When did you see your first footbag?

I was given my 1st hacky sack in 1982 by my father. It sat around for a few years before it was picked back up again, around 1985.  When I started playing again in '85 I became immediately addicted and began practicing consecutives daily for hours, ultimately kicking 10,000 consecutives. Attended East Coast Championships in 1986 and discovered freestyle, and have been practicing ever since.

I was a skateboarder back in the mid 80's, 1983-1985, skating vert half pipes. After my second broken arm due to skating ramps I started kicking my hacky sack with a cast on my arm. Over the years I have also been involved in the following activities seriously along with footbag: juggling, hung fut and chien lung kung fu and tai chi.

My first tournament was the 1986 East Coast Championships.
First professional victory in pro freestyle was at 1989 East Coast Footbag Championships. This was the first drop less routine in East Coast history and the 4th drop less routine ever. First world championship was 1991, singles freestyle world championship. Subsequently won 1992, and 1993 world singles freestyle titles, being the only man to win 3 titles in a row until Vasek tied that record this year. During this time made 2 appearances on MTV sports. 1994-1995 toured with Creative Athletics doing 3-5 school shows a day. Won the 1995 World singles Freestyle Championship. In 1996 appeared for the first time on the shirt for the world championships and won the Team Freestyle world championship with partner Eric Wulff. Also around this time appeared on the cover of Footbag World magazine. 1995 moved to San Francisco to do juggling shows with partner Tim Kelly. Worked on Pier 39 in SF showing thousands of people footbag and juggling. In 1997 won the Singles World Freestyle Championships once again. Around this time traveled to Japan to perform.

2000 appeared for the second time on the shirt for the world footbag championships. 2001 first person to ever juggle 3 balls on hands and 3 balls on feet at same time; developed own style of juggling incorporating manipulating balls between hands and feet. 2002-present co-director of East Coast Footbag Championships. 2004 tied the record for most years in a row in freestyle finals--14, only person to place in top 5 for 14 years in a row.
Original founding member of Big Add Posse. Most drop less routines ever performed with 25. Had direct effect on the evolution of the concept of shred in footbag freestyle. Featured on every major freestyle video including Raw Shred, Aggressive Grounds, Where the Ripwalk Ends, Tricks of the Trade 2, Sick 03, Champions League, ect. Continues freestyling at the highest level in competition and circle shred, currently placed 4th at 2004 world footbag championships. Continues to perform shows from home in the Washington dc area, and maintains a private practice of acupuncture.

The Sports future?

The future of the sport of footbag seems to be in it's expansion around the globe, as evidenced by the scene in Europe. The standard level of play is already so high that kids discovering the sport are already working from an
advanced starting point. Most new freestylers are getting in to the game as young teenagers, and we will see the age getting younger. The future of freestyle is a mind boggling level of play and conception that is currently being introduced by the golden child vasek klouda.

Email Pete: jugglingmonk@hotmail.com