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

Ten days ago, our friend Stanislav, from the Sinner Team in Russia, was injured while performing a BASE jump.  As many of you know, Stanislav is probably the world’s expert in Free Fall Suspension, and is also an experienced BASE jumper.  Even with appropriate precautions taken, there are always dangers involved in both activities.  So, we would not begin this entry without saying: Please do not attempt either activity without professional help and oversight!

From Stanislav Aksenov

7-th June we went to open a new jumping spot, it is not far from Moscow, about 120km. The place is really unique and i was dreaming to make there free fall suspensions since I’ve jumped there first time (I was base jumping there with my parachute, no hooks). The way I like to make suspensions means to make the real adventure, including the trip, the cool place, night with the fire before the jump and a chance to feel the place, to remember it for the whole rest of your life. That’s why I really love the antennas we used this time.

First of all, after going there in a car, you need to take a boat and to swim across the Volga river (this is a famous Russian river, one of the biggest ones).

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June 12, 2013 may prove to be a monumental day for the suspension community. Eighty Six people came together at the Association of Professional Piercers conference to hear news and discuss the formation of an international suspension organization. Please note, this organization has not yet been created. As you will see in the video below, the International Suspension Alliance is still a blank slate. We welcome your input and encourage people to get involved. For more information please email: isa@suspension.org

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?

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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

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.

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.

“Truly ahead of his time.”   This phrase has been used throughout the ages to describe a myriad of different people.  However, within the suspension community, this sentence illustrates no one better than Stelarc.

For those who do not know his name, Stelarc is one of the most famous and influential suspension pioneers.  Between the years of 1976 and 1989, several years before the beginning of the age of modern body suspension, Stelarc had performed 25 extraordinarily difficult and breathtaking beautiful suspensions.  Several of which are featured here on his website – http://stelarc.org/?catID=20316

Over the next few days or weeks you will definitely be seeing more about Stelarc here on Hook Life, including some official announcements about his upcoming lecture and performance at the 2013 Dallas Suspension Convention.  In the meantime, I would like to present a video that gives a bit more insight into the artist’s work spanning far beyond the topic of suspension.  Enjoy:

Much of the content you see here on Hook Life comes from within our community.  Whether it’s a personal experience or a piece written about another suspension, these blogs  are generally written by someone involved in our world.  However, today’s post is a bit different.  Dr. Dominik Muench of Blacksun Productions submitted a beautiful film documenting WayLay Suspension Force and was kind enough to give his perspective as a self described bystander:

[Filming] was pretty amazing and a bit overwhelming. I’ve got a few piercings and about 80 hours of tattoo work on my body so I’m not completely new to body modification, but this was a whole new level. We picked a nice quiet spot by the river in the middle of the rain forest, set up all the gear and then the girls got their hooks put in. I was surprised how calm and easy the girls took it, considering how big the hooks were and how deep they had to go in. Even just as a bystander I thought it was a pretty amazing experience because its not something a lot of people get to see and I’d assume most people would have a pretty wrong image of what actually transpires. There was no blood, the girls didn’t even flinch and when they finally got suspended they seemed almost ecstatic and overcome with joy. It was really amazing to watch.

Dr. Dominik Muench is an ACS award-winning cinematographer & glamour photographer who has worked extensively throughout Europe, Australia, Thailand, Indonesia and India. Accredited with a Doctor in Creative Arts on Digital Camera Technology, Bachelor and Masters degrees in Film & Television from Bond University, Gold Coast, where he also tutors photography students, Dominik offers a vast array of services.

As of  11:12 UTC/GMT December 21st, the Winter Solstice came and went without the world coming to an end.  Does this mean we are safe?  Is this actually or final day on earth?  Did the alien overlords simply sleep in and Armageddon is coming late this millennia? Who can say?  One thing is for sure, if we do live to see tomorrow, and you are in the Vancouver BC area, you should check out the RISE Suspension Crew performing at – After The Rapture

More info can be found on the Facebook event page:
http://www.facebook.com/events/142660425881925/

These days it seems that a new suspension video seems to appear almost daily.  Sadly, most of them are low quality cell phone videos often held vertically with little to no editing.  However, every once in a while a little gem will appear.  On Tender Hooks is a prime example.  Big budget?  Large crew?  No.  This film was shot, edited and produced by one person using a Canon 600D and a 13-inch MacBook Pro on a budget of £500. ($800)  Although the piece focuses on suspension, it delves deeper giving an inside look at both personal relationships and the director’s own journey into suspending for the first time.

On Tender Hooks – Teaser Trailer from Kate Shenton on Vimeo.

The film is not yet available for purchase or download.  For more information on where the film will be screening please visit the main website – http://www.on-tender-hooks.com – After the break a a quick clip of Kate’s first suspension.

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It’s not often that Hook Life does two articles on one event.  …and rarely, if ever, back to back.  However, Bruno just submitted this video and we felt it was so amazing that we had to share it.  Of course you can watch it small here in the blog, but we recommend clicking on this link to see the youtube page.  Then click on full screen to really see the beauty of this piece.