to Worlds.
Yup, it’s that life/balance thing, we have to deal with it at one point or another. Relating to this,\u00a0congratulations on your recent marriage. She’s awesome btw. Do you feel you’ve found a good balance\u00a0between life and footbag right now? Of course priorities come first, but it looks like you are still making\u00a0it work.
\n![\"ken](\"https://modified.in/bsos/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2014/11/ken-dancing.jpg\")
\nKen dancing with his wife
\nIt’s weird, because on one hand I could complain that I can’t dedicate as much time as I’d like to footbag,\u00a0but on the other hand I know if/when I have kids in a couple years, I’ll look back on this time of my life\u00a0and say: “look at all the free time I had to play back then!” I think in the future I’m going to have to\u00a0adjust my goals and expectations for footbag, and while that is a little bit sad, I feel like I’ve had a good\u00a0career, and it’s unfair to complain that I “only” had 17 years of playing.
That is a good stretch of time, and you’ve made good use of it. One thing I have always respected about\u00a0you is the fact that since the late 90’s I don’t think you have ever taken a significant break from playing\u00a0(six months isn’t too bad). You always seemed to stay excited for the sport, where many of us from that\u00a0gen and later either retired or took long stretches of time off. It’s been quite an inspiration to the older\u00a0players and new to see you doing so well now. Do you think you’re in your prime presently, and do you\u00a0consider yourself in the OG category yet?
\n![\"ken](\"https://modified.in/bsos/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2014/11/ken-mohawk.jpg\")
\nKen with a mohawk
\nThanks Red, that’s very flattering. As for how I perceive my current game…I’d say I’m probably still in my\u00a0prime. I set my new personal record for fearless (14) this year, I have done some of my best routines in\u00a0the past year, and I’ve crossed off some dream tricks too this summer. Objectively, I think my game in\u00a0the past year or two is better than any other stretch I’ve had. As for being an OG…it’s kind of crazy how\u00a0few of us players from the 90s are still around. Lon is a year older than me, and he’s still crazy good, so\u00a0no reason for us to stop yet.
Agreed, you guys are really showing how far you can take it, and your 30’s aren’t too old are they? lol. I\u00a0believe it’s really a state of mind, and of course avoiding debilitating injuries. To keep it going, in 2013\u00a0you became the U.S. Champion and have consistently worked to present great performance routines.
\n![\"ken](\"https://modified.in/bsos/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2014/11/ken-us-open.jpg\")
\nKen, Nick Landes and Brian Sherrill at the US Open
Do you have any other aspirations moving forward, things that haven’t been checked off the list yet?
\n\nI turn 35 in April. As for goals, I think my last remaining one is to make Finals at Worlds again, and try to\u00a0medal in routines. It’d be ambitious, but that’s a good thing with goals. Even if I don’t, I’d like to finish\u00a0higher than I did in 2013. I think that’s achievable.
Congrats on finals at Worlds before as well. You are known for speaking your mind, how do you feel\u00a0about where footbag is today, and what do you think will help it along? Anything you feel is hurting it\u00a0right now?
\n\nI think lack of readily available footwear is hurting us. The days of people choosing easily between\u00a0Lavers, G-Units, and Quantums are gone. And that adds immensely to an already-steep learning curve\u00a0for beginners. I think it also hurts us that everybody makes the claim that the scene is significantly worse\u00a0now than it was 10 years ago. I think that’s a negative attitude that’s not really supported by evidence.
\nAs for what will help the scene, I think the key thing is for us to invest more in new players. That’d\u00a0probably take the form of doing more promotion, more tournaments, more PR work advertising our\u00a0tournaments, etc. I don’t think we need a radical sea change to our approach, I think we just need to do\u00a0a better job of it.
\nThe lack of current footwear is an issue at present, but something I think we can resolve. For where the\u00a0sport is at, I can say I’ve been around long enough that I’ve seen it fluctuate so to speak, but don’t see it\u00a0as being in trouble right now either. There are a few things to work on like anything, but I can say now I\u00a0see interest growing in the sport which I am optimistic about. I also agree stronger promotion helps, just\u00a0leveling up certainly ways we do things. The new players and veteran players such as yourself are\u00a0inspiring, I say lots more of that.\u00a0I sometimes wonder if the crazy advances we’ve made in terms of player skill may not have actually hurt\u00a0us. Like, when I first saw real players in 1997, I was blown away by what they were doing, but on some\u00a0level I thought I could get to the point where I’d at least be able to emulate them. Now though, if you’re\u00a0a new player and you see Milan hit Nemesis Swirl…it’s kind of more daunting than what we dealt with.
I agree, and have thought exactly the same thing. There were still worlds to conquer (pun intended)\u00a0when we got into it, new moves to invent and combos to put together, a whole lot of undiscovered\u00a0country. Then Vasek and crew came along and it was like footbag was sent ten years into the future. The\u00a0physical standard got extremely high, I just watched Claven’s Autumn video again from four years ago\u00a0and it is absurd. Being a new player, if you’re not inspired I could see one being like “screw that” ha ha.\u00a0Inspiring or disheartening, depending on your viewpoint. I would hope inspiring.
\n![\"ken](\"https://modified.in/bsos/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2014/11/ken-west-coast-1024x576.jpg\")
\nKen on the West Coast
\nYeah, though on the plus side, the few kids who don’t get scared away will be insane because they now\u00a0know what’s possible.
That’s the way it should work, what was a mountain to the previous generation is a mole hill to the next\u00a0one, you can hope.
\n\nYeah….though I wish we had more casual players and intermediates. Like, with basketball I know I could\u00a0never be an NBA player…but that doesn’t stop me from playing pickup. With footbag, I kind of wonder if\u00a0we’d have more intermediates, or more motivated intermediates if we hadn’t brought the sport to the\u00a0point where anything less than 10 fearless, or a 4 dex, or a beast, is considered blas\u00e9.
I would like to see it be more inclusive and spin more directions, say just more motivation for casual\u00a0kickers to come to events and enjoy them/not be intimidated. There’s a lot of ground on the promotion\u00a0side we can still cover methinks.
\n\nAgree.
Ok, so final questions;
\n\nShow your work?
Haha absolutely. And you have. First question of two here; what are you most proud of thus far in your\u00a0footbag career?
\n\nJapan. Next?
I figured, and a good one to be proud of. Finally, what’s the most inspiring thing in footbag to you?
\n\nhttp://footbag.jp/
\nHm. To answer your first question more seriously, “my involvement in the development of the Japanese\u00a0scene.” Though on a personal level I’d probably say winning Circles and routines in subsequent USOs.
Ken Somolinos Open Routine – Finals – 2013 US Open Footbag Championships
\n\nGood accomplishments.
\n\nAs for inspiration, I think it’s the same as in any sport or human endeavor. Seeing yourself and your\u00a0friends try their hardest, and push past their highest expectations. I remember my earliest goals and\u00a0dream tricks, and how thrilled I was to hit them, then surpass them with new goals. When you see\u00a0another player push so hard, and achieve something they thought was impossible, you can’t help but be\u00a0inspired. There’s nothing inspiring in seeing somebody do what they’re supposed to do. But seeing\u00a0somebody grow, and improve, and strive….I met Taishi in 2003 when he had only been playing for a\u00a0month. 11 years later he wins gold at Worlds, against a murderous field for that event. That’s inspiring.
Absolutely agreed. It’s a wonderful feeling seeing someone you mentored rise up like that, I still have a\u00a0warm place in my heart for Nick Landes (shout outs) and all he has ended up accomplishing. Well,\u00a0thanks a bunch Ken for doing this interview, your work has been quite motivating and I look forward to\u00a0seeing where you go from here. Not to pay too much lip service, but you are one of the top players in\u00a0the U.S. and I would love to see a tournament/event where you, Lon, Jim, Evan, Nick, and Bevier all\u00a0converge. That would be a treat, meeting of masters ha ha. Hopefully soon.
\n\nHey, thanks a lot Red. This was fun. Hopefully I’ll see you in Boulder or Boise sooner than later. Have fun\u00a0at the party!
Agreed, will do. I’ll tell Daryl and Jim you said hello, and as always, see you in the circles my friend!
\n\nRight on. Take care Red!
Here is Ken\u2019s most recent video, one of my favorites from this year.
\n\nArticle by Ethan “Red” Husted
\n", "content_text": "First, thanks for taking the time. We’ve known each other for a long time now, I’m glad they tapped me\u00a0to interview you. I figure we can have this be nice and personal, but not too personal. You have a long\u00a0history in the sport now, so I’ll start back at the beginning and move forward. There will be some\u00a0greatest hits stuff mixed in with lesser known facts.\nAs the greatest actor of our generation is known to say: “alright alright alright!”\n\nHa ha yes. Kicking this off, when did you begin your freestyle career, and how did you get into it? I\u00a0remember meeting you for the first time at Worlds ’99 and you were already strong.\nI first got into hackysack in 1996. We were on vacation in the Fla keys and got locked out of our car, and\u00a0my sister bought one so we could kill time. I spent the next year or so learning to kick basic kicks and\u00a0fliers, and I think toe stalls? Then in 1997 my best hack friend told me he had bumped into players who\u00a0were way better than us (which I was skeptical was possible) and that there was an actual tournament\u00a0that weekend in NYC. I went to the tournament, met Goldberg, Tu Vu, Bruce Dole, Eric Wulff and Ian\u00a0Brill, and realized I hadn’t even scratched the surface of what was possible. I started going into NYC\u00a0every weekend to play and learn more, and by my first Worlds in 1999 I was pretty hooked. I\u2019m pretty\u00a0sure you were the one who challenged me to hit my first Superfly at 99 worlds.\nI think I remember that, Ryan and I saw you playing and were like “who’s this guy?” Then we went out\u00a0for lunch. You were definitely one of the strongest new players there. You dropped some big names\u00a0with the people you first met which leads me into my next question; who were your role models back\u00a0then? I think I can guess a few.\nRon Jeremy?\nThat’s one haha.\nI remember going for Mexican with you, Ryan, and Brian McK.\nThat was it.\nI was just so excited and in awe that the people I had watched on videos really existed, and that they\u00a0were friendly and funny. My encyclopaedic knowledge of Simpsons finally paid off socially!\nThat did impress us greatly!\nRyan was probably my biggest influence back then.\nThat was another guess. He influenced about everyone past, present and future.\n\nRyan Mulroney\nYeah, I was a fan of lots of people, but if I had to single out one person it’d be Ryan.\nGood to one to choose, he led the pack for that generation. As you were coming up, did you have any\u00a0core schooling partners/buddies? There have been some epic schooling teams over the years, any\u00a0shredder you played with more than anyone else when you were on the rise, or after?\nYes and no. My last year of high school I got to play with NYFA a good bit, but almost from the get go I\u00a0was the strongest player in that club, so I didn’t feel anybody was pushing me. The next 4 years I went to\u00a0undergrad in Rhode Island, and never built/found a scene there. So those first 5 years I only got to play\u00a0with NYFA, and occasionally with Yacine and the Montreal crew on trips…but nobody on a regular basis.\nThen after college, I moved to Japan…which had no footbag scene to speak of when I arrived. Over the\u00a0next 3 years I helped build up a pretty strong scene, and got to play with them on a weekly basis. It\u00a0wasn’t until the end of my time in Japan though that anybody was at a high guiltless level. I was always\u00a0jealous of places with footbag scenes with players at a high level, like the first family in San Fran, or the\u00a0Shred House in Boulder, or the dictators in Prague.\nYup, I always liked to call them houses, like the house of Sole Purpose. It is more difficult to stay\u00a0motivated with no group around, I can see where some of your drive came from. That was great work\u00a0you did in Japan, we have seen the seeds of that for years now and currently with Taishi and his success.\n\nTaishi Ishida\nSo proud of Taishi. I’m so impressed by people who follow their dream, and he’s really going for it. Such\u00a0a great guy too. But yeah, playing most of my career either entirely solo, or with small crews that are not\u00a0at the guiltless level, you have to find other ways to motivate yourself, and there are times it can be\u00a0hard to sustain that motivation.\nI bet, but the payoff to the perseverance it built definitely shows. Ok, now that we are getting into your\u00a0professional level career, let’s jump to 2003 and another one of your greatest hits so to speak. I\u00a0remember in Prague you were invited into the Big Add Posse, but politely declined. That was the first\u00a0time and last time I know of that happening. Can you give us some insight on why you chose not to\u00a0accept the invitation? Not everyone knows this story, or your thoughts behind it.\nMan, that feels like forever ago….and I guess 11 years kind of is a lifetime.\nYup, to me it went by fast, darn it.\nWe’re old dude. 11 years is longer than most people’s entire footbag careers.\nHaha you’ve held up better than I, but yup, we’ve been in the game a while now.\nYou’ve got a couple years on me though. But anyway, to answer your question, I think it\u2019s easiest to look\u00a0at a few years/events.\nPlease.\nFrom 97-99 I learned pretty fast, and was having a lot of fun. At 99 worlds people first started\u00a0mentioning to me that I had a shot at BAP, and for some reason that changed the way I approached the\u00a0game. I spent the next year focusing on trying to hit what the BAP guys were hitting, and frankly it\u00a0wasn’t much fun at all. I went to 2000 Worlds, but at that point footbag wasn’t really fun for me, and it\u00a0kind of showed. I didn’t play well that week, and I felt like I was disappointing everybody…which is\u00a0weird, because it\u2019s a hacky sack tournament, and what did I have to prove? I came home from that\u00a0Worlds and reevaluated why I was playing. I decided if it wasn’t fun for me, and I wasn’t getting much\u00a0out of it, then I should spend my time doing anything else. I took off 6 months from playing, and that\u00a0could have been the end of my career right there. Instead, I found my shoes 6 months later and started\u00a0messing around with the game again, rebuilding it from the basics up. This actually fixed some problems\u00a0with my clippers and stepping set, and my strong clipper and weak clipper switched. Anyway, I\u00a0rediscovered my original love for the game, and by consciously making a point to stop caring what\u00a0others thought of my game or my potential, I ended up getting a lot better than I was before I quit. In\u00a0the summer of 2001 I went to Denver for an internship, which meant I missed Worlds, but got to play all\u00a0summer with Rippin, Daryl, Jon S, Red, and Sunny. I played really strongly, and even hit some tricks like\u00a0Stepping Ducking Symple Blender clean on film.\nI remember.\nI had to miss Worlds that year, but I remember visiting Yacine in Montreal and he showed me the BAP\u00a0vote paper, and I had gotten some votes despite not being at the tournament. He told me he thought I\u00a0would have gotten in if I was there. If I was there, and was put on the spot with an invite, I’m not sure\u00a0what I would have said. But when I talked to Yacine that summer, it made me start thinking about BAP,\u00a0and since I had time to think about it, I realized that when I was motivated by BAP, my game went to\u00a0shit…and that when I let go of caring about other people’s expectations, my game flourished. Once I had\u00a0that realization, it seemed disingenuous of me to accept BAP. I thought that, since I benefited from\u00a0playing for myself, there might be other young players who would benefit similarly, and that the best\u00a0way to send that message would be to turn down BAP. At the end of the day, it really comes down to\u00a0proving stuff to yourself, and being happy with yourself, and not caring what others think about you.\u00a0That’s a lot easier said than done.\nAt least in the case of BAP, it didn’t cost me anything material. You\u00a0look at Grigori Perelman in the math world for example, and that guy turned down a million dollars. You\u00a0could also look at other sports too… Dirk Nowitzki was told his entire young career to play back to the\u00a0basket and eschew 3 pointers. If he had followed other people’s advice, or done what he thought\u00a0everybody wanted him to do, he wouldn’t have ended up being Dirk. Verbose enough response for you?\nYup, there’s a quote I always liked from Hemingway I believe; “There is nothing noble in being superior\u00a0to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self”. Sounds like there’s a little bit of\u00a0that here. I can tell you a lot of the BAP players and everyone else respected that, I certainly did. And\u00a0yup, you nailed it! To move on, what has been your favorite Worlds tournament that you have been to,\u00a0and why?\nWell, to help me figure that out, let me tally up the list of Worlds I’ve been to: 99, 00, 03, 04, 05,\u00a007,08,09,10,12,13\nThat’s a good run of Worlds.\nI’m still kind of bitter I missed 2002 Worlds.\nI’m bitter I missed 2003!\nReally hard to say which was best. 13 was special to me because I finally made routine finals, but it\u00a0wasn’t my best performance either. 99 was special because I got to meet everybody. 03 was the most\u00a0fun in terms of partying and just shredding like crazy. 09 and 05 were run so well…I really don\u2019t know\u00a0which I would pick. Sorry for the cop-out answer on that one.\nHa ha no sweat, it is tough to decide, I don’t know if I could say either. Just glad we have gotten to\u00a0attend so many.\nYes, we’re lucky. It\u2019s weird, on one hand I can complain that my job doesn’t allow me to prepare as\u00a0much or play as hard as I want in preparation for tournaments…but if I didn’t have a job there’s no way\u00a0I’d be able to go to Worlds.\nYup, it’s that life/balance thing, we have to deal with it at one point or another. Relating to this,\u00a0congratulations on your recent marriage. She’s awesome btw. Do you feel you’ve found a good balance\u00a0between life and footbag right now? Of course priorities come first, but it looks like you are still making\u00a0it work.\n\nKen dancing with his wife\nIt’s weird, because on one hand I could complain that I can’t dedicate as much time as I’d like to footbag,\u00a0but on the other hand I know if/when I have kids in a couple years, I’ll look back on this time of my life\u00a0and say: “look at all the free time I had to play back then!” I think in the future I’m going to have to\u00a0adjust my goals and expectations for footbag, and while that is a little bit sad, I feel like I’ve had a good\u00a0career, and it’s unfair to complain that I “only” had 17 years of playing.\nThat is a good stretch of time, and you’ve made good use of it. One thing I have always respected about\u00a0you is the fact that since the late 90’s I don’t think you have ever taken a significant break from playing\u00a0(six months isn’t too bad). You always seemed to stay excited for the sport, where many of us from that\u00a0gen and later either retired or took long stretches of time off. It’s been quite an inspiration to the older\u00a0players and new to see you doing so well now. Do you think you’re in your prime presently, and do you\u00a0consider yourself in the OG category yet?\n\nKen with a mohawk\nThanks Red, that’s very flattering. As for how I perceive my current game…I’d say I’m probably still in my\u00a0prime. I set my new personal record for fearless (14) this year, I have done some of my best routines in\u00a0the past year, and I’ve crossed off some dream tricks too this summer. Objectively, I think my game in\u00a0the past year or two is better than any other stretch I’ve had. As for being an OG…it’s kind of crazy how\u00a0few of us players from the 90s are still around. Lon is a year older than me, and he’s still crazy good, so\u00a0no reason for us to stop yet.\nAgreed, you guys are really showing how far you can take it, and your 30’s aren’t too old are they? lol. I\u00a0believe it’s really a state of mind, and of course avoiding debilitating injuries. To keep it going, in 2013\u00a0you became the U.S. Champion and have consistently worked to present great performance routines.\n\nKen, Nick Landes and Brian Sherrill at the US Open\nDo you have any other aspirations moving forward, things that haven’t been checked off the list yet?\nI turn 35 in April. As for goals, I think my last remaining one is to make Finals at Worlds again, and try to\u00a0medal in routines. It’d be ambitious, but that’s a good thing with goals. Even if I don’t, I’d like to finish\u00a0higher than I did in 2013. I think that’s achievable.\nCongrats on finals at Worlds before as well. You are known for speaking your mind, how do you feel\u00a0about where footbag is today, and what do you think will help it along? Anything you feel is hurting it\u00a0right now?\nI think lack of readily available footwear is hurting us. The days of people choosing easily between\u00a0Lavers, G-Units, and Quantums are gone. And that adds immensely to an already-steep learning curve\u00a0for beginners. I think it also hurts us that everybody makes the claim that the scene is significantly worse\u00a0now than it was 10 years ago. I think that’s a negative attitude that’s not really supported by evidence.\nAs for what will help the scene, I think the key thing is for us to invest more in new players. That’d\u00a0probably take the form of doing more promotion, more tournaments, more PR work advertising our\u00a0tournaments, etc. I don’t think we need a radical sea change to our approach, I think we just need to do\u00a0a better job of it.\nThe lack of current footwear is an issue at present, but something I think we can resolve. For where the\u00a0sport is at, I can say I’ve been around long enough that I’ve seen it fluctuate so to speak, but don’t see it\u00a0as being in trouble right now either. There are a few things to work on like anything, but I can say now I\u00a0see interest growing in the sport which I am optimistic about. I also agree stronger promotion helps, just\u00a0leveling up certainly ways we do things. The new players and veteran players such as yourself are\u00a0inspiring, I say lots more of that.\u00a0I sometimes wonder if the crazy advances we’ve made in terms of player skill may not have actually hurt\u00a0us. Like, when I first saw real players in 1997, I was blown away by what they were doing, but on some\u00a0level I thought I could get to the point where I’d at least be able to emulate them. Now though, if you’re\u00a0a new player and you see Milan hit Nemesis Swirl…it’s kind of more daunting than what we dealt with.\nI agree, and have thought exactly the same thing. There were still worlds to conquer (pun intended)\u00a0when we got into it, new moves to invent and combos to put together, a whole lot of undiscovered\u00a0country. Then Vasek and crew came along and it was like footbag was sent ten years into the future. The\u00a0physical standard got extremely high, I just watched Claven’s Autumn video again from four years ago\u00a0and it is absurd. Being a new player, if you’re not inspired I could see one being like “screw that” ha ha.\u00a0Inspiring or disheartening, depending on your viewpoint. I would hope inspiring.\n\nKen on the West Coast\nYeah, though on the plus side, the few kids who don’t get scared away will be insane because they now\u00a0know what’s possible.\nThat’s the way it should work, what was a mountain to the previous generation is a mole hill to the next\u00a0one, you can hope.\nYeah….though I wish we had more casual players and intermediates. Like, with basketball I know I could\u00a0never be an NBA player…but that doesn’t stop me from playing pickup. With footbag, I kind of wonder if\u00a0we’d have more intermediates, or more motivated intermediates if we hadn’t brought the sport to the\u00a0point where anything less than 10 fearless, or a 4 dex, or a beast, is considered blas\u00e9.\nI would like to see it be more inclusive and spin more directions, say just more motivation for casual\u00a0kickers to come to events and enjoy them/not be intimidated. There’s a lot of ground on the promotion\u00a0side we can still cover methinks.\nAgree.\nOk, so final questions;\nShow your work?\nHaha absolutely. And you have. First question of two here; what are you most proud of thus far in your\u00a0footbag career?\nJapan. Next?\nI figured, and a good one to be proud of. Finally, what’s the most inspiring thing in footbag to you?\nhttp://footbag.jp/\nHm. To answer your first question more seriously, “my involvement in the development of the Japanese\u00a0scene.” Though on a personal level I’d probably say winning Circles and routines in subsequent USOs.\nKen Somolinos Open Routine – Finals – 2013 US Open Footbag Championships\n\nGood accomplishments.\nAs for inspiration, I think it’s the same as in any sport or human endeavor. Seeing yourself and your\u00a0friends try their hardest, and push past their highest expectations. I remember my earliest goals and\u00a0dream tricks, and how thrilled I was to hit them, then surpass them with new goals. When you see\u00a0another player push so hard, and achieve something they thought was impossible, you can’t help but be\u00a0inspired. There’s nothing inspiring in seeing somebody do what they’re supposed to do. But seeing\u00a0somebody grow, and improve, and strive….I met Taishi in 2003 when he had only been playing for a\u00a0month. 11 years later he wins gold at Worlds, against a murderous field for that event. That’s inspiring.\nAbsolutely agreed. It’s a wonderful feeling seeing someone you mentored rise up like that, I still have a\u00a0warm place in my heart for Nick Landes (shout outs) and all he has ended up accomplishing. Well,\u00a0thanks a bunch Ken for doing this interview, your work has been quite motivating and I look forward to\u00a0seeing where you go from here. Not to pay too much lip service, but you are one of the top players in\u00a0the U.S. and I would love to see a tournament/event where you, Lon, Jim, Evan, Nick, and Bevier all\u00a0converge. That would be a treat, meeting of masters ha ha. Hopefully soon.\nHey, thanks a lot Red. This was fun. Hopefully I’ll see you in Boulder or Boise sooner than later. Have fun\u00a0at the party!\nAgreed, will do. I’ll tell Daryl and Jim you said hello, and as always, see you in the circles my friend!\nRight on. Take care Red!\nHere is Ken\u2019s most recent video, one of my favorites from this year.\n\nArticle by Ethan “Red” Husted", "date_published": "2014-11-20T21:39:30+00:00", "date_modified": "2014-11-20T21:39:30+00:00", "author": { "name": "asmus", "url": "https://modified.in/bsos/author/asmus/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/04c37ae2f760408975cf17dc683e43c4?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "https://modified.in/bsos/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2014/11/kens.png", "tags": [ "Competition", "Inspiration", "Knowledge" ] }, { "id": "https://modified.in/bsos/2014/10/23/polini-vs-iakimenko/", "url": "https://modified.in/bsos/2014/10/23/polini-vs-iakimenko/", "title": "Polini VS Iakimenko", "content_html": "Many of you know who Ivan Iakimenko is. A young footbag player with loads of potential, a top-notch footbag stitcher, a talented footbag film editor, an inventor/innovator, etc… The dude is a saint in this community, from going to tournaments with an injury, unable to play, but filming the entire jam so others can enjoy it, to supplying pristine bags to so many players around the world. I had the privilege of being his room mate 2 years ago and I got to see a little deeper into what makes this awesome kid tick. I had a little chat-style interview with him so you can also get to know him better and take a trip into Ivan’s head for a bit. I hope you enjoy.
\n– Nick Polini
\nHey, Ivan!
\n\nhi Nick!
How are you doing this fine evening?
\n\nI’m doing quite well, thank you!
Splendid! Let’s get this show on the road! Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
\n\nSure! I was born in St Petersburg Russia and moved to the states when I was 2. I played hacky sack in high school and grabbed my first pair of lavers without knowing about footbag. I am currently studying engineering at Penn State, which is where I met Nick Polini, who showed me what footbag was. Right now I’m still recovering from my Achilles injury, but I have been enjoying spending the time editing footage and making footbags.
My name is Nick Polini, too! Small world.. Huge bummer about the Achilles injury. How much longer until you can play footbag again?
\n\nI should be back around mid December if things go well. Btw, Nick is a pretty weird guy. Just putting that out there
Well, that’s not too far off. Must be nice to see a light at the end of the tunnel finally. How long were you out for and if you don’t mind sharing, how did you get injured?
\n\nI was playing Net in the doubles semifinals at the PA Net championships (first time playing) and I tore it. I haven’t been counting how long I’ve been out, but I think it’s been about 4 months now?
Oi. It can be tough not being able to do one of your favorite activities. But you seem to have been very positive about the whole thing. What kind of stuff have you been doing in the meantime?
\n\nWell, I’ve been spending a lot of time stitching bags for people. Since I like to make stuff in general, stitching is a nice relaxing activity that is footbag related, gets me a little bit of money, and lets me create cool things with my hands. I’ve also been going through a good bit of footage that I had stockpiled on my hard drive and putting out some videos. I’m slowly trying to improve the quality of my work and really enjoy learning new techniques in video production. Right now I’m working on an ECFC video, as well as a few other projects that people have supplied footage for.
\nIn non-footbag related activities, I really enjoy biking and have started to hike a bit. I also like to make a wide variety of things with my hands. I’ve carved sticks, drawn pictures, and am currently working on building a small town on a model train layout on campus.
WOW! Sounds like you’ve been absolutely crushing it with other things! I should probably just state that you really do make some of the best bags in the world. Right up on the same pedestal with Marco, Bear, and Hania. I actually used one of your bags today in my session. I’ll also say that I taught Ivan to stitch footbags, back when we were room mates, and his first bag was visibly so much better than my 80something’th bag. I could tell he had an immediate knack for it. And your videos… words can’t describe them well enough so others can understand how great they really are… you just have to watch them for yourself, people. Your coverage of River Rock Jam ’13 in Richmond, VA was just incredible. Glad you’re able to hike and bike again. That’s gotta be a good sign. I know lots of people are excited for your return to footbag. You even had a tribute video made for you to assist you in a healthy recovery. What was your initial reaction to that?
\n\nThanks for the compliments! When that video went live, I was really surprised. I didn’t expect so many people, even players who I had never met to take the time to put something together for me. It was really humbling and it was a great lift at the time. I still enjoy watching that video every now and then – it is awesome to be a part of a community that close knit.
Absolutely agree with you on the tight knit community. You even went to East Coast Footbag Championships and filmed the entire thing from start to finish, basically! That was seriously cool of you to do. What was your personal favorite highlight of that jam?
\n\nHmm, that’s a tough question. I think my favorite aspect was seeing everyone again and meeting the Cali crew for the first time. I’m usually too busy shredding or filming at tournaments and this time I managed to hang out with some people, at least for a little bit. Let’s be honest, that was the main reason I went, not to film or sell bags, although it’s cool that I got to do both.
Yeah, you Penn Staters haven’t really been able to meet anyone from the West Coast or other distant lands. Must have been pretty cool. Very sick that the Cali guys came out. I knew Bear from a previous jam, but it was cool to finally meet Derek. Oh wait, unlike the other PSU kickers, you did meet plenty of non-eastcoast players at Worlds. What was that experience like for you?
\n\nWorlds was an eye opener for sure. First of all, I had never been to a week long event, and even though everyone there kept saying that “attendance is down, ect” it was the biggest footbag competition I had ever been to. It changed my perception of footbag in about 2 minutes. First off, this was my first time seeing players like Honza, Aleksi and Felix live. One of my first circles was with Ken and Aleksi and man oh man, I couldn’t do a single clipper. It was unreal. That event inspired me to kick my butt into high gear to get better and was the driving force behind my improvements for the better part of last year. At the same time it was really sweet to see how approachable everyone was, even if I wasn’t confident enough to approach them. On the first night, I was playing Cards against humanity with Evan, Ken, Aleksi, Chris, and a whole bunch of awesome people I had literally just met an hour or two ago. These were people who I had spent hours watching videos of, studying how they did atomics or how they timed their double downs, and here we were drinking and BSing in a university dorm in Montreal. The amount of great tips I got there was staggering as well – having been in relative isolation in State College, it was amazing to have people like Ianek and Evan help me with butterflies and clipper form. Lastly, I also realized that I was worth more to the community as someone who filmed the competition rather than a competitor and that has been the inspiration that drives me to get better with video production to this day. Granted, I still want to get good at playing.
Yeah man, I remember how quick those Worlds ’13 videos went up on youtube. Of course, I did get a behind-the-scenes look at you actually uploading them, since we were housemates for Worlds. But I think that was probably the quickest any Worlds (or any jam) footage has ever gone public. Very helpful. I feel like it made non-attenders feel like they were almost at Worlds that year, since the footage was only delayed by a few hours sometimes. It’s relieving to hear you say that you do want to get back into it and start getting good again. Let’s get into some real footbaggy talk, now that we covered some of the background stuff. What trick/component do you look foreword to coming back to the most?
\n\nI’ve been thinking about plasma a lot, mostly because I enjoy both components a lot. Right before I got injured I worked a lot on both parts and think I should be able to get back on track to making that trick as easy as a ripwalk or something.
Plasma is so sick. I remember you getting close to Quantum ss Double Down before your injury. I could see both being easy tricks for you soon enough. What are your top 5 favorite tricks?
\n\nAre these tricks I can do, or just in general?
In general…Who’s interviewing who? ![\"\ud83d\ude1b\"](\"https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/12.0.0-1/72x72/1f61b.png\")
\nLets, see – I’m a fan of blizzard and blurriest, and I’ve been wanting to hit full symp toe blurrier for a bit now. I also enjoy Scorps Tail and Mullet
Quite a list. How about your top 5 favorite playas?
\n\nThat list changes quite often. These are not in any specific order: Dave, Evan, Pipebomb, Aleksi, Chris (Chinsen). If you ask me this in a week, I will probably give you a different list, depending on the videos I have been watching.
Awesome list. All worthy of a top 5. What’s your take on the current Laver extinction/shred shoe crisis?
\n\noof. That’s a loaded question. I think it’s a shame they aren’t up to par anymore, but it was going to happen eventually. I really hope this drives the community to figure out a solution, but in the mean time we just have to make do with what we have at hand, even it if means branching out and using whatever shoes we have on hand – modded running shoes, older tennis shoes, random stuff kinda like what the net guys do. I think it’s a cool challenge to find a suitable shoe, but it’s also an annoying situation when a beginner asks about shoes. At the moment, I’m just working on resoling old lavers to give them more use
Yes, the resoling jobs you do on Lavers are quite nice. I might need to talk to you about that sometime soon. Please pick up a footbag from your desk, throw it behind you, and let us know what it lands on?
\n\nWell, I’m at my parents house right now so I don’t actually have any bags on me desk *looks around in embarrassment* I’ve got a small plastic bag of lead shot I can toss.
\nAnd it hit the most expensive thing in the room.
When your parents ask why their expensive thing is broken, will you tell your parents that Nick had nothing to do with this?
\n\nI nailed the quadcopter sitting in the corner of my room. It’s fine, but I haven’t flown it in over a year so this might be a sign that I should get it back in the air and filming footbag stuff… My parents don’t care
I think we always talked about it, but not sure if it’s been done by you yet… Have you filmed footbag from bird’s-eye-view with the quadcopter yet?
\n\nYes – I have some footage of a person dropping a bag a lot at old Main. I’ve also done some more non-footbag flying to hone my skills. It’s still a bit nerve racking flying around people to be honest. Plus current legislation is a bit prohibitive and I’m waiting for the FAA to give it’s ruling on personal SUAVs – until that happens, most places ban me from flying with a camera on board.
\nspoiler alert – there may or may not be aerial footage for the Jamps trailer I’m starting to plan out
We should just tell the FAA to go to bed and let us fly our robotic helicopters in peace. I do hope they end up allowing you to fly and film soon. I’m stoked for Jamps! Readers, If you’re not stoked for Jamps, like I am, then you are wrong. Speaking of helicopters, what are some of your biggest dream tricks in footbag?
\n\nNice segway.
Mall cops have nicer Segways
\n\nMall cops suck because they kick you out for playing “hacky sack and being dangerous” Drew and Ryan can back me up. But yeah, dream tricks. I would like to eventually hit alpine fusion rake when I get good… I just think it would look super sick. I would also like to get fairy gyro symple dyno.\u00a0Both sides, obviously.
\nAt this point, I would give a lot just to hit a decent butterfly though.
Wow. I have never even thought of those combinations of components before. Very interesting. So what’s good with the PSU crew this year?
\n\nPSU is doing well – we have a bit of an off year in terms of membership – we have a few new members but they are progressing slower than I am used to. However, it’s just as fun when they show up to kick and you can see the dedication and enjoyment which is the important thing. The established members are getting better very quickly and that is encouraging. We are planning a fun jam for Halloween and have set the dates for PSU Jamps V.
\nThat will be a fun tourney April 4-5th with a shorter competition schedule than last year, allowing more time for fun shred, party shenanigans and hiking/geocaching.
Awesome! Readers, you heard the man.. I would adjust your schedules accordingly. We had 40+ shredders/shreditas at Jamps IV last year. It was HUGE. This year will surely be just as much fun, if not.. dare I say.. MORE? Awesome to hear that the club is still illin’ it. What are a few goals you have for footbag?
\n\nPersonally, I’d like to get back to shredding and be doing basic 2 adds by the time the year ends. After that, I just want to have fun – often that means drilling to get better, but I also aim to step back and see if I’m having fun. Sometimes we get lost in our training and ambitions and the game loses a lot of its appeal. In terms of stitching, I would like to make a few non standard patterns, keep making bags that people enjoy, and make some more cool 92 panel patterns. For video editing, my goal is to have a video for the christmas calendar, and maybe a few for the dead weeks that follow it. I want to keep experimenting with different angles and editing processes to make my videos more entertaining for both the general public and footbaggers alike. Overall, I just want to have fun and kick with all of the cool people I have met in the past three years. I don’t really care about competing.
Great goals. I wish you the best of luck in accomplishing all of them. I’m looking forward to shredding with you again. It’s been too long, man. Anyway, looks like the interview is just about over. Do you have any final words/things to say/thanks you’s/etc…?
\n\nYeah, I suppose I’ll say a big thanks to everyone who has messaged me and talked, whether it be footbag, life or random stuff. Thank you Nick and Nate for getting me started in footbag and introducing me to this awesome community. Lastly, I would like to say thank you to Jay and Mads for making sweet edits – you guys do fantastic work that becomes the face of the sport whenever I have to explain it to others. Also, big thanks to everyone who does the little things for the sport – without your efforts, the sport wouldn’t be where it is today. Peace out shredders, hopefully I get to meet and kick with everyone of you at some point.
Ivan, my dude, it’s been a total pleasure staying up past my bed time and conducting this interview with you. I really enjoyed it. Thanks so much for your time. We both deserve some ice cream now.
\n\nYes. I’ll go get some. Thanks for doing this, it’s an honor to be on BSOS.
You’re beyond worthy of it, buddy.
\n\nWritten by Nick Polini
\nPicture by Asmus Helms
Editor\u2019s note: From 2009 till 2010 I did a series of interviews with some of the best players, go-getters, organizers and all around important people of our sport at that point. I now bring all of the interviews, for the first time collected, chronologically here on the site.Some of the people are as relevant today as they were back then, others have faded a little, but all of the interviews contain strong opinions, an interesting look into a footbag life and/or great advice about our sport. This week\u2019s interview is with Honza Weber.
\nHello Honza. How are you?
\n\nHello, thanks for asking, I am doing very well. Just today I played foosball with Rippin`s friend, who is like number 2 in the World and came here for the Czech Foosball Champs, so it was a great experience.
Let’s start at the beginning. You started playing footbag back in 2001. How did that happen?
\n\nLong story short ? I was lucky to be attending the same high school as couple of guys, who were the first ones to play in Czech. I was kinda shy back then to ask them if I can join their circle, so I was just watching them and started playing some time later with my classmate and after 2 months I was better than those guys, which was great feeling ?
And then next year you got 2. at euros and the year after that 4th at worlds. How was it attending your first worlds?
\n\nYe, it was astonishing! I was really really happy about my 2nd place at Euros 02 in Budapest, it was a huge success for me because the competition was just so tough that year- all the german players came as well as the Finns, simply amazing tournament and experience.
\nActually my first Worlds attendance was also in 02 in San Francisco, but I was eliminated in the semis. I had good routine and was quite in shape, but I was just unexperienced and there was some mess up with the schedule, so I had to go on the stage without warming up and I did not do well ? The next year I came a lot stronger with better style and routine, but knee injury held me back. Actually I figured out I had still been unexperienced and just practiced too much during couple weeks before the tournament. I still should have been 3rd because my routine was just a lot better and harder than Yacine`s who was actually 3rd. I guess I would not care that much, but since it was first big tournament in my home city, where my friends and parents could see me, I wanted a podium finish which I deserved, but the judging was very sad and disappointing for me..
What where your goals and thoughts on the sport in those early years?
\n\nI was just so obessesed with the sport! I wanted to compete, to go to every tournament, to win as much as possible, to beat the best players, to prove I could also be one of the best, to invent new moves, to make videos and DVDs, to leave legacy, to be remembered! It was just unbelievable! Wonderful time, but a lot yet to achieve..
You, Ales and Vasek really blew up back then. How was your relationship, was it friendly competition? In what ways did you influence each other?
\n\nWell, occasionally we had some fights because we were young and silly, but overall we really supported each other and we were giving each other advices on routines and for example I chose them music and did the basic choreography for their doubles routine in 03 and also for their singles in 03 and 04 in Montreal. In return they helped me with my style and some moves I was not able to hit like eggbeaters, quantums and symposiums. I think the strongest relationship was between 02 and 04. We formed a great team and I really enjoy to remember those times!
Last year at worlds you looked in better shape than ever. Do you agree and why was that?
\n\nTrue, I was about to quit in the whole 2007 because I could not find any motivation and neither inspiration for the game and after another dissapointment with the results at Worlds 07 I was almost sure I was gonna quit, but decided to wait for another year and to think it through. I was kinda lost in the whole 08 and did not do well at tournaments and did not achieve much in other parts of my life, so I decided to make radical life changes. Instead of quitting I started to take it seriously, I lost 12 kilos in 3 months and that helped my game a lot. I have also changed the attitude and you could have seen the results during the summer in Berlin. This year I expect to be even much stronger in much better shape for the summer, but to be able to go to Worlds I still need to get some sponsor because it is just too expensive for us in Czech. So if anyone is interested\u2026?
Now, back to the future. How does an average day in the life of Honza look like?
\n\nWell, I usually wake up at 8 and immediately go to check my email, which wakes me up even more. Then I have a cup of coca or mint tea with honey ? I do not really eat in the morning, so after the morning beverage I start to either work on some articles for the school lessons (I am doing masters in economic policies and history) or when I have time I work on some footbag promotional materials- I am trying to put together some professional material for potential sponsors, which is actually a lot of work if you want to do it properly. After the lunch I go to school for couple hours (I am just sooo happy I managed to schedule all the lessons in the afternoon, so I do not have to wake up early ? ) When I get back I usually go to kick and workout and then I have a dinner. I watch the news in the evening and then it depends how tired I am. Sometimes I still do some work to school or for the promotion or I just watch a movie and fall asleep ?
What part of your game are you working on right now?
\n\nActually I am not really trying to practice new moves or combos anymore. Instead I have just been practicing some cool moves, which look good for the audience, trying to hit the normal stuff with big bags I have for demos (either the glowing bags or juggling bags I got from Peter Irish). Lately I have been also practicing freestyle with football because people demand it during the demos. Of course I still go for a normal session, but I just enjoy the stuff I can already hit and just trying to make it cleaner with better style. Style is everything! When 2 people are doing the same it is definitely not the same! I wish people could understand that and stop trying to hit insanities with no style and execution.. :/
In the video above you play in the new Nucleus shoe. What do you think about it?
\n\nYe, actually I was quite surprised by the quality of the shoes. I was a little skeptical when I saw the first pictures, but since I tried them and my heels did not come out of the shoes after landing some moves just like in Quantums I was quite impressed ? In the video I managed to hit some new moves and fresh combos, which I was satisfied with considering I have not really played the first 2 months of this year due to the injury and I just started playing more often before Todexon. Also it was just second session I had in the shoes. I guess I will still keep playing in lavers because I am just so used to them, but I can recommend Nucleus as a solid footbag shoes. They might also help to improve style and execution as well, which I find the most important!
Could you talk a little about what place footbag have in your life right now?
\n\nAfter the decision to get back to the game is footbag very big part of my life. I found a way how to enjoy the game much more and the new footbag generation inspired and for example it is quite a big motivation to keep up with guys like Milan. Especially Milan because after Vasek got more interested in freestyle football these days Milan became the best player in the World. I can now see the disagreeing faces of many ?, but without any doubts or questions he is the best player at the moment! His stamina is magnificent, his execution is spectacular and the combos are just insane! That is actually why we teamed up for doubles this year ?, so hopefully we will be able to find time to prepare nice and solid routine.
If you could change one thing in footbag what would it be?
\n\nIt is so hard to pick just one thing. I would love to have professional judges in the sport, but I would also like the sport to be more famous with better acceptance from the general public, which would probably bring more professionality. More mature people with organising skills could help as well. On the other hand it is hard to guess what would be the consequences of that.
\nIt is very hard question, however I would probably want the sport to be more commercial and we will see what would happen ?
Thanks to Honza Weber
\nInterview by Asmus Helms
Daniel Boyle has interviewed Evan Gatesman. We are proud to bring the interview here for the first time.
\n1. For those who don’t know you, tell us a little bit about yourself and your time in footbag?
\n\nI started from the bottom; now I’m here. In the beginning, I was obsessed with getting better.\u00a0My mentor had given me some simple drills, and I would try to do them by that night by practicing\u00a0for six or more hours at a time trying to do basics. I remember waking up with terrible back\u00a0soreness one day that I accredited to playing hard, but the next time I played, I realized that my\u00a0back pain was caused by bending over to pick up the bag so many times. We are surely a product\u00a0of our failures. It reminds me of the Michael Jordan quote, \u201cI’ve missed more than 9000 shots in\u00a0my career, I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot\u00a0and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.\u201d
2. You are one of the more recent members of BAP\u00ad what does that mean to you, and\u00a0who are some players you think will join you in the next few years?
\n\nIt boils down to this: I don’t play to be in the cool kids club. I play for fun; I play to inspire; I\u00a0play for my comrades, but the cool kids club is a nice side effect. Of course BAP is always a big\u00a0topic of conversation in footbag, so I had to go to the one guy that rejected the concept, Ken\u00a0Somolinos, and ask him why he did it. I would recommend asking him about it for a quick life\u00a0lesson.
\nWhen I felt that I was going to be inducted at worlds 2010, I thought of rejecting it as Ken did,\u00a0because I would be the second ever to reject it but about the fiftieth to accept it. There would be a\u00a0certain amount of prestige that would go with the rejection, but I chose to accept it because I felt\u00a0like it was an honor that I should allow myself to have for putting the work into the game to\u00a0achieve some level of greatness.
\nI feel that there are many players in the scope of BAP right now from all over the world. It just\u00a0depends who is willing to make themselves the chosen ones. Overall, I believe that BAP is some\u00a0sort of valuable milestone and can be used as a tool to reach further goals.
3. You went to Worlds in Finland in 2011\u00ad was that your first time in Europe? How was\u00a0your experience?
\n\nYes, it was my first time in Europe. I was traveling with one of my best comrades, Mathieu\u00a0Giard\u00adMontpetit and staying with him and his girlfriend at the time, Mak, in a small dorm type\u00a0room. It was an invaluable experience since it opened my eyes to how large the world truly is.\u00a0We shared tasty meals and great times, and to this day, I still refer to some of our inside jokes with\u00a0other friends. #celery
\nFor my trip I was primarily roaming around to some 8\u00ad10 towns in Germany, but as said, I did\u00a0go to Helsinki for worlds. Helsinki seemed a bit pricey, but it was worth it to me. I ended up\u00a0coming in fourth place in circle contest, which was last place in the Final Circle. I was sponsored\u00a0by Dragonfly Footbags at the time, and they said that for every event that I would podium in, I\u00a0would receive an additional 250 USD. Falling to fourth place was more than disappointing to me,\u00a0but since money was not my true goal in the first place, I think the failure helped me to build\u00a0character.
4. You live in Las Vegas\u00ad what’s it like to live there and how has living there affected\u00a0your Footbag game?
\n\nI don’t mind Vegas, but the footbag playing seasons are unique there. It’s in a desert, so the\u00a0winters are much more playable than most other places, and the summers are anything but\u00a0playable. Since it’s a city of roughly two million it helped me to socialize a bit and find other\u00a0people that are interested in the game. It has led to a bit of street performing experience for me as\u00a0well.
5. Have you ever funded a footbag trip though one of the many casinos in Vegas?
\n\nNo.
![\"aleksievan2014caroline\"](\"https://modified.in/bsos/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2014/06/aleksievan2014caroline.jpg\")
\nEvan and Aleksi – Photo by Caroline Birch
6. What else are you into outside of Footbag?
\n\nMy other hobbies include frisbee, laser tag, beer, soccer, and I’m reasonably good at some video\u00a0games. I love most sports, and I even play racquetball and basketball when the opportunities\u00a0present themselves. Fire pits, liquor, and long walks on the beach are okay too. I’ve probably\u00a0spent nearly the same time I’ve spent playing footbag, playing pool. I even beat Pete Bowler in a\u00a0game once. Pretty epic. Beating Aleksi Airinen at eating contests is also a favorite pastime of\u00a0mine… Don’t worry, Aleksi, you will prove yourself one day.
7. What do you think of the Footbag world at the moment, and where would you like to\u00a0see it going?
\n\nI’ve heard a few people talking about how the footbag community is going to hell recently, but I\u00a0don’t agree. Footbag is like an onion. With each layer we peel back, a new set of opportunities\u00a0arises. I am in Poland right now, and I have met many new generation footbag players that are not\u00a0getting in touch with the more experienced players because of the lack of consistent playing\u00a0patterns in the footbag community. There should be some type of responsibility to encourage the\u00a0newer generation and a stable place and time that clubs play.
\nWe require more teamwork in the sport to reach for higher goals. We should support each other\u00a0by giving more props and more encouragement. Margaret Meade wrote, \u201cNever underestimate the\u00a0power of a few committed people to change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.\u201d\u00a0She did not write, \u201cNever underestimate the power of doing everything yourself.\u201d
\nThe community is composed of new players mixed in with seasoned veterans. The problem is\u00a0that the medium level players keep quitting when they realize the obstacles in front of them. We\u00a0need to help support the middle class of players to bridge the gap between skill levels.\u00a0If we stop letting the passion of new players go to waste, then we can grow as a community, but\u00a0we have to keep overcoming obstacles and stop making so many excuses not to play and not to go\u00a0to events. When we begin to build structure for the future players by maintaining or creating clubs\u00a0and organizations, then we can work as a team to accrue funds and reputation.
8. What first got you into the game, and what keeps you going now?
\n\nThe passion in my early life was soccer. Clich\u00e9, I know. It led me to start kicking around\u00a0age twelve when my older brother, Jonathon, introduced me to typical hacky sack. I started\u00a0playing on breaks before and after school, and after a couple years I was able to do fifty right\u00adfoot-\u00a0only consecutive outside kicks. I believed I was one of the best kickers around.\u00a0When I got to high school I saw my first real freestyle. The quad had a large group of people\u00a0watching and applauding a two man circle. I had to work my way to the front to see what exactly\u00a0was going on. I couldn’t believe my eyes… I had no idea what was going on, but I knew it was\u00a0ultracool. I have always been an athlete, so when my opportunity came to play with the dictators\u00a0of the sport in my area, I gladly took it.\u00a0I was able to land a flapper stall in front of Loren Baum, who appeared to be mind blown after\u00a0seeing some random kid hit a real footbag trick. He then gave me a business card from the local\u00a0club that played every Saturday at the university, and told me that, although he was finished\u00a0training people, I had potential and he would teach me. A few months later I had landed my first\u00a0double around the world, and my supportive mentor once again expressed pride in his new\u00a0‘prodigy’.\u00a0He convinced me to accompany him to Worlds in Montreal in 2004 after 8 months of playing,\u00a0but that’s a story for another time. Other than that, I started going to many Colorado Shred\u00a0Symposiums, Seattle Juggling and Footbag Festivals, US Open, Worlds, and I even continued to\u00a0host Las Vegas Jam.
![\"vegasjam2011caroline\"](\"https://modified.in/bsos/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2014/06/vegasjam2011caroline.jpg\")
\nVegas Jam 2011 – Photo by Caroline Birch
\nAs far as motivation, comradery is one of the most important things to me. I would group it\u00a0with the fact that I haven’t won worlds yet, although I doubt that I will quit when I reach that\u00a0point. Once a player shreds for a few years, the shred is in their bones, and it can be reawakened.
9. What parts of your game are you working on at the moment?
\n\nI think what my game is lacking aside from deeper technical merit lies mainly in showmanship\u00a0and presentation. Most people do not understand the tricks, so they are just as impressed with the\u00a0pirate walking by them on the street as they are at my game. It’s a bit sad since I’m sitting here\u00a0pouring my soul into a sport, and I could have drawn just as much attention by dressing like an ass\u00a0and parading around.
10. Will you be going to Worlds this year in Paris?
\n\nHell yeah! I hope to see my old comrades there as well as make new ones.
11. Anyone to thank or anything else to mention?
\n\nI just wanted to thank all of the supporters of footbag in the past, present, and future. From the\u00a0stitchers, to the players, to the players parents, there has been a lot more teamwork than we realize\u00a0to create this sport. We all play a valuable role in this game, and though not everyone will win\u00a0Worlds, it doesn’t mean that they don’t have an impact on the community.\u00a0I am currently staying at Happy Seven, Caroline Birch’s hostel in Gdansk, Poland. I will be in\u00a0Europe for a few more months hopefully, so I hope to see more footbag players come by and kick\u00a0with me while I’m here.
\nSpecial thanks to Steve Goldberg!
Answers by: Evan Gatesman
\nQuestions by: Daniel Boyle
\nPhotos: Caroline Birch
\nMedia: Jay Boychuk
\nCompilation: Asmus Helms
Aleksi Airinen is a young Finnish footbagger and one of the favorites to win the World Championship this year. Not only did he send us the above video – he was also kind enough to answer a few questions.
\nHi Aleksi! How are you?
\n\nI\u2019m great, thanks! Summer is coming and things are going pretty well. I just finished my school semester and started a new job. It\u2019s pretty interesting and the evenings I have free for footbag. My girlfriend is also coming to stay with me from Germany so I can\u2019t really complain
You just came back from the Sport/Life eurotour? How was that experience? What were the highlights?
\n\nIt was definitely a highlight of my footbag career. Going to different places with an awesome crew of people and just playing lots of footbag and having fun, what more could you ask for? I\u2019d say the highlight of the tour was Switzerland, where we stayed for a week. We went so many different cities there and saw so many places. Flavio, his brother Silvan and their parents treated us so nicely that I will never forget it. We played by the Alps and partied until morning a few times. I wrote a short report on the tour that I think Daniel will post online, you can read it for more details.
Can you share a funny story from the trip?
\n\nHaha, I think there are too many to mention! One that comes to mind though, was when we were at a party in Luzern, Switzerland and crashed to Silvan\u2019s place early in the morning. We were all really tired, but also quite hungry. Most had gone to bed already but me, Juho and Evan were still awake. Juho then left the room to check out the kitchen hoping to find a night snack. He came back with an egg he thought was boiled, saying something like \u201cguys, I found something to eat.\u201d He then crushed the egg against his elbow, spilling it all over! I can\u2019t remember the last time I laughed so hard. I remember thinking I had to stop laughing because my abs were hurting so much.
![\"aleksi_zurich_subway_c_juho_marjo\"](\"https://modified.in/bsos/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2014/05/aleksi_zurich_subway_c_juho_marjo.jpg\")
\nPhoto by Juho Marjo
I recently interviewed Caroline about her hostel in Gdansk. And since you have been there; I would like to hear how did like it?
\n\nOh I absolutely loved it! I think I spent ten days there on the tour and the others over two weeks. The hostel is just the perfect place for footbaggers to hang out and spend time together. It\u2019s in a very good location in Gdansk, at the riverside and the edge of old town. We spent on a lot of time in the common room of the hostel just hanging out and watching movies. We even shredded there when the weather was bad outside. The hostel is big enough to accommodate a bunch of players, but small enough for everyone to feel like being in the same group all the time. Caroline treated us with delicious breakfast every morning and was just the perfect host. Well, you all know her
Last year you lived in Berlin. How was that?
\n\nI spent two semesters at the Technical University of Berlin from September 2012 to August 2013. Although I was studying it didn\u2019t feel like that. I was living in Yves Kreil\u2019s big apartment for the first six months when he was away and had many footbaggers and other friends stay there. There was always something going on. I spent a lot of time with Jakob Wagner, shredding and otherwise. I also met my girlfriend there. I\u2019d say it was the best year of my life and will definitely never forget it.
Is it true that Jakob Wagner likes to have late night marathon sessions?
\n\nHaha yes. Jakob is quite busy and would often have time to play only in the evening. Jakob is the kind of player who just doesn\u2019t stop. He loves to keep shredding when techno music is bumping and there\u2019s no hurry to go anywhere. Often when others had stopped the session and went to take a shower Jakob would still try to hit \u2018one last trick\u2019. For him, shredding hard into the night is sort of a reward for the day\u2019s hard work. And he\u2019s definitely earned it.
How would you compare the scene in Berlin to the scene in Helsinki?
\n\nIt\u2019s actually quite different. In Helsinki, we usually agree on a session online and go to a gym with other sports going on there as well. The net players have their own sessions. In Berlin in the winter time FC Footstar had regular session times a couple times a week. The gym was reserved only for us, which was nice because we could have our own music and were free of any distractions. The net players were also there at the same time and a lot of times an old school player would also show up and kick with us for 30 minutes. That never happens in Finland. After the session we would often go for beers or get something to eat and just generally hang out together. When we go to a session in Finland we just drill and bust. Weekends are for hanging out. Maybe that\u2019s one of the reasons Finland has a pretty high level of shred, I don\u2019t know.
Finland has a long history of breeding top level footbaggers? Why do you think that is?
\n\nLike I said, we drill pretty hard. Focusing on the basics and cleanness is something everyone strives for. Maybe it\u2019s the Finnish mentality of doing things right the first time. Don\u2019t take me too seriously though, I think progress in footbag is pretty individual. I myself always thought that a player is as good as his or her weakest link (no pun intended) so I drilled everything. It\u2019s not really true though, you need you specialities and big tricks as well for something to stand out.
Is there a new generation emerging and how is the scene in general doing?
\n\nUnfortunately we haven\u2019t seen new players in years. We did a lot of promotion prior to Worlds 2011 in Helsinki and were often in the media, TV, newspapers and so on. I\u2019d say most people in Helsinki knew about Footbag Worlds coming there that summer, but somehow nobody new picked up footbag. Outside of Finland though, I think there are many new players showing up and I do not agree that sport would somehow be declining. Through the internet and many tournaments being organized all the time, I think the community is better than ever.
What are your tournament plans this summer? Are you gonna win the European Championships on your home turf in Turku?
\n\nI will go to both Euros and Worlds, and take my word for it \u2013 I will do everything I can to win them.
You have been dominating the Shred30 in recent years. Is that your favorite discipline?
\n\nI\u2019m glad you asked! Actually, Shred30 is my least favorite discipline. It\u2019s very mechanical, not one bit entertaining and who wants to count the score afterwards? I think it only measures your ability to step and whirl on both sided. I\u2019m good at Shred30 because I can step and whirl and will probably continue to compete in it as long as it\u2019s organized, but my opinion is, Shred30 could be dropped as an event all together. If you know the history of the discipline, it was introduced as a fun sideline event and was never supposed to be competed the way it is done now. Somehow it just stuck. I think routines are the ultimate discipline \u2013 it takes a lot of effort to put together a good routine and perform it flawlessly. I also like circle because you sort of battle directly against the players and their games in your circle.
Do you think anybody will ever get a score of 300? You think you could do it?
\n\nI definitely think it\u2019s possible, but very hard. If you think about, you have time to do 32 tricks in Shred30. That\u2019s roughly 4.7 adds per trick. So you could do 22 five add tricks and 10 four add tricks. You could also change two five add tricks to a six add and a four add trick. So 20 fives, 11 fours and a six adder. It\u2019s very hard but definitely not impossible. I think I could come up with a combo that I could hit on camera but first I want to get the 25 Fearless.
You won the GoPro camera at Danish Open back in December. I was happy to see you win it since you have been making many great videos, most notably with your Berlin Sessions series. But where are the videos? Anything in the works?
\n\nThat was a great price Asmus, thanks once more! Apart from the Links of the Day video I didn\u2019t film much in the winter. I sort of had this post-Berlin laziness after doing so many videos there. But now that summer is here and we\u2019ve been playing outside a lot I might film more. There\u2019s definitely a Worlds Video Contest video coming.
Any shout-outs or final comments?
\n\nKeep shredding! Go to tournaments. Tournaments are the salt and pepper of footbag.
Thanks to Aleksi for the interview and Juho for the photo.
\nInterview by Asmus Helms.
![Jeezus](\"http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2015/02/10/258A86C500000578-2947840-image-m-51_1423590384239.jpg\"){kind=link}