Pen spinning
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Pen spinning is a form of contact juggling that involves the deft manipulation of a writing utensil with one's hands. Although it is often considered a form of self-entertainment (usually in a school/office setting), multinational competitions and meetings are often held.[1]
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[edit] History
This pastime is also supposedly referred to as "rōnin mawashi" in Japan, allegedly because pen spinning is more prevalent among "rōnins", or high-school graduates who take a year off in order to study by him/herself in preparation for university entrance exams.[citation needed]
Presently, there is no documentation to show who started the pen spinning phenomenon. However, it is understood that a Japanese pen spinner named Hideaki Kondoh was one of the earliest pen spinners to start a pen spinning website.[2]
A related art-form, "Zippo Tricks" or "Lighter Manipulation," uses lighter to achieve the same twirling effect.[3]
[edit] Fundamental tricks
A pen spinner usually has competence in four fundamental pen tricks.
[edit] ThumbAround
The ThumbAround is performed by pushing a pen by one's middle finger so to initiate the pen to spin around one's thumb a single time, then catching it in between the thumb and index finger. This trick is often popular among high school students due to how simply it can be performed[citation needed]. ThumbAround was previously known as 360 Degrees.[4]
[edit] FingerPass
The FingerPass involves spinning the pen through the four fingers of the hand.[4]
The FingerPass was used in the James Bond film GoldenEye by Boris Grishenko. However, it is to be noted that the FingerPass Boris performed is a variation which involves only three fingers instead of the usual four.
[edit] Sonic
The idea behind the Sonic is to move the pen from one finger position to another finger position in as little time as possible. In this trick, the pen is normally held between the middle and ring fingers and is moved so that it is between the middle and index fingers. As this trick can be executed in very short time, its name may be derived from the video game character, Sonic the Hedgehog, who is known for his speed, or more over simply, a supersonic movement.[citation needed][1].[5]
[edit] Charge
The Charge does not involve spinning the pen around any fingers or any body parts, rather, the pen is manipulated in such a way with two fingers, that it seems to spin in a very fast motion, in a conic-shaped path. Its conic path and its speed thus create an illusion of the charging motion of the pen. This trick is often performed by drummers using drumsticks instead of pens.[6]
[edit] Utility tricks
Utility tricks are tricks that help do fundamental tricks and any other tricks. They are quite simple to do.
- Pass: A utility trick that is used while doing a FingerPass. A FingerPass is a series of four Passes traveling in the same direction. The basic Pass is done by passing the pen from index finger and middle finger to middle finger and the ring finger creating a 180 degree turn without leaving the fingers. If the pen is spun clockwise the Pass is a normal, a counterclockwise spin would be a Pass Reverse.
- Wiper: A utility trick that helps do the Infinity. The pen starts in the writing position. Then, with the grip held between the index and thumb the pen is swung downward. The reverse motion is performed by pushing the pen with the middle finger back up into its original position.
[edit] Popular culture references
- Boris Grishenko, the fictional character in the 1995 James Bond movie Goldeneye portrayed by Alan Cumming, often spins pens while working.
- Val Kilmer's character, Iceman, can be seen spinning a pen in the film Top Gun. Kilmer often manipulates objects, normally coins or poker chips, in his films.
- The main character Light of the anime series Death Note is seen spinning a pen, while being distracted from his studies, in episode 14 called Friend
- One of the characters of anime series Great Teacher Onizuka, Urumi Kanzaki, can be seen doing a ThumbAround while on a lesson.
- In the PC game America's Army, during one of the classroom training missions, one of your classmates is spinning a pen.
[edit] References
- ^ "Pen spinning world cup launched", Metro.co.uk, 2007-02-14. Retrieved on 2007-02-27.
- ^ Hideaki Kondoh. UPSB. Retrieved on 2007-03-01.
- ^ Zippo Lighter Tricks. DesktopRating.net. Retrieved on 2007-02-27.
- ^ a b Thumb Around. Pen Spinning Wiki. Retrieved on 2007-02-27.
- ^ TurtleSpin Tricks Database. Retrieved on 2007-02-27.
- ^ Drumstick Spinology. Retrieved on 2007-03-10.
