In August of 2003, I did my first suspensions with the Rites of Passage group at their annual BBQ in Pittsfield, MA. That experience was truly a life-altering event. So much had changed in my life when I returned in August 2004. The 2004 BBQ also marked my seventh suspension, a two-point suicide.
At A Glance Author hypermike Contact hypermike@bme.anon IAM hypermike When Three months ago My seventh suspension was a great experience, but it paled in comparison to a new experience I had that weekend when I threw my first hooks.
I feel obligated to put in a disclaimer here. I'm not an experienced suspension artist or practitioner. If you don't know what you're doing, don't try this at home! The only reason I was able to do this is because I was under the close supervision of people who have been doing this a long time.
The story starts on Friday evening of the BBQ when I was talking to Kenny (IAM: kenduddly) while watching somebody else being prepped for their suspension. We were talking through things as they happened, and I was asking some questions, trying to broaden my knowledge of suspension. I mentioned that I'd like to learn to throw hooks some day. He stopped me mid-sentence and said something to the effect of "You mean you've been doing this for a year and haven't thrown hooks yet? Well, if I go up this weekend, you're throwing my hooks."
I was stunned. First of all, I'm not an experienced body modification artist, so my knowledge of sterilization protocols is purely pedestrian, not professional. Second, this is an experienced person who is part of a seasoned crew. To think that he'd trust me to throw his hooks was a big deal.
Earlier that day, I had helped out when the crew was short-handed by bleeding out people after they had come down from their suspensions. I had worked with Kenny and Emrys (IAM: along those lines) and must have demonstrated that I'm not completely incompetent.
On Saturday, Kenny was going up on the spinning beam with Dave (IAM: gravity wins again) and would be doing so as a four point suicide. We went off in search of a coach for me, and my first thought was to find Frank (IAM: frank_prov), who had coached me through three different suspensions in the past year and has been a great teacher. He was tied up with an intense chest suspension, though. As we looked around, Kenny saw an experienced face that doesn't always get recognized for her experience and accomplishments in suspension, Bumble (IAM: BgirlyPrincapessa). I asked if she'd coach me through my first hooks, and she said she'd be happy to do so.
After cleaning up Kenny's back with Techni-care, Bumble and I continued to set up the station while Dave marked his back for hook placement.
Throwing the hooks wasn't as complex as I had expected, but there are a lot of details. I never knew the bevel of the needle needed to be pointing up, and I had always wondered to hit the mark when going through the skin. Bumble was as thorough with her explanations as she was patient with her delivery. Kenny had told us to take our time because this was a great opportunity to learn. I like to think that we succeeded to place his hooks with a minimal amount of discomfort to him.
I think my biggest concern was where I'd place my left hand (the one holding the skin) while throwing the hook with the right hand. My fear was preventing a needle stick. With guidance from Bumble, my fears were alleviated, and I was able to throw the hooks reasonably well. I hit the marks pretty closely, too. I figured I'd be way off, throwing the hook either too deep or too shallow. Surprisingly, I did okay.
After Kenny's hooks were thrown, Bumble walked me through cleaning up the piercing station so it could be set up for Dave.
My first two suspensions gave me a sense of euphoria that I've yet to match. I have to say that throwing my first hooks in someone else was as close as I've ever come to that euphoric feeling. This gave me a sense of confidence I hadn't felt in a very long time. I had just completed a long-time dream, and it was better than I had expected.
Suddenly, I got it. I now know why these guys do it. Suspension crews invest their own time and money into helping other people suspend. I never quite knew why. The sense of accomplishment in helping someone else get off the ground reminds us of just how great it feels when we suspend ourselves.
Will I throw hooks again? I sure hope so. But the first time will probably always be the most memorable, and I have to thank Kenny, Bumble, and Dave for making that happen.