Los Angeles - September 13, 2006

Hoop, There It Is

Hoopnotica

Welcome to the lifestyle-trend space-time continuum, in which everything old is recycled ad infinitum (love the flannel, by the way).

Take, for instance, hula hooping. Apparently the old-school toy does absolute wonders for flabby abs. Who knew?

Cirque du Soleil alum and Hoopnotica’s Rayna McInturf, for one. Students go to her Long Beach, Marina Del Rey, Hollywood, and Laguna Beach hoop dance studios with custom ribbon-wrapped hoops to exercise, dance, and master the skill or just learn new tricks.

A note to the rhythm challenged: It’s easier than it looks, perhaps because the fad emerged most recently from rave culture, where bouncing indiscriminately is cool. You certainly remember that era, right? Plastic barrettes, baby tees, and a fluorescent whistle?

Just be thankful the time machine doesn’t take you back to that fashion disaster.

Or to the future when pacifiers resurge.

Hoopnotica, 114 Washington Boulevard, between Pacific Avenue and Strongs Drive, second floor, Marina Del Rey (877-464-6676 or hoopnotica.com).