The 10/10 Challenge

[Ron May]

Erik, I know you are using eye protection right?
Seeing that it's cold you could probably get away with a snow mask for protection.
Good job.

Ron

[Morten Aalykke Pedersen]

Was training the underhande flick today - funny thing is - it works inside in my house - but on the wet lavn - my cracker looses its voice - and Denmark is wet this time of year. Any advice for "weather proof" crackers

[Ron May]

Morten, I sometimes use artificial sinew for crackers and it works well.
It has a wax infusion and cracks sharply.

Any type of stranded fishing line would work as well like Dyneema. You can get it at probably any outdoor or sports store that has fishing gear.

There are others, but right now I can't bring them to mind.

Ron

[Guest]

Ron, absolutely I use eye protection! It's still not nice when you got a wet whip on your face at the speed of sound

[Ron May]

Erik, living in "snow country" I'm sure you would have access to a hockey mask too. (just kidding)

Believe me, I too worry about my whip making personal contact and it's quite intimidating to say the least.

If I do hit myself, it's like my whip saying, " Go on, I dare you to tell me to do that again."
So, I try not to give her any faulty instructions.

I do believe that trying to do cracks as slow as physics will allow is a very good way to practice and nail down the proper form. If the right form is not being used it's quickly obvious that you're just swinging a fancy rope around. Or like a girlfriend who's mad at you giving you the silent treatment.

Ron

[Guest]

Well, that would be lovely. A big guy in an old school hockey mask waving 9 foot whips around in the dark of the night.
I'll keep that in mind : D

Unfortunately no practice for me today. Made whips, had martial arts practice and now I'm off to sleep!

[Morten Aalykke Pedersen]

Well, that would be lovely. A big guy in an old school hockey mask waving 9 foot whips around in the dark of the night.

Well - since we are living in countries here where whipcracking is not normal - then i must agree with Erik that the hockeymask will only add to the strange looks we sometimes get from the neighbours

[Morten Aalykke Pedersen]

Just made my first 3 crack combo - underhand flick followed by circus crack and finished with overhead ..... and got the fall hitch across the back of my hand trying - but kept going - and made it

[Bob Ouellette]

Don't lose hope if you keep hitting yourselves. Remember, a big hat and glasses help a lot. The worst I ever did was cut my forehead with a misguided overhand crack. I'm hoping I'll have a chance to practice later today.

[Ron May]

The only place that it would be normal is Zorro City in the state of Indiana (Jones).

For the challenge we still have one day left for Combo #1 tomorrow is, I believe, the 10th day.

The next is Combo #2 the circus and opposite horizontal cracks .
We will start that one on the 25th and end it on the 4th of December.
Let's all try to stay on the same crack(s) so we can more easily help each other.

I want to thank you all for participating and being so dedicated to this exercise.
Happy crackin' .

Ron

[Tristan Foy]

I guess my count had been off. I thought yesterday was the last day of the first combo. Not that it mattered much because it was too stormy to practice. Today I'm going to double up.

[Ron May]

Tristan, I've miscounted too. Ben even had to remind me once.
So, no problem. The whole point of this exercise is to practice and do a quality practice when we do. If we need help we have each other.
That goes for crackin' , making, and even in our personal lives. We are here for everyone.

There's no other forum or group that will do this for each other but Whip Basics.
It's what makes us special and set apart from all others.

Ron

[Tristan Foy]

No worries either way Ron!

10 days is enough to get the ball rolling, but even 60 days in, I'm still trying to fine tune every one of my cracks, even the CC.

[Ron May]

Absolutely Tristan. You're right, it's important to keep up with all the cracks.
Way to go.

Ron

[Ron May]

On today's practice I did something wrong with my off hand and it feels like I slightly sprained my left wrist. I don't think it's too bad but no more off hand throwing for me for a while. I think I zigged when I should have zagged.

Other than that it was fairly productive and I do feel like it's coming together for this combo.

Ron

[Tristan Foy]

I didn't make it out tonight after all. I am building my whip and am focussing on that instead.

I am sorry to hear about your injury, Ron. When I was first starting this, I think still with the CC, I mentioned how I snapped my thumb so well it tingled whenever I stretched it a certain way for weeks afterwards. But at least it was your southpawed hand and not your dominate one. :-)

[Guest]

Tristan I know the feeling! Yesterday I didn't even leave the house, I was working on a stock whip handle all day but I did do some dry practice with it. I'm trying to get the overhead crack movement down and observing my mirror image I noticed my problem with the wrist twist is that I let the handle angle drop down when the whip's behind me causing the thong to wrap around my wrist and arm.

So wrist twists and handle angles, got it.

[Ron May]

Erik yeah, a little angle has saved my wrist more than once on the horizontal overhead.
I like picturesque speech.

Ron

[Ron May]

This is the first day's video for combo #1 day 1

https://youtu.be/EPQkR9TcgkI

This is the comparison video for combo #1 day 10
https://youtu.be/DcbPEtv3k6E

With the longer whip, I kept brushing the tree limbs hanging out behind me.
I kept checking the fall and the cracker wondering what was wrong.
*note to self , trim the friggin' tree*

I feel like there has been some improvement with progress being made.

Ron

[Ben Varsek]

I apologize for my absence during the last two days !!!


Tristan, thank you for your well wishes - she is feeling better and has returned back home from the hospital today.


Morten, about your question on weather proof crackers: Dynema, Kevlar, Polyester (both waxed and unwaxed) and Nylon (thread on a spool, not the inner strands of paracord) are good weatherproof cracker materials in my opinion.


Ron, the video of the last day of your practice shows great progress compared to the day one video. You are using very little force on your practice and your whipcracking is very relaxed on this combo - congratulations !!!


The last practice of my 10/10 combo #1 went fine. I still need to practice a lot more on that combo especialy with my off hand but I'm happy for the little progress that I've made during the last 10 days !!!


All the best
Ben