Whip Cracking 101 - School Year 2022

The 2022 Whip Cracking 101 includes a standalone section on double whip taught by professional whip performer Adam "crack" Winrich.

Single Whip

March

March featured patterns by Ian Cameron and focused on pivoting. Ian was a Gold Medalist in the 2022 LA WhipCon.

• Level 1 - Cattleman's Crack, pivot on rear leg 180 CW, Cattleman's Crack, pivot on rear leg 180 CW, Cattleman's Crack, Forward Body Wrap, CCW 360, Overhead Crack
• Level 2 - Cattleman's Crack, pivot on rear leg 180 CW, Fast Figure Eight with 180 CW pivot back to front so 2nd crack of the fast 8 happens facing the front, Reverse Cattleman and kill the momentum on the ground behind you, Underhand Flick (bowling) and step through CCW 180, Reverse Cattleman, pull through as you step through CCW 180,Reverse Cattleman, Cattleman's Crack, forehand flick, Overhead Crack w/ pivot to superhero pose facing away
• Level 3 - Drum Roll x3, turn 180 CW during the 3rd crack, Overhand Flick, turn 180 CW, Overhand Flick, Reverse Cattleman, Underhand Flick (bowling) and step through, Cross Body Reverse Cattleman, diagonal Sidearm Flick while pivoting CCW 180, turn 180 CCW, Overhand Flick, pass whip to other hand, Pig Drover while spinning 360 CW, Forward Body Wrap, Overhead Crack

April

April's challenge featured patterns by Alyssum Iris, and focused on changing planes

• Level 1 - Cattleman's Crack, Reverse Cattleman, Overhead Crack, Overhead Reverse, into Forward Body Wrap, Cattleman's Crack, Reverse Cattleman, upward diagonal body wrap
• Level 2 - Breakaway x2 (2nd breakaway starts with an overhead crack), Overhead Crack, Tasmanian Cutback, Fast Figure Eight, Victorian Cutback, Reverse Cattleman, Cattleman's Crack, Sidearm Flick, into Catwoman wrap
• Level 3 - Breakaway X2 (2nd breakaway starts with an overhead crack), Arrowhead (3 cracks), Tasmanian Cutback, Arrowhead to the side (5 cracks), Victorian Cutback, Reverse Cattleman (in front), Cattleman's Crack (in front), Sidearm Flick, into Catwoman wrap

May

May's challenges were created by Justin Bereczki of Canada Whips and focused on contact tricks. Justin took 3rd place in the 2022 LA WhipCon, Double Whip category.

• Level 1 - Elbow Transfer, Sling, Reverse Body Wrap, Half Pinwheel, Overhead Crack
• Level 2 - Elbow Toss, Sling Tap Back, Overhead Crack, Reverse Sling, Neck Wrap, Pinwheel, Overhead Crack
• Level 3 - Reverse Elbow Toss, Fast Figure Eight, Extended Sling, Overhead Crack, Elbow Wrap Transfer, Fast Figure Eight, Elbow Toss catching behind the back, Reverse Neck Wrap, Reverse Overhead Fast Figure Eight, Pinwheel Finisher

June

June's challenges were created by Kit Atanasoff and featured rope dart tricks.

• Level 1 - (start with the whip in your off hand) Cattleman's Crack, Front Hand Transfer, No Beat Toss, Cattleman's Crack, Grip Change (let energy from the cattleman's crack die on the ground, toss the handle up and away from yourself and catch the middle of the thong), Cross Body Spin x 2 (swing the handle in a forward and alternate which side of your body the swing is on), Finisher (as the whip comes over your head on it's way to your off side, catch the handle in your off hand)
• Level 2 - Cattleman's Crack, Rear Hand Transfer, Cattleman's Crack, Front Hand Transfer, No Beat Toss, Cattleman's Crack, Grip Change (let energy from the cattleman's crack die on the ground, toss the handle up and away from yourself and catch the middle of the thong), Elbow Turns x 2, Stall (let the whip go behind your back and over the opposite shoulder, stall the handle with the back of your free hand), Body Wrap (toss the handle back on the horizontal plane so that it wraps around your body, and catch the handle in your off hand), Overhead Reverse
• Level 3 - Fast Figure Eight, No Beat Toss Catch Behind The Back (after tossing, spin 360, catching the whip halfway though your spin), Cattleman's Crack, Grip Change (let energy from the cattleman's crack die on the ground, toss the handle up and away from yourself and catch the middle of the thong), Elbow Turns x 2, Neck Turns x 2, Stall (let the whip go behind your back and over the opposite shoulder, stall the handle with the back of your free hand), Body Wrap (toss the handle back on the same plane so that it wraps around your body and up in front of you, and catch the handle in your off hand), Cattleman's Crack

July

July's challenges were created by Isaac Eliason, one of the founders of the 101 whip challenge, and focuses on targeting.

• Level 1 Cattleman's Crack and Sidearm Flick
• Level 2 Hit two targets with the Cattleman's Crack and hit one target with the Sidearm Flick
• Level 3 Hit a small target with the Sidearm Flick

August

August's challenges were created by Torrance Fisher of swordguybuilds.com

• Level 1 Overhead Crack, Sidearm Flick, Slow Helicopter (one crack), Sidearm Flick, Overhead Crack, Slow Helicopter x3, Overhead Crack
• Level 2 Reverse Boomerang, Slow Helicopter, Boomerang, Slow Helicopter, (extra swing) Fast Helicopterx2, Overhead Fast Figure Eight
• Level 3

September

September's challenges were created by Justin Bereczki of Canada Whips and focused on contact tricks. Justin took 3rd place in the 2022 LA WhipCon, Double Whip category.

• Level 1 For this level, first you do the individual cracks of the Queensland Crossover, then you put them together to do the single whip Queensland Crossover

Overhead Crack x 5 passing the whip behind your back to the other hand each time. After the fifth crack add an overhead spin, then do Overhead Reverse Crack x5 passing the whip in front of you to the other hand each time. After the fifth crack add an overhead spin then do a single hand Queensland Crossover for 5 cracks. Pass the whip behind your back allowing the whip to do a full rotation before passing it to the other hand, then do a single hand Queensland Crossover for 4 cracks. Do a Forward Body Wrap, Overhead Crack.

• Level 2 This level is teaching you the movements for your 2nd hand to eventually do the Double Whip Queensland Crossover

Do a single hand Queensland Crossover for 7 cracks, while your 2nd hand simulates having a whip for the two handed version. Your 2nd hand should always cross on top. Pass the whip to your other hand and do a single hand Queensland Crossover for 7 cracks, while your 2nd hand simulates having a whip for the two handed version. This time your 2nd hand should always cross on the bottom.

• Level 3 This level is teaching you several ways to switch the lead hand

Do a single hand Queensland Crossover for 2 cracks then add a spin overhead, Queensland Crossover for 2 cracks then add an overhead flick (make sure the whip returns on your offhand side, Queensland Crossover for 2 cracks then add a Reverse Overhead Backwards crack,

Queensland Crossover for 2 cracks then add ????,

Queensland Crossover for 2 cracks then add a Tasmanian Cutback, Queensland Crossover for 2 cracks then let the whip continue it forward motion and wrap around your neck, let go of the handle then extend your arm out to your side, letting the whip slide across the back of your neck and into your hand (this is called Wilks's Wonder), finish with an Overhead Crack

October

October's challenges were created by Karina Bredariol, whip artist and circus performer from Brazil! Karina has studied and performed circus arts for many years

• Level 1 Cattleman's Crack x 3, Slow Figure Eight x 3, Forward Body Wrap, Overhead Crack x 5 switching hands behind your back each time, Reverse Body Wrap, Overhead Reverse, backwards spin x 2, toss thong over the shoulder, grab thong and pass the whip behind your back to the other hand. Cattleman's Crack x 3 (left hand), Slow Figure Eight x 3, Forward Body Wrap, Overhead Crack x 5 switching hands behind your back and spinning too, Reverse Body Wrap, Overhead Reverse, Forward Body Wrap
• Level 2 Cattleman's Crack x 3, Slow Figure Eight x 3, Forward Body Wrap, Fast Helicopter (6 cracks), Overhead Crack, Reverse Body Wrap, Overhead Reverse, Forward Neck Release, continue the whip's motion to pass behind your back to other hand, Overhead Crack
• Level 3 Volley in front for 8 cracks, Arrowhead for 8 cracks, Cattleman's Crack, Forward Body Wrap, Fast Helicopter for 6 cracks, empty rotation into Overhead Crack, Reverse Body Wrap, Overhead Reverse, forward jump over whip, Forward Body Wrap, Forward Neck Release, continue the whip's motion and pass it behind your back to other hand, Overhead Crack

Double Whip

The double whip challenges for 2022 are a breakdown of a routine Adam Winrich created called the "Extended Dance Mix". Although the pattern could of course start on either the left or right side, Adam starts on the left so the descriptions will follow that.

• Part 1 - 8 cracks of balanced time Double Whip Slow Figure Eight (left hand starts)
• Part 2 - 8 Cattleman's Cracks (alternating hands) while pivoting on the left foot.
  • Detailed breakdown - left Cattleman's Crack, right Cattleman's Crack, pivot 180 CCW, left Cattleman's Crack, step through with the right foot, right Cattleman's Crack, pivot 180 CCW, left Cattleman's Crack, step through with the right foot, right Cattleman's Crack
• Part 3 - 8 cracks of the Changing Eights
• Part 4 - 12 cracks of the Double Whip Fast Figure Eight in balanced time
• Part 5 - left hand does Volley for 8 cracks, right hand does Fast Figure Eight starting after the 3rd beat of the left hand's volley (last piece of the Cross march) right hand does a Cattleman's Crack after beat 8 of the left hand's volley. Bring the left whip through on the ground and repeat.
• Part 6 - left hand does non stop Volley. Right hand right hand does two Fast Figure Eights starting after the 1st beat of the left hand's volley, then does 6 beats of a Volley.