Dugango HLGCBS
lutkus
one was particularly awesome for me, having not attended an American
convention in over two years.
High:
Seeing people I hadn't seen in two or more years.
Discovering that many cool people have moved to Colorado after I left.
Durango (altitude 2000m in the mountains is very much a high, but it's
also just an awesome place).
Jokes told on the car ride back to Denver.
Field Ball - I'd never even heard of it before. It's an awesome juggling
game.
Low:
Doug being disqualified from Simon Says because he was juggling 5 balls
instead of 3.
Driving to the after-party. First we were told to drive to one place,
where we met up with someone who led us, but didn't know where we were
going. After many u-turns, we made it to someone else's place... I'm not
sure how we eventually managed to get there.
Goal:
Attend an American juggling convention. Success!
Pass. Success! I'd forgotten how much I love passing.
Hang out with cool people. Success!
Learn something new. Maybe not a success, but I have some ideas to work
on. Also, I remembered a bunch of old things, so I think that counts.
Crush:
All of the cool people from Colorado.
Kyle - just totally awesome juggling.
All the other cool people.
Bane:
The fact that I had to fly about 9 hours, and then drive 40 hours after
that to get there. It was totally worth it, though!
Surprise:
Me!
--
Jeff
--
----== posted via www.jugglingdb.com ==----
Emman
>
> Low:
> Doug being disqualified from Simon Says because he was juggling 5 balls
> instead of 3.
That's probably one of the saddest thing I ever heard, I saw puppies get
killed in front of my very eyes and this touches me more.
Emman
thegoheads
> Field Ball - I'd never even heard of it before. It's an awesome juggling
> game.
I'm curious. Anybody care to explain what this game is?
lutkus
> I'm curious. Anybody care to explain what this game is?
My understanding is that, in its proper form, Field Ball is like ultimate
frisbee, with juggling. That is, everyone has two balls, plus there
exists one "field ball", which is passed from one teammate to another,
towards the goal, while the other team tries to intercept. In the case of
a drop, the field ball goes to the opposite team from the last person to
have touched it.
The version I played didn't actually have goals. Thus, the object was
simply to pass the ball to your fellow teammates as many times as
possible. In theory, the team with the most completed passes wins...
though we didn't keep score
Bekah.Smith
HIGHS
Debuting my unicycle burlesque act at Renegade! I was really torn on
whether
or not to do it after I saw how small the stage was. But when the show
was
going, I saw that it was an amazing audience and I really wanted to get up
and
do it. It was soooo much fun, even though the costume had to be modified
to be
appropriate for a restaurant!! :)
Sensei Says - It was really awesome that the last 4 contestants were
women!
And just in general, I had fun with the silly things that Matt had us
do...like
pose for a picture.
Winning Huggling - I didn't really think we would win because we've never
worked on it before....but spinning 360 degrees got everyone else out and
was
no problem for us! Huzzah!
The Show! An awesome line-up and honestly, it was the best run festival
show
I've ever seen. The whole tech crew really had their act together
Jeff! - I had forgotten how much fun Jeff is. Awesome to have him around
again. :)
Our Hosts - Well yeah...being hosted by the mayor of Durango was pretty
neat,
especially since he is the coolest mayor ever. And the 3 tenants he had
were
really nice and hospitable as well!
Floor Play Workshop - I had a really fun group of mostly beginning
jugglers.
They all seemed to have a lot of fun with the silliness of the workshop
and two
women in particular who couldn't juggle picked it up really well!
Denver/Boulder had 12 people attend the fest!!!
Passing with Bob and David - I rarely spend time passing at festivals
anymore,
despite that it's my favorite thing in the world. Glad that it happened
at
this fest!
LOWS
Missing both unicycle rides - I even brought my muni and wrist guards!
But for
different reasons (totally my fault), I missed both rides. Damn.
Doug kicked out of 3-ball sensei says because he was juggling 5 balls. I
really like watching him try to do the 3-ball tricks with 5!
GOALS
Take pictures - ehm....no. Not a single one.
Get more k's than Bekka Rose - SOOOooo close! I was up to 5, but she was
able
to collect a few more as well. So we ended up tying with 5 K's. I'm
going to
keep working on it!!!
Debut my new uni act - YESSSSS!!!! Hooray!!!!
Play Werewolves! - Nope. There wasn't ever a good time for it. That's
okay
though. There will be other times. :)
Break a ball record - I wanted to break either my 7-ball record or
5-ball-mills
record. I got pretty close with 7 balls...but alas, no luck.
Meet cute girls - This was more or less to make fun of Eric's goal, but I
have
to say that it went surprisingly well. There were a lot of cute girls all
over
the place in Durango. *High Five*
CRUSH
Kyle - Amazing juggling, really cool guy!
Poki - Really nice...and wow, I'm just all-around impressed with the wide
variety of skills he has, and I really enjoyed his act in the show
kkBekkak (silent K at the end) - Wonderful person, and fantastic performer!
Miguel - Quite possibly the nicest guy ever! And the fest would not have
been
the same without all of his efforts beforehand and during the fest, that
much
was very obvious. Way to go!!
Dominique - Coolest gal in the world. Best jokes ever.
BANE
Low ceiling :(
After-gym-hours socializing was a little lacking I thought. I miss a good
rowdy jugglers' party at a festival!
Personal bane - Plantar Fasciitis.
SURPRISE
Parade?? Parade!!
Thanks again to Erin and everyone else who made the festival a HUGE
success.
Wow, what an amazing first year festival!
- beKAH!
ErinStephens
High:
Having a ton of my favorite jugglers/people in my gorgeous town of Durango.
Friday was sunny for "Downtown Day".
The Renegade Show in Steamworks Brewery (they actually made a really
awesome poster to advertise the show) - there was a huge audience and
awesome line-up of acts!
Kevin and Brandi being on the "Festival Team".
Fitting 7 people in my tiny house...and every body being comfortable.
Al Thomson (my 12 year old juggling student from Team Heartwood) - winning
the 5 PX3 Vegas Clubs in the raffle - since the moment I had found out
they were being donated by Neon Husky...I had told him that he HAD to win
them...and he DID!
The GAMES were AWESOME!!! Way to go Matt!!
Hearing the feedback, "I'm ready to come back for the next 10 years!!)
Being told, "They're turning people away at the door!" in regards to the
Public Show. We sold out!
Watching the show (Mark and I performed first so we could sit back and
enjoy the rest of the show) - there was so much amazing talent!
Low:
Saturday - not much juggling.
Being too exhausted to help people get to the "after party" on Saturday
night.
Goal:
My goal was to be so well organized by the time the festival started, that
I would be able to HAVE FUN throughout the entire festival.....CHECK!
Crush:
Miguel! My boyfriend and amazing organizational partner! His hard work and
commitment to making sure all the finance and paperwork processes happened
correctly...was invaluable!
Randi! The theatre told us that we would not have lights, a smooth floor,
nor more than 8 feet of space on the stage for our acts in the public show
- one week before the festival. Randi - the show director - took charge
and made them adhere to our contract. Thanks to her, the floor was
smooth, the stage was large, and the lighting was the best I've ever had
in a juggling show.
Dominique - Zucchini Bread!
Bob Evans - for rallying the AZ crew!
Bekah Smith - for rallying the Boulder/Denver crew!
Team Heartwood and FLC Juggling Club - for being totally inspired by the
entire weekend!
Bane:
Amazingly...none...things went incredibly smoothly.
Surprise:
Jeff Lutkus!!!
Free Beer and Cheesecake!!!
Overall - Fantastically fun weekend!
Cheers,
Erin
Brandi
Highs: Being in Colorado for a week and hanging out with friends and family
learning a 3 ball trick and a 4 ball trick
The public show was amazing
Kevin and I being at our first fest as a married couple
Miguel making super yummy breakfasts
Being at a great Irish pub in Colorado with Coloradans, Californians, and
a Canadian
Beating Mark Stampfle a couple times in 5 ball endurance sessions
Low: being embarrassed/frustrated at feeling like a s l o w learner
being in the car in charge of leading people to the afterparty without
knowing where it was
Goal: Learn a trick � double check!
Crush: Bekah Smith for donning pasties in the Renegade show (Every
renegade show should have pasties!!) and for her adorably awesome
character in the public show
Sensei Hall for being such a patient teacher and for quoting Conan
My new sister Alisa for enthusiastically taking up juggling...go team
Axtell!
Erin, Miguel, Randi, and the rest of the hard workin' Durango crew who put
together a badass first fest
Bane: ...can't think of anything that I would classify as a bane
Surprise: Not as cold as I expected
Parade! Cheesecake! YAY!!
Bekah.Smith
> Crush: Bekah Smith for donning pasties in the Renegade show (Every
> renegade show should have pasties!!) and for her adorably awesome
> character in the public show
Thanks!!!! You know, I think that just about every situation should have
pasties. Think about it! Picnics...Parent-Teacher
conferences...unicycling...and you know, tomorrow I'm going on a hot-air
balloon
ride and I think it would be just that much more fun if there were pasties
involved!
Hooray for sticking things to boobies. :D
- beKAH!
Warren Hammond
The Durango juggling festival was a blast! Amazing job for a first year
festival :) Here's my summary!
Highs:
-Getting to watch the public show instead of be in it. This was one of
the
first times I've done that in a while. I think I learned a lot from doing
that. Getting the chance to analyze each act was great, not to mention
just
enjoy it!
-Passing with Jeff Lutkus!!!!!!!!!! Oh man, the first time him and I had
passed in two years was Friday afternoon at the festival. We quickly
found
that we could still do any of the old tricks we tried, and in some cases
were
even better at them now. This bodes well for the future.
-Juggling outside. Just in general this was nice. All of Friday was
outside,
and Saturday morning was as well. I'd never felt this way at a juggling
festival before, but I honestly didn't want to go inside Saturday
afternoon.
-Field ball on Saturday. That was a great way to wake up.
-Car ride to and from Durango. This was my first time seeing that area of
Colorado. I really need to explore this state more. The company during
the
car ride was also great.
-Meeting some more West Coast Folks. You're all pretty cool.
-Winning three of the games! 3 club cascade race with a club the long way
between yours knees, huggling, and 4 ball 4 person relay!
-Denver/Boulder showing at the fest! At last count, I think we had 12
people
there. That made me feel so proud of our group!
-Brad Weston's acting for jugglers workshop. He reminded me of a lot of
things
I'd forgotten, and taught me a lot of new stuff too. I'm looking forward
to
incorporating this into what I do on stage.
-The Mayor of Durango. I'm sorry everywhere else. Your Mayor is not
nearly as
cool. End of discussion.
-Juggling with Doug Sayers. Last few fests him and I have both been at,
I've
made it a point to get some advice from him. It seems to be paying off.
Also,
just being able to hang out with him and do some 5 club tricks is pretty
cool.
-The public show. All the acts were great, but a few stood out amongst
the
rest (to me): Brad Weston's was the only person (besides the emcee, Matt
Hall)
who spoke. His comedy is top notch as are his skills and especially his
presentation. Bekka Rose's piece may have been one of the most effortless
and
elegant pieces I have seen in a long time. Poki is a hoopster, and
usually I'm
not a fan. 97 out of 100 hoop acts are the same, and boring. The other
are
real circus hula hoop acts, hoop acts a la Bob Bramson and Carter Brown,
and
apparently now Poki. His skill set was equivalent to that of your average
highly skilled burner, however, his character on stage was constantly
engaging,
and he made very good use of his skills with the hoop. They were
presented in
an interesting and engaging way. Ember did a contortion routine, and
again,
I've seen so many, I don't really care anymore. However! She had such a
interesting and wonderful character. I'd try to describe her character,
but I
just wouldn't do it justice. Actually, I think I'll try. Many
contortionists
try to look sexy, or graceful when contorting themselves. Ember took it
in the
exact opposite direction. She made her character look as awkward as
possible
while performing these bizarre moves with her body, but in kind of an
endearing
way.
-Renegade. ESPECIALLY the venue! It was at a bar! Why don't more
festivals
do this?!?!?!
-Saturday after party! Had a great chance to get to know Brad Weston and
Kyle
Johnson. Looking forward to seeing you both again soon.
-Raffle: I really like how they organized it at Durango. You'd buy your
tickets, and then each raffle item had a jar you could put your tickets
in.
This meant that you could only win something you actually wanted! It
basically
made every raffle exciting, since anyone who won something, actually
wanted it!
-Getting a bronze club from David Kha! I have been looking for one of
these
ever since I met Julien Rochat (sp?) at the Ecole de Cirque de Quebec
about
three years ago. David has started making them in the US, and I got one
from
him. Here's a plug for him. Check out his site, www.worldjuggle.com !
He's a
really cool guy, wish I'd gotten to hang out with him a bit more.
-Matt Hall emceeing the public show: He has gotten so good at this! I
was
taking mental notes the whole time.
-The Major of Durango throwing out the ceremonial first pass for the
public
show
Lows:
-Not being in the public show. Even though it was great to be in the
audience,
it doesn't beat performing.
-Some parts of the games. Don't get me wrong, they were a lot of fun,
however,
there were a couple instances where rules were changed halfway through, or
some
results thrown out and parts of games re-done.
-Getting to the party on Saturday. Some organization would have been nice
here
guys. Instead of just getting the address for the party beforehand, we
all met
at house A, then we all followed someone who didn't actually know where
they
were going to house B (eventually we got there because someone else in the
caravan was staying at B), where someone lived who actually knew where the
party was (at house C). This took the better part of an hour. That was
an
hour I could have been happily drinking/at a party/having fun.
-Lighting cues in the show.
-Missing a good part of the day in the gym on Saturday. This was
completely
mine and Jeff's fault. We went to look for food, and found some far from
the
fest (in a pretty cool bar!) that took too long to get. Then, we get back
and
find out that just down some stairs from where the fest was happening, was
a
restaurant...facepalm...
Goals:
-Break 5 club bx record (nope)
-200 catches of shoulder pads (nope)
-Learn a new 5 club trick (almost, got one in progress)
-Pass with Jeff (check)
-Hit an alberalb (check)
Crush:
-Dominique; you're so much fun!
-Brad Weston; great guy, great performance, great workshop.
Bane:
-Can't really think of one here...
Surprise:
-How easy passing with Jeff was! We did some tricks better than before he
left
for Poland.
That just about does it! Thanks again everyone and looking forward to the
next
one!
-Warren
Brandi
Y'know, I am loving the way you think!! DOUBLE CRUSSHHHH! A proliferation
of pasties could even lead to world peace...
Hooray for boobies and sticking things to them ;-)
Boppo
Well, mine aren't very big ... but on the other hand I *do* have four
of them. Wondering about making a, shall we say, more personal
YouTube video on the subject: Numbers Tits.
(Yes, I'm serious.)
-boppo
Brandi
>
> Well, mine aren't very big ... but on the other hand I *do* have four
> of them.
FOUR?!?
Um, my curiosity level is higher than usual after a few martinis...are you
one of those would-be twins who swallowed your twin in the womb?
wikipedo
>
>
> >
> > Well, mine aren't very big ... but on the other hand I *do* have four
> > of them.
>
>
>
> FOUR?!?
>
> Um, my curiosity level is higher than usual after a few martinis...are you
> one of those would-be twins who swallowed your twin in the womb?
>
I think he stole them. from a dog. now they both have the same amount of
nipples.
He's still thinking of a way to discreetly add a leg somewhere as well.
He can keep his hand as long as he pets the dog at least 3 hours a day.
Wikipedo
Boppo
No. As the post after yours surmises, I'm more similar to a dog than
a siamese twin, in that particular regard. Well, more like a puppy,
because I'm all soft and also have short fur. There's a second,
smaller pair below the first pair, about half way down my chest,
complete with dark aureoles and extra fur, but quite a bit less
conspicuous. Like the the main pair, though, they're completely
useless for anything as far as I am able to determine, as is probably
the case for all men. Then again, if millions of women demanded to see
my naked chest as a result of these posts, maybe they wouldn't be so
useless after all.
Not that you asked, but all my belly fur points towards my (one,
thanks for asking) bellybutton, which makes me fantastically efficient
at collecting nur[1] from shirts. I've got no interest in extra legs,
but more hands would be nice. Would come in real handy for juggling,
as well as playing the piano. And, picking up all my stuff and doing
other errands, my wife might be quick to add.
-boppo
[1] short for "navel fur," also known as bellybutton lint.
Bekah.Smith
>
> No. As the post after yours surmises, I'm more similar to a dog than
> a siamese twin, in that particular regard. Well, more like a puppy,
> because I'm all soft and also have short fur. There's a second,
> smaller pair below the first pair, about half way down my chest,
> complete with dark aureoles and extra fur, but quite a bit less
> conspicuous. Like the the main pair, though, they're completely
> useless for anything as far as I am able to determine, as is probably
> the case for all men. Then again, if millions of women demanded to see
> my naked chest as a result of these posts, maybe they wouldn't be so
> useless after all.
>
> Not that you asked, but all my belly fur points towards my (one,
> thanks for asking) bellybutton, which makes me fantastically efficient
> at collecting nur[1] from shirts. I've got no interest in extra legs,
> but more hands would be nice. Would come in real handy for juggling,
> as well as playing the piano. And, picking up all my stuff and doing
> other errands, my wife might be quick to add.
>
> -boppo
>
> [1] short for "navel fur," also known as bellybutton lint.
>
>
Now you've got me wondering. If a lady had an extra set of nipples, would
she be required to have them covered with pasties? This is assuming that
she isn't performing in a strip club, obviously....rather, performing in a
place where full nudity is against code.
Also, go ahead an count me as one of the million women who demands to see
your naked chest. I'm fascinated, and also, I'm not surprised that you
found a new kind of Numbers contest to win! :)
- beKAH
(considering making two pairs of pasties for Boppo....)
Boppo
wrote:
"Numbers pasties" - both in quantity and in the truly diminutive size
needed. Some Club Renegade opportunities suggest themselves, if only
I could make it to a convention.
Except please don't make the paste too sticky ... odds are high that
I'm a lot more furry there than you are. I have no great urge to wax
(or, be waxed) there.
In case you're wondering, yes, I've looked for even more extra sets,
but, alas, I've only got the one extra set as far as I can tell.
-boppo
Matt Hall
I'm lagging, but I simply cannot let a great festival like Durango
just fade from memory without one last wistful glance backwards...
Get ready for another love-letter length missive...
HIGH(s):
Arriving Friday night and seeing the SWEET-ASS accommodations that
Erin had set up for Lisa and me. The Leland House/The Rochester Hotel
in Durango is AMAZING.
Walking over from Leland House/Rochester Hotel to the Renegade Site
(another kick-ass location-The Steamworks Brewing Co) and immediately
getting caught up in the fantastic energy of the hometown crowd
combined with the fun of the juggling crowd (The Vulcans/The Axtells/
Thom and Bekka/etc...).
Doing diabolo on this little stage with BRAND NEW Henrys equipment
(Thank you Air Traffic!!) and not sucking. Great energy from the
crowd, great beers, and new diabolos/sticks/string right out of the
package. Lovin' it.
Bekah's Uni-Strip routine. Flawless and Fun.
Doug doing ridiculously hard tricks on the tiny wood stage with zero
lighting. The civilians had no idea what they were witnessing.
Seriously.
Coming back from Renegade and finding a cat walking the halls of the
hotel and then having it follow me up to our room, jump on the bed,
and give Lisa some purring rubs and loving. Super cool.
Juggling outside on the quad Saturday. Really fun start to the
festival!
The Show on Saturday! What a blast! The opening throwing out of the
first club with the Mayor Michael Rendon was a total thrill--what a
great guy. The coolest Mayor ever...
Again, the Show. Great acts and I personally had a great time
MC'ing. Nary a hiccup....
Going out to Sushitarian (again, just a block away from the hotel)
with Lisa after the show and scoring some quality Japanese food, which
surprised me a little bit. As we were leaving, I talked to the chef
and it turned out he moved to CO 25 years ago, and he was way stoked
to talk to someone in Japanese. The look on his face as we left was
priceless...
Teaching the multiplex workshop on Sunday. 2 reasons: 1-it was a
small group with half female jugglers and 2-Brandi Axtell. More
later.
The Games. Injected a new one and it seemed to work. The Sensei Says
had 4 women in the finals--I've NEVER seen that before in 13 years of
festivals. Taylor Glen beat Kevin Axtell in a head-to-head combat
battle to become the fourth finalist. I was lovin' it!
Getting Erin Stephens out on the 3 ball high pirouette after she
demanded it. Sorry Erin, but that was freakin' hilarious.
Hanging out with everyone at the burrito place on Sunday night, and
then heading back to the Steamworks bar to chill with the crew and
talk about Fun Fund. =)
LOW(s):
Pretty much none.
GOAL(s):
Contribute to the festival
Be a good MC and add value to the show
Teach some good workshops
Learn some new tricks (Thanks Bekka!! Your 423 workshop was
excellent.)
Spend quality time with Lisa and introduce her to Colorado!
For the most part, I'll say check to all. =)
CRUSH(es):
Erin Stephens, who now joins Thom Wall as one of the most organized
and dynamic festival directors I've ever seen. You know how I know?
She was juggling all weekend and nothing went wrong!! That's the mark
of a festival organizer who has taken care of business in advance.
She did not miss a single trick. Unbelievable festival for the first
time out of the gate...
Brandi Axtell, who pulled out the answer to my obscure Conan the
Barbarian quote without hesitation and got into it. On par with
discovering Luke Wilson's affinity for Gross Pointe Blank. Just a
lovely festival moment.
The Grill in the Student Union--Lisa and I ate there twice and it was
delicious. Literally seconds away from the juggling floor.
Doug Sayers, still pushing and still rocking it. We had some good
sessions--thanks for the tips with 7 balls, 5 club singles and the
bounce session. Sweet stuff.
Lisa Hall--wife and traveling companion extraordinaire. Just walking
around the town, chilling on the couch in the gym, and eating
breakfast at the Rochester. Pure bliss.
The complimentary homemade breakfasts at the Rochester. Glorious.
BANE(s):
Again, not much. Perhaps the ceiling height, but I'm just being picky
at this point.
SURPRISE(s):
Seeing Warren Hammond and Jeff Lutkus in the same place. I think the
last time I saw that was in Texas, 2005. Good to see ya! Warren is
getting better and better (Individuals comp in the future?).
When Doug and Erin stopped by our room on Monday before we drove to
the airport and ending up having an impromptu vertax workshop for
Doug.
Speaking of Doug. Losing to him in the longest grind endurance in the
Games. Isn't this one of the signs of the Apocalypse? haha
There it is. Another novel. Same as always...I'm hoping this one
becomes an annual event. Durango is a fantastic little town.
matt
DavidKha
(especially a multiplex bat).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfXMwpWlT4A&feature=related
Some mad passing with Becca Smith (after years of reading your posts, it's
great to meet face-to-face). Learning something new from my first
workshop in years (from Becca Rose).
Low: Most of my passing was with people from my home club, who I haven't
juggled with in months!
Goal: Get in a really good passing session with someone I've never juggled
with before (see highs). Show some weird new tennis can ideas to Matt
Hall. Give some jewelery away. Promoting the Tucson Juggling Festival on
April 12, 2011 (http://tucsonjuggling.org/festival-2).
Crush: Kyle's transitions.
Bane: I brought heaps of warm clothes with me on day one, but I carried
most of it around until dark.
Surprise: Sayers. I'm so out of touch. Warren Hammond bought a crapload
of tickets for my jewelry and didn't win! I'm flattered that you like my
work, and am proud to have you wear it.
I'm so glad to have a festival I can drive to (besides ours). Good to see
such an amazing event so close to home. Thanks heaps to Erin Stephens!!!
Awesome to have met you finally! Count me in next year!
David Kha
aaron gregg
>
> High: Getting some good video of some multiplex in 2 count with Bob Evans
> (especially a multiplex bat).
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfXMwpWlT4A&feature=related
> Some mad passing with Becca Smith (after years of reading your posts, it's
> great to meet face-to-face). Learning something new from my first
> workshop in years (from Becca Rose).
High: David misspelling Bekka/Bekah twice in one post.
-Aaron
I still love ya Dave.
DavidKha
>
> DavidKha wrote:
> >
> > High: Getting some good video of some multiplex in 2 count with Bob Evans
> > (especially a multiplex bat).
> > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfXMwpWlT4A&feature=related
> > Some mad passing with Becca Smith (after years of reading your posts, it's
> > great to meet face-to-face). Learning something new from my first
> > workshop in years (from Becca Rose).
>
> High: David misspelling Bekka/Bekah twice in one post.
Low: Learning that I'm hooked on phonics.