During the early seventies I used to love balancing on an old, all-wood Bongo Board. In fact, my initial introduction into the world of classical music occurred when I used to watch the Boston Pops on TV while balancing on it. Well, I went and got all nostalgic about it a couple of weeks ago and bought one of the modern versions. It didn’t take me long to get back into it, and, so far, I haven’t gone flying off the end and into the wall yet (he says while knocking on wood…tap, tap, tap).
So, of course, the next logical step (logical to me, that is) would be to see if I could play my flute while balancing on the board. And I can! It makes it more challenging because I can’t wave my hands around to help me balance. So far though, so good.
My wife came in the room and saw me yesterday, rolled her eyes and said, “If I hear a crash, I’ll just go ahead and call 911.”
I am a little worried that I might dent the flute.
Bongo Board? Well, it looks like a Bongo Board wannabe, but I notice that the manufacturer has ever so slyly put something of a cheater strap on the bottom of the board, maybe to keep it from rolling just a bit too far. But hey, that was the fun part! Whoops!
Yeah, I remember them, and what a fun thing they were!
Yeah, I don’t like the cheater strap. It really doesn’t make it much easier, but does prevent the board from becoming a missile. So it makes it a little less dangerous to others and nearby furniture, windows, dogs, cats,…etc. These new contraptions are styled after modern skateboards, and they have a hard plastic cylinder which is tapered on both ends. That allows you to do more tricks like walking the board by twisting your hips. The old wooden cylinders weren’t tapered, and they were as slick as an eel. I used to log quite a bit of air time on the old style board.
The manual that comes with it shows tricks where you can take the strap off the cylinder and do skateboard style tricks like ollies and shuv-its.
It’s funny, the Rola Bola/Bong Board/Balance Board are standard Physical Therapy and Health Club tools these days. We have a half dozen different variations of the Bongo Board where I work. Aside from simply balancing on them, you can do your squats, curls, oh presses, etc. etc. Never thought of playing flute on them though.
At the indoor climbing gym I belong to, they have all sorts of those balance boards too. I find the wobble board that can wobble in any direction the most difficult. It is amazing how these balance boards work your core. On the Bongo Board I find that I need to look straight ahead and never down while mentally trying to keep my belly button over the center of the roller. It really works the thighs, outer hips and abs.
I’ve always liked activities which require good balance. As a kid I used to roll along on top of an empty 55 gallon metal drum. I would walk on top of it starting in my backyard and roll across a couple of the neighbors yards and back without falling off.
Now if I can only find me an empty 55 gallon drum, and then get my flute…
Oh, probably… But the barrel rolling story does give you some background as to why I would do something as goofy as play my flute while balancing on a Bongo Board.
Disclaimer: Playing the flute while balancing on a Bongo Board is a dangerous activity which may result in serious injury or even…
But the barrel rolling story does give you some background as to why I would do something as goofy as play my flute while balancing on a Bongo Board.
