Until that moment there hadn't been a single person on stage. Only then did the Kratons appear for their final bows.

 

The great solo hoop manipulators of the past included The Wilfred Mae Trio, Howard Nichols, Francis Wood, Raymond Wilbert, The Alpha Troupe, Belmont Brothers, Conners Brothers, William Everhart, Knetzger, Frank Gregory and the Nichols-Nelson Troupe. More modern proponents have included Paul Bachman, Carter Brown, Bob Bramson, Kit Summers and Larry Weeks. The opening of Berky and Moschen' s "Alche­medians," using spinning (and talking) steel bowls is a lovely echo of the old thematic hoop rollers.

 

One of the most comedic stunts was the tent roll. Several hoops would be rolled across the stage and circle an open tent one or more times before angling through the flap and in. The hook on this routine was the last hoop, which was back spun directly to the opening where it skidded to a halt. As if defying' the juggler, it tipped over at an angle, rolled back around the tent, and then, losing speed, fell reluctantly through the tent flap.

 

The performers often combined the rolling with tossing and passing the brightly colored hoops, which were far larger than today's rings. There were also intricate floor rolling patterns, such as four or five hoops traveling in a circle, then four or five being added in another circle.

 

Everhart, who is credited with originating hoop rolling, sent seven hoops across the stage. They returned one by one to roll around him, pass between his legs, crawl up his back and then roll down his extended arms to be caught and sent out again.

 

Perhaps the most difficult routines were performed with the use of strings, held either by assistants or attached from the performer to a stationary object. The hoops (bicycle rims) were spun out onto the lowest of several strings, then bounced to other strings. By controlling the slack or tightness of the strings, the juggler transformed the hoops into high wire performers. Although the gyroscopic forces of the spinning hoop aided the juggler, the least bit of wobble was fatal.