Protection for you and others

 Before anyone new comes to practice and has a whip put in his or her hand I'd like them to have read and understand this safety page. Its for everyones protection, yours and ours.

 First of all, at practice be aware that we establish a safe area every time we go out; its usually off to the side somewhere. This is a place where people not cracking whips and spectators can sit and rest. Please do not crack your whips close to this area.

 Know what you're doing. If you're practicing your cracks, go off to a spacious  area where you're not in anyones way, well away from our safety zone. If its targeting you're doing, head over to that area. Try not to use the foliage as targets, it could be seen as destroying park property.

 The crack you hear from a whip is a sonic boom emanating from the tip (cracker) due to the fact that it has just broken the sound barrier and more likely in the neighborhood of 900 MPH. So we need to protect our eyes, skin and hearing.

 -Eye Protection

 Your eyes are the most delicate and fragile part of the body that can be damaged by a whip. It can very easily have permanent damage done to it.

  First and foremost eye protection is a must, preferably a work type safety glass but if not at least something that covers the entire eye. A wide brimmed hat or a baseball cap is recommended. It could deflect the cracker and help keep it away from your eye.

 New whip crackers are at particular risk, not having yet learned the skills needed to become proficient, accidents could happen. *Please note: I will not put a whip into a new whip crackers hand unless they use eye protection, and urge all others to do the same.

 Any one who has cracked whips on a windy day knows that a sudden gust of wind can and will make the tip of the whip unpredictable, possibly causing it to hit the eye.   

Learning new cracks or routines is a hazard for the experienced whip handlers. Its as if you're a new person walking in for the first time to learn how to crack a whip.

 -Skin Protection-

 If you're not fond of welts and the occasional cut on your skin you will want to wear the proper clothing. Any exposed skin is at risk. So shoes, pants, a shirt with long sleeves, possibly a fleece top with a hood, light gloves, as well as a hat should be considered.

 -Ear/Hearing Protection-

 Ears are a part of the body thats generally over looked. Its a well-known fact the repeated exposure to loud sounds has an accumulative affect. You may not feel or notice the damage but it is there.  The crack of a whip to close to the ear can be painful, as well as damaging to the hearing.

 There are two situations that I know of that revolve around the possibility of hearing damage. The first is self-inflicted. The Coachmans Crack is done at the side of the body and cracks a foot or two from the ear. When this crack is done properly its loud and it hurts. Sometimes the overhead cracks get a little to close as well.

 The solution, earplugs. Nothing expensive or fancy, just cheap ear plugs. Dont use the ones that attach to each other by a string , the cracker could wrap around them and pull them out of your ear. I think having an earplug yanked out of your ear fast would be worse than cracking a whip beside it.

 The other situation I've run into in the past is people cracking their whip to close to other people and more notably, in their direction. The volume that you hear as you crack your whip (behind the direction of cracker) is far less than in front of the cracker. I'd say three to four times louder. Don't believe me? Have a friend crack at a known distance away from you, say twenty feet, and than crack it in your direction, twenty feet away, it gets loud. As well try not to power crack in the direction of other people. That goes for our group and other people that may be using the park. After all you wouldn't let someone poke your eye with his or her finger, why would you let him or her harm your hearing? They are both important  senses.

 -Others Protection-

Speaking of other people, consider this, your six foot whip plus fall and cracker length of two feet plus the length of your arm are somewhere around eleven feet. Now you swing your whip around your body and the radius is twenty-two feet. Are there people to close? How about whats over your head? A tree, phone/cable or power line. How about in doors? A fire sprinkler head or a ceiling fan thats on. Its happened.

 We share the park with others and at times with their pets. If anyone sees a person not in our group, a child, Police on horse back or animal/pet roaming into our space, please notify everyone immediately and loudly to cease all cracking. The word "RED" will be the word we use to stop all whip swinging. It shows that we as a group are responsible and are more likely to get along with everyone there.

 Cracking on loose gravel or debris can create a hazard for others around you. Its not impossible to pick something up with your whip and flinging it towards someone during a crack.

 So, come out, have fun and be safe.

 Gerry/Rufrider