Lawrence hooplah

What is it with hippie girls and hula hoops? Ali Mangan, a self-described “hoop mama,” is somehow not offended by that question. “Many people will say that the String Cheese Incident started the hooping movement,” she explains, referencing the jam band. “They used to throw big hula hoops out into the crowd, just chuck ’em at people. From there, it just blossomed.” After the Wakarusa Music and Camping Festival last summer, Mangan started a hula-hoop play group in downtown Lawrence’s South Park. It was a hit, and now the hoop madness is back by popular demand. It’s free, prior hooping experience is not a requirement and Mangan has plenty of extras to lend to the hoopless. Hoop Mamas meet from 6 to 8 p.m. every Wednesday on the gazebo side of South Park, weather permitting. “We’re hard to miss,” Mangan says. “If you drive down Mass, you’ll see a bunch of people spinning hula hoops — it’s kind of eye-catching.” For more information, check out hoopmamas.net or call 785-856-4667.

Wed., July 9, 2008