Policy.
Circle Of Light Hula Hoops are hoops I make generally for kids / teenagers so I have a set of rules I follow when making COL hoops.
All COL hoops are made in unisex colours and with non-sparkle tape. So no pinks or purples and no glitter. I do things this way for a few reasons:
*Firstly and fore mostly: In the society we live in unfortunately pinks and sparkles tend to indicate that a product is made for girls. We also live in a world where teasing and homophobia is still common and where if boys show a taste for toys which aren’t “boyish” they can be made to feel bad about it, or worse suffer on going taunting and discrimination.
Although I would say that girls above a certain age do in fact tend to be more interested in hula hooping, as far as younger kids go, boys tend to love playing with the hoops too and plenty of the older boys still like to try it out. I would hate for any boy to be hassled or teased for playing with a hoop, or to not even try it out in the first place, “because its sparkly or pink and therefore a girls toy.”
*I also dislike that girls are raised to like pink and sparkly things and I regard it as sexism. The idea of encouraging hula hooping is because its fun and because its good for you, and because its a cheap long lasting item. Not because the hoops is pretty and sparkly and an accessories like a piece of jewellery. – COL hoops look great IMO anyway!
I have noticed a lot of adults discourage girls from trying certain activities for reasons such as “You’ll get it dirty” “You’ll spoil or ruin it” and it often seems to relate to a pink or sparkly item. A hoop is not to be looked at and kept in immaculate condition, it is to be used. COL hoops are tough and can stand being thrown and dropped repeatedly. Girls do not need to be wrapped in cotton wool. A bit of dirt and a scratch or two is not something to fear.
*Plain tape is easier to clean and if it gets chipped or damaged (which is likely to happen when kids are playing with the hoop.) Its not such a bit deal as when sparkle tape gets a nick or tear I feel. Also, if a hoop needs a repair due to tape being damaged its easy enough for people to find this type of tape to patch it up. Plain tape is also easy to patch with, sparkle tape isn’t – nor is it easy to find or cheap.
*Plain tape is available to most people, (at least within Australia.) Its not expensive and can be bought in any hardware store or even in supermarkets, corner shops, or dollar stores. I want kids / other people to know that they can make hoops too if they want to. I do recommend the more expensive well known brands and not the $ store tape for quality, but even then the rolls are still priced at only a couple of dollars each.
I use the highest quality adhesive tapes for COL hoops. The highest quality tapes are without any question of a doubt the plain vinyl tapes. The best quality sparkle tape I’ve found to date is still not as good as the vinyl tape I use. Sparkle tapes also cost way more for much less and and I also have to order sparkle tapes from overseas.
Plain tapes as well as being cost effective are more durable are also easier to use – important if people need to repair the tape work on their hoop. The tape is also easier to clean than sparkle tape and handles heat and cold well. Although I dont recommend getting the hoops wet, the adhesive is so many ways far more superior to that of other tapes and can with stand damp situations better.
I have tried and tested many tapes over the last 3 years and am satisfied that COL hoops are a high quality product (-: