Hula-hoop hoopla: Martinez woman teaches others how to go with the ‘flow arts’

On a cool but clear Saturday afternoon near downtown Martinez, you wouldn’t have known there was a hula hoop renaissance going on. But Nancy Fleischauer and Shannon Grasso were there, doing basic hooping along with some trick moves.

There are generally at least five or six hoopers at Fleischauer’s weekly “Hoop and Flow Jam” gatherings at Susana Park, on the small concrete band shell platform. But the shift to Saturday (to avoid a predicted Sunday rainstorm) on the weekend between Christmas and New Year’s Day likely helped ensure low turnout.