In the Online Video of the Year category, there were so many great videos to choose from, but these are the ones that just missed a nomination this year. Eva, aka The Blue Tornado, was feelin' free in Northern Austria:

Malcom Stuart in New York City went off:

Mona Qaddoumi's performance piece for her senior seminar and exhibition at the University of Vermont left us spellbound:

Lynn Spencer-Nelson of Lafayette, Indiana, charmed us in "90 Degrees of Lynn."

And in Hooping.org's personal favorite video of the year, Khan Wong of San Francisco, California, took us into "Circles in the Anomalous Zone."

In looking at the videos this year and the final nominations it became clear here at Hooping.org that comparing solo videos and group videos is a really difficult thing to do. Consequently you'll be seeing the Online Video of the Year category split in two next year with Online Solo Video of the Year and Online Group Video of the Year.

In the realm of Online Tutorials, two teaches on Cat Eyes may have defeated each other when both just missed the final nomination mark. Drex in Washington, DC (view tutorial) squared off against Brandon Huston of Bend, Oregon (view tutorial). Another tutorial honorable mention goes to Sandra "SaFire" Sommerville for her Introduction to the 3 Beat Weave with Mini Hoops.

While no other hooping tracks rose near the mark of our top five finalists, three events came very close to capturing a nomination for Outstanding Event Promoting Hooping To a Larger Audience: Hoop Camp in Santa Cruz, California, organized by Heather Troy, the very first Northwest Hoop Gathering in Bend, Oregon, organized by Mollie Hogan, and Japan's very first Spin Matsuri - the brainchild of dd Hoop Love.

There were so many Newbie Hooper of the Year nominations submitted, more than 50, that Hooping.org fully admits it was difficult to keep track of them all. The following Newbie Hoopers: Amy Rogers of Ocala, Florida, Jodi Jainchill of Miami, Florida, Misty Smith of Georgetown, Texas, Nicole "Sensesublimity" Bair in Normal, Illinois, Rachel "RoxyStormHoops" Coles in the UK, and Julie "Slang" Beloussow in Torrance, California, all receive our Honorable Mention. In what was the tightest race, all of these hooping newcomers were tied and only one vote away from a final nomination. Next year we're going to require a video link in this category to help level the playing field.

Which Local Hoop Groups deserve honorable mention for 2009? Bend Community Hoopers in Bend, Oregon, Hand Me a Hoop in Charleston, South Carolina, PEX in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and the St. Louis Hoop Club in St. Louis, Missouri. When it came to performance groups, a few are receiving a 2010 Hoopie Awards Honorable Mention as well: Fire Groove of Los Angeles, California, Groovehoops of New York City, and HoopDrum of Carrboro, North Carolina.

In our final four categories, there are only a few mentions to make. Hooping.org would like to give 2010 Hoopie Award Honorable Mentions to: Rich Porter of San Francisco, California, in the category of Instructor of the Year, GroovinMeGzz of Portland, Oregon, in the category of Fire Hooper of the Year, Tim "Lucian" Keough of Austin, Texas, in the category of Male Hooper of the Year, and Mona Qaddoumi in the category of Female Hooper of the Year. These four came close to a final nomination in their respective categories and they're all winners in our book.

Who will be taking home the trophies in Hooping.org's Third Annual Hoopie Awards? The results will be announced on Monday, January 25th. If you haven't already cast your ballot you can still do so until 9pm Pacific Standard Time tonight - Friday, January 22nd. Read the rules and cast your ballot now.