The joy of surrounding yourself by like-minded individuals is a privilege many struggle to come by. The weekly event Spin Jam at The Wild Buffalo gives the flow artists of Bellingham a place to gather and learn from each other, along with allowing newcomers to try out spinning for themselves.
From 7 to 9:30 p.m. on Wednesday nights The Wild Buffalo is full of poi spinners, hoops, and staffs. If you don’t have a flow toy of your own, then there is no need to fear. Poi and hoops are available for public use!
Although the event officially lunched in 2012, Spin Jam doesn’t have an exact starting date. The event began as spinners going to the club early in order to have adequate space for their flow toys, according to current co-organizer Nicole Dubuque.
[pullquote align=”right”]”Let’s be real, no one goes to a bar before 9 o’clock anyways,” Dubuque said. [/pullquote]
“There is no pressure to be better than anyone,” Dubuque explained. “It’s like ‘we all have different styles, I really like that move, I wanna collab.'”
The event has been constantly evolving, and the newest addition to the event has taken Spin Jam to the next level, with live music added to the mix. Resident DJ Nico Vizqual, or Nikolai, has been delivering killer house sets perfect for flow art.
“You gotta keep those hoops spinning, you gotta keep those bodies moving,” Vizqual said. “My very first spin jam every person in that place was moving, people were laughing. The vibes in there are outstanding.”
Join Bellingham’s flow community every Wednesday as they show their moves. The community is notoriously welcoming, and Dubuque credits the event for her increase in skill. Novices can ask the advanced spinners how to do a move, or you can just watch in person how a certain move is performed.
“The people that go, they put so much time into it [hooping] and it’s so inspiring,” Dubuque said. “It’s how I feel I have improved in my hooping so much, having so many people there who aren’t necessarily trying to teach you anything, or be better than you. They are just doing things you wanna learn.”
What flow arts you enjoy? Would you ever attended Spin Jam? What additional flow art gatherings are in other parts of the northwest? Leave your thoughts in the comments below!
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