The Hula Hoop Games – Buenos Aires – Part 3

There are also left arm, right arm, left leg, and right leg events where the competitor moves the hoop around their arm or leg at high speed before allowing the hoop to spin off into the distance. In these events the distance is measured to where the hoop finishes rather than where it lands, so the best hurlers are those that can impart forward spin to the hoop and make sure it lands on its rim. The longest distance ever measured was 542 feet 8 inches by Jorge Ahumada in 1989 in the right arm contest. Jorge span his hoop in an anti-clockwise direction on his arm before releasing it with the back of his hand facing the landing area. This ensured the hoop was spinning in a forwards direction when it hit the ground.

Another throwing event is the Wrist Snap Retrieve where entrants throw the hoop high into the air, but with reverse spin so that when the hoop hits the ground on its rim it returns in the direction of the thrower. The person who throws the hoop the furthest away from them and yet still makes it come back to them is declared the winner. The longest retrieve throw ever was 89 feet 7 inches by Basil Workman from Chipping Sodbury in the UK.

Extract from Sports the Olympics Forgot