I'm taking a group of my outdoor skills students rock climbing in Lincoln, Arkansas tomorrow. For some of them this will be their first time on the rocks and this trip will help to make sense of the things we have been learning in the classroom. You may be wondering why I'm including this posting on my whip blog and the reason is that outings like this one are perfect opportunities to bring along a whip or three for the kids to mess around with. Cracking whips and wilderness sports go great together. Here's my packing list for tomorrow:
I just listed a 4 foot bullwhip in imperial red and black on ebay (click here to see the auction). I'm quite pleased with how it turned out, and I have to say that I was really tempted to hang on to this one. But I made it to make a bit of cash for Christmas so I better let it go. Here are some pics...
If I don't have any bids and you want to purchase it, then just send me an email and I'll sell it to you (ryan@happycracking.com).
As you are considering your space requirements remember that a 6-foot whip is only measuring the length of the handle and thong - the fall and the cracker can add another 2 to 3 feet - so a 6 foot whip may in actuality be around 9 feet long. As you make your space measurements figure double the length of the overall whip for the diameter of a circle with your body as the center point - as well as add around 4 feet to account for your body and arm. If you have low branches or low powerlines in your yard take this into consideration.
So, a 6-foot bullwhip will probably require at least 22 feet of cracking space for you to stand in the middle of (9+9+4=22).
I hope this helps as you consider a whip purchase.
1. Start with the whip down or preferably behind you and your arm down straight by your side (the 6:00 position). Note – I’m demonstrating with a short 3.5 foot whip; if you use a longer whip it will be better to have the whip stretched out behind you on the ground to begin this crack
2. In a smooth motion bring the whip around in front of you, up and over your shoulder. Your arm should stop around the 12 o’clock position, yet allowing the whip to continue on behind you.
3. When the whip is pointing back behind you – at around the 9 o’clock position or even pointing down toward the ground (your arm is still around 12 o’clock) – bring your arm quickly forward to the 3 o’clock position. The whip is traveling on a horizontal plane beside you and when you change its direction here it is forming the critical loop that will travel down the whip ending in the sonic boom.
4. One thing that I have seen that seems to help with this crack with new whip crackers is to practice the motions WITHOUT trying to crack the whip. Many people simply try too hard, so just try to get the motion down and it will often crack without you intending for it to happen.
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