For more information on suspension visit – http://www.suspension.org/

There are varying levels of competitiveness between people when it comes to suspension; how much you know, how many hooks you can take, how well you can hang, how much you can pull. Of course, there are also those like Nick Whipple who are in competition with no one but themselves as they push their bodies further and further with this art. It is typically the people who aren’t focused on who they can outdo or one up that manage to accomplish some of the most amazing feats. Recently, Nick was able to reach his goal of remaining suspended for 24 hours, and it is a suspension that has been in the works for quite some time now. Nick was nice enough to take some time for an interview to tell us about his experience with the suspension and his plans for where he wants to take suspending from here.

Read more

It’s always a compliment when people from the suspension community go out of their way to work with your team. Having people travel to be suspended by you is such a wonderful gesture, and when that travel means making a 10,000 mile trip to get there, I would say it’s a clear sign that your team is definitely doing something right. There really isn’t any question for me on whether Skindependent Suspension is a great team, they have probably been the most organized and well run team I have ever worked alongside. Along with that, getting to see the photos and hear the experiences people have with this team makes it apparent why Siv and Peter chose them to facilitate their beautiful tandem suspension in February.

Read more

Many of you may have noticed that Hook Life has been a little quiet lately. With all the work of suscon planning, things definitely got a little slower here, but that is about to change! So let’s kick things off with a stunning suspension performed by the State of Bliss crew in England that I have been dying to get posted. Tam Smith was kind enough to let us use these photos taken by Tara Li-An, and took the time to tell a little about where State of Bliss has come from and more importantly where they are going. A lot of things all came together for this suspension to take place, from the right suspendee and crew to a photographer willing to modify her studio just to accommodate the project. I am certainly happy it all fell into place, the result is absolutely wonderful.

Read more

In life there is a simple truth. We all die. What we do with the time that we have is important. When this mortal coil winds to an end, what is left?

***

How should one spend their days? For some it’s a pursuit to amass wealth and fortune. Others may seek experience and adventure. Should we quest for glory? Enlightenment? Discover the unknown? Who’s to say what is the right path in life? For me personally I feel that it is our legacy that holds real value. The people we influence and the lives we change gives meaning to it all. To be remembered and to make a difference is, in my humble opinion, the true measure of one’s existence.

Who was Shannon Larratt? I feel that there are better people to describe him and to tell his tales. I have no doubt that (e)books will be written and memoirs published on his behalf. Yes this blog is about the man, just not his personal life. Instead I want to focus on the community he helped to spawn. Read more

Any time a book on the topic of modern body suspension is announced, I get incredibly excited. When that book is by an incredibly talented photographer like Stefano Moscardini, I find myself going from simply excited to checking my inbox daily for when it is ready to release. There are far too few books on the topic, and luckily after today you can add Suspension of Disbelief to your list that you absolutely must have. Stefano is such a valuable part of the European suspension community. He dedicates much of his time to helping document events and suspension gatherings with his beautiful photography. He is one of the rare additions to our community who although he doesn’t suspend himself, finds much of the same joy and love for it that we all feel. He was nice enough to take a moment to tell us a little more about his history with suspension, and his new e-book on the topic, including a sneak peek into the book at the end of the interview!

Read more

Recently, WNWO News took some time to interview Bradde and Bethany of Mercury Suspensions at their studio Open Minded in Van Wert, OH. In their small town, they seem to be an exception to the negative reception many people feel from their local communities when it comes to modification and  body suspension. Previously, they have been in the news for the support the city has shown them in opening their studio, and now they are being shown the same support with the suspensions they offer. We all know media can be a touchy thing to approach; often you have no real guarantee of what kind of spin they will put on the final presentation when it airs. It’s definitely wonderful to see two people who are such a great addition to our community being treated so well in the media. As opposed to it being presented as a shocking and scary practice, the video gives them a chance to explain what it is they do and answer some questions about it. I recently had the chance to ask Bradde and Bethany a few questions about their experiences with being so open and public about what they offer, and how they feel it might impact the legality of suspension as it becomes more and more visible to law makers. Although laws regarding suspension are pretty limited in the US, it is something that I think we will see more of as time goes by and the suspension community continues to grow. I honestly can’t say which side of the fence I am on; is it better to be proactive and put out there what you do so that you might have the chance to educate those making laws regarding suspension in the future or to remain under the radar and be forced to possibly have to play catch up when states begin to look more in depth at our craft? Either way, I am happy that if there are going to be faces in the spotlight representing what we do, it is two people who are not only fantastic individuals, but also skilled and responsible practitioners.

Read more

I was told once that the more it hurts to lose someone, the greater the life they led. It’s the first thing that comes to my mind for comfort when someone I care for passes away. To me, those words make the pain have a purpose. Every tear you shed for someone lost is because they earned it during their life. Every kindness they offered, every moment of friendship they shared with you is repaid in the tears that fall from the loss and the smiles that come from the memories you have to hold onto.

Read more

Yes, the rumors are true.  This year the 2013 Dallas Suspension Convention will be featuring a large scale live suspension performance that will be open to the general public.  (We have not set a price as of yet, but not to worry if you are a paid attendee to the suscon, your admission is free)    The performance will feature a collaboration between Stelarc and Håvve Fjell of Wings of Desire, with help from several attendees of the suscon.  The suspension will be unique, but if you would like a bit of insight into what you might expect.  Below is a video from the last time these two pioneers worked together in Norway at the 2012 Oslo Symposium:  (WARNING the video contains nudity and may be NSFW)

The performance will be held the evening of Saturday March 30th, 2103 in Dallas, Texas.  Please check back closer to the date for more details on pricing and location.

When most people ask for help, they are usually asking you to make a financial contribution to their cause. Well what if you could make a difference that could change someone’s life simply by posting online? We do it a hundred times a day through facebook, twitter, and other social media sites, and it’s all that J.C. Potts of Pangea Piercing is asking us to do to help make a difference in a young man’s life. Chris Huckstadt is an aspiring piercer in Long Island who, at only 15, is fighting a very aggressive form of cancer. He is barely old enough to be a part of our modification community, and yet he is facing something harder than many of us as adults will ever have to go through. Rather than dwell on his situation or ask for sympathy, Chris’ only request is to meet his idol, J.C. Potts.

J.C. has contacted many major airlines to try and arrange for them to donate flights for him and his film crew to make it to Long Island to visit Chris, but so far has been told he isn’t a big enough celebrity for them to do anything. So he is out to prove just how big the modification world is, by asking all of us to politely tag, message, or post about this to get their attention. We are by no means a small community, and what he is asking literally takes less than 5 minutes out of your day. Please watch the video and post to these companies. Help us get them the support to make this kid’s day a little brighter. We have proven before how fiercely we can pull together, let’s show Chris and his mom just how amazing this community is that he wants to be a part of.

As most of you know, the registration fees for the 2013 Dallas Suscon increased by $100 on February 1st. For many people this means that the event is no longer within their budget, but not to worry. Håvve Fjell from Wings of Desire has decided to donate registration fees to someone in need.

If you would like to attend the 2013 Dallas Suscon, but can’t seem to afford it this year, please write a letter and email it to Håvve explaining your situation and he will decide who Wings of Desire will be sponsoring.  Please have your letter submitted to the email below no later than Sunday February 10th.  His decision and the announcement will be made on Monday February 11th.

Huge thank you to Håvve, Wings of Desire and the crew of Pain Solution for their generous donation!

****Update – Thanks to everyone that submitted emails to Håvve.  It was a tough decision but after reading through all the entries, LeQueeta from the group The Suspendables was chosen.***

Thanks again to everyone.  We hope to see you all at suscon.