Stefan Pildes is a 31-years-young, born and bred New York City hooper who gave up a career as a video editor when he turned 30 for a new direction in life. What did he decide to become instead? That's right: a professional Hooper/Hoop teacher!

What was his first experience with the hoop like? Stefan responds, "Someone joked that it looked as if I was humping the hoop. I stuck with it because it was something my friends and I all enjoyed doing together and we were able to challenge each-other by stumbling upon moves." He's been hooping just about every day since the summer of 2000 and it's obvious that hooping has changed his life, entirely. He explains, "It has not only given me a new career, but it has given me a tool to empower people. When someone tells me they can't hoop I love to show them; they can do anything they want with proper instruction and will. The hoop has also transformed my body and my image of myself."

He continues, "My friends and I all got into hooping around the same time. We would go to the park and challenge each-other to create new moves. People would walk by and ask us 'what's going on?' We would tell them, 'We're just having fun!?' - but before we knew it people were asking to hire us to: perform, teach and promote. I realized this was something that didn't have a niche before, but we had created one. After a few years of gigs here and there, I used my expertise and applied a business model to the entertainment aspect of hooping and thus GrooveHoops™ was born. We have done everything from dance theater to product promotion. Sometimes the gigs are in front of tens of thousands of people and sometimes they are just selling someone's crappy product. However, what I am really proud of is, GrooveHoops™ was the first group to make choreographed dance movement with the hoop and we are one of a handful of entities that actually profit from this amazing sport we all have invented cooperatively. Although profit was never the motivation for hooping, I am amazed and thankful everyday that it has become my main source of employment."

When he isn't hooping he enjoys doing everything from apple picking to yoga. He explains, "I have a ton of varied interests. Last month I took a challenge at my local yoga center to see if I could do Yoga everyday for 30 days. It was incredible." So what's his idea of earthly happiness? "Peace for all mankind. OK, here's something possible & just for me; Burning Man is where I find myself at my highest potential. It is where I am the best vision of myself and its my favorite playground so I guess earthly happiness for me is Burning Man."

Stefan's favorite hoop is his new PSI hoop - "made by the amazing Patrick. After many prototypes, we have come up with the ideal hoop for me. It is a bit smaller and lighter than your average dance hoop so that I can make throwing a major part of my act/style. It is all tricked out with LEDs and extra batteries so that it is blinding in its blinkiness. I love the audience's reaction when I flick that switch and it glows up a whole room!"

His favorite film is Moulin Rouge, his favorite film of the last year is Lead Us to the Light, and his favorite music to hoop to is carefully selected. He explains, "For all my hoop classes I spend a lot of time planning the playlist, I try to vary the speeds, styles, tempos, genres and dates of recordings as much as possible. I try to get everything from Burlesque, to Trip-Glitch-Hop, to Swing, to Straight-Up Rock-N-Roll to Circus Music. But, if I had to just pick just one CD, lately its been the new Scissors Sisters album 'Ta-Da.' Such great energy on that album."

What quality does he most admire in a hooper? Stefan replies, "Its not tricks that make a hooper impressive, it is when the hooper embodies the hoop and dances with it as if it were his/her partner." So what does he believe is his most marked hooping characteristic? "I am always trying to bring it back to fun. The more silly tricks/moves I create the happier I am with my hooping. I also want to bring hooping to as many people as possible. I want to get hooping happening all around the world. Thus 7-7-7 is World Hoop Day!"

In fact Stefan, an early contributor to Hooping.org, truly has a global vision. If he were suddenly put in charge of fostering unity and building a world-wide hooping community, what would he do first? He explains, "I would start a government program that rewarded people for weight loss and fitness goals they reach. The greatest reward would be for people who hoop to fitness. This program would also provide the fitness tools for anyone who wanted them. I would spread this program all around the world and make this all happen by July 7th, 2007."

With his support for World Hoop Day, his work with Groovehoops and his enthusiasm for hooping and sharing the joy with everyone, everywhere, Stefan Pildes is truly an asset to the hooping community. And it's this joy that motivates even his advice for others. If he were to tell someone picking up a hoop for the first time one hooping tip, Stefan's would be, "If you are smiling and/or giggling you are doing it right." Truly words to live by.