Hello Will. I thought that I would let you know that Kolo is planning to hold a jam or tournament in Montreal in late May early June. Its sort of on the east coast.
Best of luck
Will's Footblog
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Eskimo Joe
- Cold Blooded
- Posts: 512
- Joined: 17 Aug 2006 16:04
- Location: Iqaluit, Nunavut, Canada
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Will Digges
- Egyptian Footgod
- Posts: 1382
- Joined: 15 Nov 2004 19:40
- Location: USA, Ballston Lake, NY
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Will Digges
- Egyptian Footgod
- Posts: 1382
- Joined: 15 Nov 2004 19:40
- Location: USA, Ballston Lake, NY
-
Will Digges
- Egyptian Footgod
- Posts: 1382
- Joined: 15 Nov 2004 19:40
- Location: USA, Ballston Lake, NY
Ok so I'm doing this interview paper for english class. We were supposed to interview an important person who has had a major affect on our lives. I chose to do matt cross, because he is pretty much the first footbagger I met at my first tournament in philly, and also I have seen him at almost every tournament I have been to, which is up in the teens by now. We have had many journies together and good times. So here is the interview, done via PM's on modified. I thought I'd share it with you modified people, and now I gotta write it into a paper, so enjoy this little treat 
How old are you?
-I'm about to turn 25 in a few weeks
Where were you born, and where did you grow up?
-I was born in Rome, NY. That's where I grew up as well, just outside of town on the family farm which was actually a family zoo. I spent a lot of time out there, and kept myself busy in my teen years snowboarding and skateboarding and hacky sacking.
What are your favorite hobbies?
-My only hobby is stitching footbags. I'm also an avid beer drinker; I love sampling all different kinds of microbrews from around the world. My favorite right now is the beers by Ellicottville Brewing Company, the local brewpub here in Fredonia.
Do you go to college, and if you do what are you going for?
I do go to college, I attend the State University of New York at Fredonia. I'm studying music business and gigging with my band, the Creatures of Habit, here in town. I've got about 2 or 3 semesters left.
What is beatboxing?
beatboxing is a style of vocal percussion. you master a series of different sounds that you can make with your mouth, throat, tongue, and nasal cavity, and then learn all different kinds of ways to put them together to make your own beats. When amplified with a microphone, this can make for a very powerful, versatile percussion style.
What kind of music do you play?
I play progressive folk rock rap... core (every genre is cooler if you add "core" at the end). basically, I try to have something to please everyone, and I like to express myself musically in as many different ways as I can.
Do you encorporate footbag or beatboxing with your music at all?
The closest I've come to encorporating footbag with my music would be competing in the routine format to my own music. also, I've had my music used in footbag videos. That's always really gratifying, to know that my other love is appreciated in the footbag community.
How would you explain footbag to someone who only knows it as hackey sack?
I would say that footbag and hacky are kind of the same thing, but it's in the same way as the macarena and breakdancing are they same thing. They're both moving to music, but they're worlds apart in technicality, expression, difficulty, and athleticism. Then I would tell them that they've really got to see it to believe it.
How long have you been playing footbag?
I started kicking 11 years ago and freestyling 7 years ago. I've just taken some time off, but started kicking again today.
Is there any special equipment that you prefer for footbag?
I like short soccer shorts, a tight t-shirt, and adidas climacool 1 running shoes, although recently I've been playing with the Reebok G6. I like the support better on the G6, but it's a bit heavier than the climacool, and I'm still getting used to the toe walls. As for the preferred bag, I like 32 panel footbags, mini or mid sized, heavy fill. I play with one of my own, and also with a Waylon Lew footbag.
I understand you make your own footbags, what are they made out of?
The material preferred by the community (and myself) is a synthetic suede called Facile (fah-SEEL), or Ultrasuede Light. I fill my footbags with lead and little plastic bits (although I'm thinking of switching the lead out for tungsten, a non-toxic fill that's about as dense as lead). I stitch my bags with a glover's needle and dental floss.
How profitable is stitching in the footbag community?
There's ALWAYS a market for well-made footbags at tournaments and online, so even high-output stitchers like Mark Telman and Richie Abshire are taking orders all the time. They sell for around $30, so, if you've got the time and the experience, there's money to be made.
Are there competitions for footbag?
Yes. They're not all competition, though. There's a lot of sideline play (where the really big tricks go down), a lot of hanging out with your friends that you don't get to see very often. Certainly a lot of camaraderie that transcends all the ranks of skill, discipline, and seniority.
Where have you traveled for footbag competitions in the past?
Montreal, Philly, Harrisburgh, DC, and Toronto, to name a few East Coast spots. Also, Vancouver BC, Portland OR, Chicago, Helsinki FI, Wroclaw PL.
How popular is footbag?
It's cool to people who can see it up close and live, especially if there's a few real hotshot players busting out. It's not as popular on film, because, unless the footage is shot very well, it's hard to see the footbag or tell what's going on if you're not very experienced with freestyle footbag, so it's mainly watched by the players. However, as the sport advances technically, which it's been doing at an exponential rate with the growth of the online footbag culture, and as players like myself get more and more work demonstrating footbag in cooler venues, it will become harder and harder to ignore. Footbag is at a very cool place right now, really on the cusp of exploding, I believe. it's too amazing to stay quiet much longer.
Are there sponsors for this sport?
On a small scale, there are. My friend Gordon Bevier gets lots of free clothes from Hurley. Peter Irish gets some gear from 4-Square. There aren't any footbaggers who get by on big sponsorship bucks yet, as far as I know.
What kind of events are in this type of competition?
My favorite format is the Circle competition, because it's HIGH energy, head to head competition, like a breakdance battle. I think it's the real deal. It gets the move-by-move scoring system out of the way, which can have a way of shaping the choices players make when they pick what moves they do. in circle comp, the player is free to do whatever moves they want. Will, you know about all the other formats, you can fill them in on the partics
In your opinion, what do you predict for the future of this underground sport?
Hoes and cash money!!!
jk
I see a continual growth in technicality, form, and style. I see more footbags, more footbaggers, more sponsorship of better and better players, more demos, more exposure. I think it will continue to grow. I'm not sure when or exactly if it's ever going to totally blow up, but it's just too amazing to stay this small. Our world championships are at Disney World this year! That's a good sign of growth, to me. That's going to make for a lot of exposure. I'm really excited to see what happens with the sport.
Would you like to see this sport get really big? Like in the Olympics?
I'd like to see it get some recognition, but I also appreciate the accessibility of the best players in the world, the camaraderie, and the cool factor of being involved in it as it's still a growing sport. I'm up for wherever this ride takes me.
What are your future plans?
Gig music more, get prepped for my big footbag gigs coming up, stitch bags, get this music biz degree and make some connections through that, and keep busy. I hope the footbag gigs keep coming. I'm doing a Bar Mitzvah in Long Island in the very near future, that should lead to some great connections in the Downstate area. We'll see what happens. I'm just going to keep kicking. That's the only thing for certain.
P.S - Feeling much better now, things are better and getting better every day. Life is looking up and i'm back to my care free mode of living. Choice
How old are you?
-I'm about to turn 25 in a few weeks
Where were you born, and where did you grow up?
-I was born in Rome, NY. That's where I grew up as well, just outside of town on the family farm which was actually a family zoo. I spent a lot of time out there, and kept myself busy in my teen years snowboarding and skateboarding and hacky sacking.
What are your favorite hobbies?
-My only hobby is stitching footbags. I'm also an avid beer drinker; I love sampling all different kinds of microbrews from around the world. My favorite right now is the beers by Ellicottville Brewing Company, the local brewpub here in Fredonia.
Do you go to college, and if you do what are you going for?
I do go to college, I attend the State University of New York at Fredonia. I'm studying music business and gigging with my band, the Creatures of Habit, here in town. I've got about 2 or 3 semesters left.
What is beatboxing?
beatboxing is a style of vocal percussion. you master a series of different sounds that you can make with your mouth, throat, tongue, and nasal cavity, and then learn all different kinds of ways to put them together to make your own beats. When amplified with a microphone, this can make for a very powerful, versatile percussion style.
What kind of music do you play?
I play progressive folk rock rap... core (every genre is cooler if you add "core" at the end). basically, I try to have something to please everyone, and I like to express myself musically in as many different ways as I can.
Do you encorporate footbag or beatboxing with your music at all?
The closest I've come to encorporating footbag with my music would be competing in the routine format to my own music. also, I've had my music used in footbag videos. That's always really gratifying, to know that my other love is appreciated in the footbag community.
How would you explain footbag to someone who only knows it as hackey sack?
I would say that footbag and hacky are kind of the same thing, but it's in the same way as the macarena and breakdancing are they same thing. They're both moving to music, but they're worlds apart in technicality, expression, difficulty, and athleticism. Then I would tell them that they've really got to see it to believe it.
How long have you been playing footbag?
I started kicking 11 years ago and freestyling 7 years ago. I've just taken some time off, but started kicking again today.
Is there any special equipment that you prefer for footbag?
I like short soccer shorts, a tight t-shirt, and adidas climacool 1 running shoes, although recently I've been playing with the Reebok G6. I like the support better on the G6, but it's a bit heavier than the climacool, and I'm still getting used to the toe walls. As for the preferred bag, I like 32 panel footbags, mini or mid sized, heavy fill. I play with one of my own, and also with a Waylon Lew footbag.
I understand you make your own footbags, what are they made out of?
The material preferred by the community (and myself) is a synthetic suede called Facile (fah-SEEL), or Ultrasuede Light. I fill my footbags with lead and little plastic bits (although I'm thinking of switching the lead out for tungsten, a non-toxic fill that's about as dense as lead). I stitch my bags with a glover's needle and dental floss.
How profitable is stitching in the footbag community?
There's ALWAYS a market for well-made footbags at tournaments and online, so even high-output stitchers like Mark Telman and Richie Abshire are taking orders all the time. They sell for around $30, so, if you've got the time and the experience, there's money to be made.
Are there competitions for footbag?
Yes. They're not all competition, though. There's a lot of sideline play (where the really big tricks go down), a lot of hanging out with your friends that you don't get to see very often. Certainly a lot of camaraderie that transcends all the ranks of skill, discipline, and seniority.
Where have you traveled for footbag competitions in the past?
Montreal, Philly, Harrisburgh, DC, and Toronto, to name a few East Coast spots. Also, Vancouver BC, Portland OR, Chicago, Helsinki FI, Wroclaw PL.
How popular is footbag?
It's cool to people who can see it up close and live, especially if there's a few real hotshot players busting out. It's not as popular on film, because, unless the footage is shot very well, it's hard to see the footbag or tell what's going on if you're not very experienced with freestyle footbag, so it's mainly watched by the players. However, as the sport advances technically, which it's been doing at an exponential rate with the growth of the online footbag culture, and as players like myself get more and more work demonstrating footbag in cooler venues, it will become harder and harder to ignore. Footbag is at a very cool place right now, really on the cusp of exploding, I believe. it's too amazing to stay quiet much longer.
Are there sponsors for this sport?
On a small scale, there are. My friend Gordon Bevier gets lots of free clothes from Hurley. Peter Irish gets some gear from 4-Square. There aren't any footbaggers who get by on big sponsorship bucks yet, as far as I know.
What kind of events are in this type of competition?
My favorite format is the Circle competition, because it's HIGH energy, head to head competition, like a breakdance battle. I think it's the real deal. It gets the move-by-move scoring system out of the way, which can have a way of shaping the choices players make when they pick what moves they do. in circle comp, the player is free to do whatever moves they want. Will, you know about all the other formats, you can fill them in on the partics
In your opinion, what do you predict for the future of this underground sport?
Hoes and cash money!!!
jk
I see a continual growth in technicality, form, and style. I see more footbags, more footbaggers, more sponsorship of better and better players, more demos, more exposure. I think it will continue to grow. I'm not sure when or exactly if it's ever going to totally blow up, but it's just too amazing to stay this small. Our world championships are at Disney World this year! That's a good sign of growth, to me. That's going to make for a lot of exposure. I'm really excited to see what happens with the sport.
Would you like to see this sport get really big? Like in the Olympics?
I'd like to see it get some recognition, but I also appreciate the accessibility of the best players in the world, the camaraderie, and the cool factor of being involved in it as it's still a growing sport. I'm up for wherever this ride takes me.
What are your future plans?
Gig music more, get prepped for my big footbag gigs coming up, stitch bags, get this music biz degree and make some connections through that, and keep busy. I hope the footbag gigs keep coming. I'm doing a Bar Mitzvah in Long Island in the very near future, that should lead to some great connections in the Downstate area. We'll see what happens. I'm just going to keep kicking. That's the only thing for certain.
P.S - Feeling much better now, things are better and getting better every day. Life is looking up and i'm back to my care free mode of living. Choice
Will Digges
Embassy Footbag Crew
Embassy Footbag Crew
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slapdash21
- Futureless
- Posts: 4681
- Joined: 29 Sep 2004 14:50
- Location: Beantown, kidd
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Will Digges
- Egyptian Footgod
- Posts: 1382
- Joined: 15 Nov 2004 19:40
- Location: USA, Ballston Lake, NY
Very good solo session today, played for almost 3 hours, lots of new stuff and very strong strings. Good vibes all around, stoked for Geneseo jam this weekend. New stuff:
Alpine Fusion
Symposium Whirling Ripstein
Alpine Atomsmasher > Alipine Atomsmasher
Blurriest > Fury > Fusion
Fusion > Food processor
Stepping ss Diving Whirl > Jani Walker > run
Jani walker > Spikehammer > Dimmest > Blurrier > Blurry Whirl > Blurry Whirl > Spinning whirl
251x Swiftfeet ( fast toe stall 2 toe stall motion)
63x Whirl
25x Pdx Whirl
20x Stepping Whirl
20x Sidewalk
19x Down Double Down
21 contacts Stepping ss Mirage > Legbeater (repeat)
Alpine Fusion
Symposium Whirling Ripstein
Alpine Atomsmasher > Alipine Atomsmasher
Blurriest > Fury > Fusion
Fusion > Food processor
Stepping ss Diving Whirl > Jani Walker > run
Jani walker > Spikehammer > Dimmest > Blurrier > Blurry Whirl > Blurry Whirl > Spinning whirl
251x Swiftfeet ( fast toe stall 2 toe stall motion)
63x Whirl
25x Pdx Whirl
20x Stepping Whirl
20x Sidewalk
19x Down Double Down
21 contacts Stepping ss Mirage > Legbeater (repeat)
Will Digges
Embassy Footbag Crew
Embassy Footbag Crew
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Will Digges
- Egyptian Footgod
- Posts: 1382
- Joined: 15 Nov 2004 19:40
- Location: USA, Ballston Lake, NY
Yeah man, I had a killer time, I cant wait to see you put that video on here it will be great haha. I always have fun jammin' with my favorite footbag peeps. See yah again soon, in april for sure at GRASS.
For this weekend I hit some new things:
Alpine blurrage
Nebula
Apline blurry whirl b2b
Pdx Torque > Tomahawk
For this weekend I hit some new things:
Alpine blurrage
Nebula
Apline blurry whirl b2b
Pdx Torque > Tomahawk
Will Digges
Embassy Footbag Crew
Embassy Footbag Crew
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Will Digges
- Egyptian Footgod
- Posts: 1382
- Joined: 15 Nov 2004 19:40
- Location: USA, Ballston Lake, NY
-
Will Digges
- Egyptian Footgod
- Posts: 1382
- Joined: 15 Nov 2004 19:40
- Location: USA, Ballston Lake, NY
-
Will Digges
- Egyptian Footgod
- Posts: 1382
- Joined: 15 Nov 2004 19:40
- Location: USA, Ballston Lake, NY
Had an awesome shred with Matt K today, haven't played in a week. I beat riku's record of 21 DDD's i hit 22 DDD's. Also I hit nebula again, second try and I hit nebula > pheonix > drop right after that. Next time will be sick, lets hope we can both make it to GRASS.
Barraging ss Swirl
Marius
Nebula > pheonix > drop (blurriest swirl)
decent strings
good times good times
Barraging ss Swirl
Marius
Nebula > pheonix > drop (blurriest swirl)
decent strings
good times good times
Will Digges
Embassy Footbag Crew
Embassy Footbag Crew
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Will Digges
- Egyptian Footgod
- Posts: 1382
- Joined: 15 Nov 2004 19:40
- Location: USA, Ballston Lake, NY
I had a good session today with Matt K, I hadn't played since last monday. He was busting new tricks and got his first 5>5>5 and blurry torque. I gotta keep schoolin' I hit some new stuff though, these week long breaks are leavin' me rusty.
Nebula > Fusion (2nd Try)
Alpine Blurry Whirl > Crispy Triage > Quantum DLO
Bedwetter > ss Osis > infinity (Rpt)
Nebula > Fusion (2nd Try)
Alpine Blurry Whirl > Crispy Triage > Quantum DLO
Bedwetter > ss Osis > infinity (Rpt)
Will Digges
Embassy Footbag Crew
Embassy Footbag Crew
