Threading - Thanks to Gary Lautt!

I have been threading for years now.  It started literally at the VERY beginning of my footbag experience.  It is difficult to put into writing the magnitude of the effect that Gary Lautt had on my understanding of that a freestyle performance is.  Back in 1985, in the early days of VHS, it was rare to use videotape for learning purposes.  It was rare to see any valuable footage of any advanced footbag freestyle at all.  In fact, advanced freestyle at the time did not include the concept of "adds", and did not have any content beyond around-the-worlds and flying clippers.  I am not sure where I saw Gary play, probably at a WFA event associated with Worlds, but to see someone so confidently hit repeated rainbow outside kicks with effortless abandon, and spins ending in inside kicks for an NBA basketball crowd at halftime... it was awe-inspiring.  Everyone in the audience knew exactly what was happening in his performance, they related to it... I related to it.  In a big way!  

This is when I first saw Gary thread the footbag his encircled fingers in-between kicks.  I have to say, that with all of the advancement in footbag freestyle, I still see the value of what Gary's performances offer.  The simplicity of basic kicks with the added difficulty of threading it through his fingers.  It was amazing.  

It was after at least 20 solid years of shredding that I finally started applying the "Lautt-inspired" Threading concept to more advanced tricks.  I wanted to call it the "Lautt" to honor the great-one, but after years of trying, it is better known as "Threading".  I have applied the "Threading" concept to so many different tricks, I should make a list.  


Today I honored Gary by devoting my entire shred (except for the run-thru my worlds routine at the end) to Threading tricks.


Gary Lautt is a great footbag player and an amazing innovator for the sport, and although I don't know him well, I have the greatest respect for Gary.  I consider myself fortunate to be included alongside him in the Footbag Hall of Fame, and I am glad to offer an entire category of trick-modifiers called "Threading" that can be added to just about any trick, 100% inspired by Gary Lautt!


-enlightener


Example of Threading Concept


Shred notes: 6/8/10
It was all Threading, all day today!  I hit new Threading moves including Juggle-thread, which is further out front than comfortable.  It seems that if I do the comfy-thread then the threads are too close to the body, but if I do the comfy-juggle then the threads are more uncomfortable but because the juggle is tantamount, then it is more important to be uncomfortable with threading so far in front of the body to make the juggle more comfy.  Also hit both Gyro Threading Whirls in the same string and each individually several times with the right being ironically dominant.  Successful cross-training!
At the end of it all, I did a 3-drop version of my Worlds routine with about 75% accuracy vs. intent.


Footbag freestyle!  'This is not your fathers' Hacky Sack®"