Hooping.org asked her, "Given what is happening with Global PARK(ing) Day, why a hoop park?" She responded, "Because hooping is fun! And instead of using this space for parking we could be using it for fun!" She got me thinking more about this very thought too. I found myself wondering how much of the city of San Francisco is currently devoted to parking. As I pondered the idea I knew the figure would have to be significantly high. What would life be like if all of that space was devoted to something else, something like parks, something like hooping.

While visiting Ariane's "HOOPARK!" people in the neighborhood joined her on the astroturf to give hooping a spin. "Do you want to try," she asked a local cowpoke. "I can't do it," he told her loudly. After a few attempts and some careful instruction, and getting him into the right size hoop for a cowboy of his stature, he was soon whirling a hoop around. And then his mother started hooping as well. A minute later someone else was inquiring about the park and she got them into the groove. "Oh my God I'm actually doing it! I felt so retarded as a kid," the joy inspired newbie hooper told her happily. Then a man and his dog approached. "I was hoping you'd still be here," he said, "I'm back for more!" He'd already been to the park earlier in the day and had certainly caught the hooping bug.

Had she any problems with local parking enforcement? Ariane responded, "Actually there hasn't been any problem at all. They seemed genuinely enthused that this is happening." And moments later I got to find out for myself as the meter maid arrived. When she parked her little vehicle and got out I have to admit I became a little nervous. I've never met a meter maid I liked. As she wandered over and picked up a hoop and decided to get in on the action herself, a smile across her face, I have to say that isn't true anymore. We all liked this meter maid and people in the park applauded. Even though she didn't do so well with the hoop, probably due to her uniform having several obstacles attached to her belt, her hooping with the gang at the HOOPark was truly the crown jewel in what was already a resounding success.

First conceived by the Oakland-based collective Rebar, with help from the Trust for Public Land, PARKing Day has become an annual celebration in San Francisco and has grown into a global phenomenon. While HOOPark was one of the 58 known PARKS this year in San Francisco, other PARKs appeared in Washington DC, Seattle, Portland, Chicago, St. Paul, Boston, Austin, Salt Lake City, Tampa, Miami, London, Berlin, Utrecht, Barcelona, Valencia, Munich, Rio de Janeiro, Toronto, Melbourne, Brisbane (Australia) and Vilnius (Lithuania).