Fer Sumano: Inside The Hoop

Three years ago Fer Sumano was looking for a rock & roll video online and she ended up finding one of a girl go-go dancing with a hula hoop instead. Her life hasn’t been the same ever since. She told Hooping.org, “I was impressed, so I got some tubing here in Mexico City, it was very heavy tubing actually, and I started playing with a hoop I made from it in my spare time.” Three years later, she’s a full-time hooper who won the championship in the International Jugglers Association competition last year and become a rising hoop star south of the border and one of Mexico’s most famous hoopers. That’s why we couldn’t wait to find out more about her and her hooping life so join us as we find out more in our interview with Fer Sumano, our Hooper of the Week. A brand new hooping tutorial by Fer awaits you as well.

Philo: How often do you find yourself hooping?

Fer: Since winning the IJA championship I try to play every day. I also perform at different functions for rock bands, theaters, conventions, private events and more.

Philo: That’s so cool. Would you say hooping has changed your life?

Fer: Definitely! It has been a full 360° change. Here in Mexico I have much recognition from the whole hooping community and that’s something I’m infinitely grateful for. In my 21 years I have achieved something I never thought could happen in my country, that makes you feel proud of that, and I think every time someone asks me about a trick or something the least I can do is try to share with them some of this “Huladiccion” we share here!

Philo: What is the hooping community like in Mexico City?

Fer: Until 2 years ago the community in Mexico was very small. Some we knew, others we knew of online, but in November 2010 we decided to meet to celebrate World Hoop Day. We only had 9 hoopers the first time we met and we knew we had to do it bigger! The next month we did the second “Huladiccion” and reached over 100 people! Now we meet every first Sunday of the month. We have come together in a plaza, parks and places where people gather to grow the community even more and now we are more than 1000 Mexican hoopers meeting month after month, meeting to play, learn and share. It is a little different. Here in Mexico we are not accustomed to see such movements, however I believe it makes passing people happy and that is why they join the community with us.

Philo: That’s so cool. I hope to come to a Huladiccion sometime. What are you currently working on?

Fer: Well now I’m learning to play the bass for my next show. I want to give a touch of the 50′s to my work, remembering that the rise of the hula hoop was at that time. I’m practicing my multiple hooping currently trying to achieve 6 hula hoops while mixing in contemporary hoop dance. I’m also working on a hand stand while hooping on my foot.

Philo: Tell us about one of your favorite hooping memories.

Fer: That would be last year’s convention Barullo in Zapopan, Jalisco, Mexico. The IJA (Internationan Jugglers Association) made a juggling competition and I decided to participate, built my routine in a week and tried it out for a month at some functions, but I was always having errors. I thought in the competition it would be the same, but my surprise was that with all the excitement of having me there it made me do things really well and it was one of the most representative shows I’ve had. Playing with the hula hoop, I gained from the competition that, it made me realize that I actually love this, feeling the people get excited to see me. And if I can even fill a few minutes of the lives of others with happiness, that fills me with total satisfaction!

Philo: I love that! What quality do you most admire in a hooper?

Fer: One aspect I admire is the style of play. We are all different and that gives millions of possibilities to see games, tricks, routines. Although I realize we can all do a trick, I am impressed at the originality of each. That is awesome! And the second for me is the dressing room. I love to see pictures of the different hoopers around the world and see all the production they use or even see it in the dress for when you go on stage. It is part of my whole ritual before going on stage.

Fer Sumano lives in Mexico City, Mexico, and you can find the Huladicción community on Facebook.

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