80′s Skipper Bill Martinelli

This website started in 1999 and at several different points over the years, we have heard speak of an extremely passionate skipper who got media coverage in the 80s, but despite diligent research, have never able to find an article or mention about him, etc.   We were always surprised that we didn’t hear from him when the skipping project was getting a lot of publicity, because it seemed like someone in his life would have told him about it!

Imagine our surprise when we were sent this video today that at long last gives us a glimpse of the the 80s skipper in action:

It seems that Bill not only lived in Charlotte, but in Florida too based on this article about him applying for a permit to be able to skip around town with a billboard for money that was ultimately denied in Broward County Florida in 1988. We’ve also heard about a skipper from Newport, Rhode Island as well, but aren’t sure if this is the same guy.

We are thrilled to at least know the name of this early pioneer of the skipping movement so we can officially add him to the Skipping Hall of Fame and would love to connect with Bill Martinelli! If anyone out there knows him, please ask him to get in touch via email!  Or if you have stories about Bill’s skipping many moons ago to relay, we’d love to hear those too.

 

 

 

Canadian Skipper Extraordinaire

We’ve met many passionate skippers in the 11+ years we’ve been promoting at iSkip.com…but we’ve never encountered anyone with the vision, passion, and focus of Toronto’s Dawna Marie Wright.

Our skipping paths crossed when iSkip’s Kim Corbin read a post Dawna had left in the Urban Prankster discussion board in order to inspire flash mobbers and performance artists to participate in the first annual SKIPPING UP AND DOWN THE STREET DAY (SUDS) she’s organizing on Sunday July 31, 2011.

We asked Dawna about SUDS, her love for skipping, and more in this recent email interview…

When did you start skipping as an adult? About 4 yrs ago, I was walking with a friend who was feeling blue and I said, “Hey, let’s Skip!” and we did. We felt silly at first as people were looking at us and wondering, “what the??????” That helped us realized we liked feeling silly..and soon we were laughing and the blues began to melt away

What do you most enjoy about skipping? I like how it makes me feel..It puts me back in touch with my little girl self, full of joy and wonder.The added bonus is of course that as an adult it’s a fun way to get the heart rate up! especially if you don’t like to do aerobics or go to the gym.

What advice do you have for anyone who is hesitant to skip for fear of looking silly? Do it with a friend.. Make it a moment you can both laugh about and remember. And remember what it was like when you were a little kid.. Everyone still has a little bit of mischief in them somewhere;)

Where is your favorite place to skip? I really like being barefoot as much as possible and just came back from Costa Rica..so I’d have to say The Beach!

Tell us about SUDS! SUDS is the Acronymn for the “SKipPing Up & Down the Street Day” event I am organizing. I thought giving it an acronymn would make it a little more catchy than the long title. and even lead the way for those who were curious as to what SUDS meant/stood for:)

What inspired you to create a Skipping Up and Down the Street Day? Hmm.. It was a few years ago when I initially thought about this, “What if there was a recognized day that people could skip everywhere and anywhere without onlookers thinking they were ‘crazy’ so to speak?” Because of the advent of social media and Facebook and being able to get the word/idea out more easily I started to seriously put it into motion last summer when I was sitting around wondering what kind of good trouble I could cause. Why? I like to experiment and see what happens.) I want this to be an annual event that is as recognized as World Laughter Day (May 2nd). So far, so good.:)

How can people participate in SUDS? What do they need to do? July 31, 2011 is the inaugural date to celebrate those who already skip whenever they feel like it. It’s also the day or those who are closet skippers and/or shy to do it in public. Even it’s just a few skips on their way to work, school, or the grocery store….this is the day to give yourself permission to skip and to know that you aren’t alone. In fact, there are legions of SkiPpers from every continent!

There are plenty of ways skippers can participate.
*Visit the event’s website and become a member and/or RSVP on the event’s Facebook page.
*Make a skipping video to share your love of skipping with the world. Skipping at night? Skipping in the snow? The possibilities are endless.
*Helps us spread the word by inviting your friends and family to participate.
*Organize a fund raising skip in your home town on July 31, 2011 for the nonprofit of your choice.

We hope you will join us in supporting Dawna in the realization of her SUDS vision! RSVP on Facebook or become a member of the event’s website to show your support… also be sure to check out this fun skipping video she did to spread the word about the event:

Skip on Dawna! Skip on world!

Simon Skips!

We discovered Amsterdam based skipper Simon Groen thanks to the wildly popular YouTube skipping video he produced and starred in that has nearly 70K views and counting.

iSkip founder Kim Corbin recently had the opportunity to skip with Simon when he was visiting the San Francisco Bay area, and she asked him the following questions about his video and passion for skipping.

What inspired your video? One day I just started skipping spontaneously. A friend of mine laughed at me and as a result I tried some different kinds of skipping. Then I found comedy by skipping very energetically, while at the same moment keeping my facial expression very neutral/serious. It’s a comedian thing to search for the comic in every action.

Are you a regular skipper? Yes Definitely. I skip at least once a week.

Do you think that skipping makes the world a better place? If so, how?Skipping represents the light, happy and bright side of life. Life should be effortless in a way and skipping refers to that. Therefore I believe it makes the world a better place.

How has your video been received? Our skipping video is one of our best reviewed videos! Also some people say it reminds them of Monty Pythons ‘Ministry of Silly Walks’. I also think the success of this video can be explained by a deep human desire for skipping.

Here’s Simon’s amazing video. We hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

World’s Fastest Skipper

Ashrita Furman is the fastest skipper in the world. He holds more Guinness World Records than anyone and two of them are skipping related.

In August of 2003, he set the record for skipping the fastest marathon (26.2 miles) in 5 hours 55 min 13 sec in Canada. Then in February 07, Ashrita  set the world record for skipping the fastest 5K in 35 minutes and 19 seconds…and he did it in a most unusual way. Here’s his first person account:

Well, it’s been a wild journey! I broke the 5K skipping record on Sunday by skipping the distance in 35 minutes and 19 seconds. The time was disappointing but I lost at least 4 or 5 minutes because of a tiger!

i did the record at a place called the Tiger Temple in Thailand where monks allow people to walk with a tiger. So i decided to skip with one! The monastery people were a little worried because they thought the skipping might remind the tiger of an injured animal and provoke him to attack me. But I skipped the first 100 meters with the tiger (on a leash) with no problems, then speeded up by myself and finally tried to do the last 100 meters with the tiger. Unfortunately, the big fellow thought he was going to be put back in his cage and he was moving really slowly. After 75 meters I got impatient, handed the leash to one of the handlers, and skipped to the finish line. That was a foolish thing to do! The tiger saw me rushing away and instinctively went into his attack mode. It took 4 handlers to restrain him!

Overall, it was a great adventure and sInce Reuters Press Agency was there, the story went worldwide. Later in the year, I plan to try again (with no animals) and do a better time. I just love the skipping! Thanks for all your encouragement.  All the best, Ashrita

Skip on, Ashrita!

Atlanta Enthusiast Skips 100 Miles

In April of 2001, a skipper in Atlanta, Georgia named Susan Reineck skipped 100-miles across Atlanta to raise awareness and money for a wild life sanctuary where she volunteered.

Here are some excerpts from the article a reporter named Randy Southerland the Atlanta Journal-Constitution did at the time about her efforts…

“It’s late afternoon and the sweating joggers and the walkers with kids in tow are out in full force along a greeways path in Alpharetta. Although normally intent on their routines, even the most serious fitness buffs slow and smile when they see Susan Reineck skipping by.

While running, power walking, and spinning may be more in vogue, this energetic speech pathologist has joined a small but growing band of enthusiasts who prefer this classic means of childhood locomotion.

Reineck is, in fact, Atlanta’s head skipper. That means she’s in charge of spreading the wrod about skipping to a public that may find this jaunty movement maybe just a little silly.

“It’s incredible,” Reineck enthuses after a three-mile skip. “I  used to run in high school and college, but running just stopped doing it for me. so I said I’ll just walk, but that wasn’t enough. So with skipping I get the aerobic benefit that I would from running, but at the same time it’s a lot easier on my knees.”

While skipping might look deceptively easy and childlike, Reineck is in the midst of a serious training program for the biggest skip of her life. Beginning Sunday, Earth Day, at 1 pm, she plans to set off on a one-woman skip from Alpharetta’s North Point Community Church down to Buckhead and then all the way up to Ellijay – more than 100 circuitous miles. Her goals for this event she calls, “Bound for the Wild” is to raise money and public awareness for the Wildlife Rehabilitation Sanctuary.

“In Atlanta, people are so uptight,” says Reineck. “They’ve got so much on their minds. They’re always thinking about work, and I just see so many unhappy people. I think this is a good place to get more people skipping.”

While skipping may never be quite as popular as jogging, more and more people are coming to recognize its benefits. She believes that skipping actually does elevate your mood, and she feels, yes, like a kid again. It’s downright hard to be out of sorts when you’re skipping. And the reaction she gets from people on the skipping trail is positive as well.

“The cynic in me says people are going to look at me like I’m nuts or they’re going to cal me a freak,” says Reineck. “Instead people just smile and say hi.”

And secretly wish that they were skipping, too.

Skipping in Oklahoma…is OK!

“The SOONER you skip, the SOONER you’ll smile.” -Dave May

Dave May is an inspiring skipper in the Sooner State. A big part of his life work is inspiring young people to be true to themselves and get fit in the process. Dave (left) is pictured here with his daughter Emily and Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry.

In the summer of 2004, Dave traveled the state and shared his message of fitness and fun with schools and libraries. He has even enlisted the support of Oklahoma State Senator David Myers who will officially proclaimed Dave the “Skipping Ambassador of Oklahoma!”

Here are Dave May’s thoughts on skipping, “It’s almost impossible to skip and frown at the same time. Skipping raises your heart rate, burns calories, builds muscle, improves physical coordination, forces you to overcome fear of what other people might think, reconnects you with the joy of childhood, makes you and most people who see you smile, and it’s absolutely free! Skipping makes you healthier and happier at the same time, that’s why I want my fellow Oklahomans to discover the joy of skipping.”

Biblical Scholar & Author Peter Wohfelder

His interest in scripture and exercise inspired Peter J. Wohfelder to do an in-depth study of the Bible in relation to exercise. Much to his surprise, he found numerous references to skipping and became so inspired that he started skipping himself. He then went on to write and publish a book about his findings called King Solomon Skipped.

This is from the book’s back cover, “There is an exercise that kings knew of, and spent time doing in ancient times, but that has been lost in antiquity. A mystery of history is unveiled within these pages, and it will astound you! This exercise is a gift from God to enhance your physical health, and it has profound benefits to improve your intellectual capabilities and mental alertness, as well as brighten your emotions.”

Here are a few of the biblical references that inspired Peter to start skipping:

**In the Songs of Solomon, chapter 2, verse 8 says, “Behold he comes leaping upon the mountains, skipping upon the hills”.

**In the book of Malachi (the last book of the Old Testament), in the last chapter referring to the last days it says, “But for you who fear my name, there will arise the sun of justice with healing in his
wings; and you will gambol like calves out of the stall.” (Webster’s new international dictionary defines gambol as a skipping or leaping about in play: a frolicking movement.

**In Acts 3:1-8 is speaks of how Peter and John went up to the temple to pray. They met a man begging for alms who had been lame since birth. Peter said to him, “silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I to you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk. .and leaping up he stood and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, leaping, and praising God.

** Luke 6:22,23 speaks of leaping for joy. The first definition for this word leaping in the Greek- English dictionary is to skip.

Peter first contacted iskip.com 10 years ago about his book and the miraculousness of it our shared interest leaves us in a state of awe now more than ever.  The Lord really does work in mysterious ways!

Comedian Michael McIntyre

Michael McIntyre, a wildly popular comedian in the UK, does a wonderful bit about skipping during his stand-up comedy act.

He says, “although socially unacceptable for anyone above the age of six, it’s actually a remarkable way to move. Skipping is magnficient!”

Of course, iskip.com is all about rewriting those cultural rules that say skipping isn’t acceptable. After all, who says it isn’t acceptable? And whoever they are, why on earth would we listen to them when our world is in such desperate need of positive energy and joy? Skip on!

You can watch Michael McIntyre’s skipping bit here…

Tommy Fox – Australia

There’s a skipper down under who has been taking the skipping movement by storm. His name is Tommy Fox and his website is full of fun skipping pictures and videos.

Here’s a quote from Tommy from his You Tube channel, “Skippers shall no longer be forced to inhabit the semi darkness on the edge of society. Now is the time to come out of the shadows, out of the basements and confines of your bedroom. Be ashamed no more. A mudslide of change is sweeping across globe.”

Here’s a video where he describes how we went from being a skateboarder to discovering “the way of the skip”.

Tommy attempted to skip around Australia, but didn’t ultimately complete his adventure. Here’s a video of the finish of his attempt.

Skip on, Tommy Fox…You are doing the skipping community proud!

Billy Bob Thorton

When Jeff Lester, the producer of the short film called “The Last Real Cowboys” starring Billy Bob Thorton read an article in the Wall Street Journal about iskip.com, he sent us his film and we couldn’t believe our eyes.

The Last Real Cowboys

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