Beach Propellers Worldwide
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The world wants to see the beach propellers you make and play on! Share your pics and videos by email, or use #beachpropellers on Instagram. If you choose to follow @beachpropellers on Instagram that will also help spread the news and help get more folks sending in pics and video! Get the simple, printable, pdf diagram showing how to make beach propellers.
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Click to see a short video with highlights from a Beach Propeller Gathering.
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Five most-recent #beachpropeller posts on the @beachpropellers instagram feed:
WHAT ARE BEACH PROPELLERS, HOW CAN YOU MAKE THEM, AND HOW CAN YOU USE THEM?
SEE THIS 2-MINUTE VIDEO:
SEE THIS 2-MINUTE VIDEO:
WHY:
Making, seeing, and moving on a beach propeller evokes a feeling of wonder and appreciation in me, and in others who have tried it out. I'm hoping many other people will make and use beach propellers, and will have wonderful feelings on the beach. This project is part of my socially engaged environmental art practice, aiming to connect people with the natural world and each other. I've enjoyed improvising new shapes and games with people I've met while "propellering."
Making, seeing, and moving on a beach propeller evokes a feeling of wonder and appreciation in me, and in others who have tried it out. I'm hoping many other people will make and use beach propellers, and will have wonderful feelings on the beach. This project is part of my socially engaged environmental art practice, aiming to connect people with the natural world and each other. I've enjoyed improvising new shapes and games with people I've met while "propellering."
WHAT ELSE?
What would other shapes feel like to move on, alone or along with others? What about using a beach bicycle or unicycle, a beach wheelchair, or another mobility device ? What about walking, crawling, scooting, or rolling in the sand, or just being still? What about other shapes? The "peace sign" version lets you switch from the three-blade path to the vertical "infinity path," and after you do that, you can chose one of two ways to go back into the three-blade path, and end up orbiting in a different direction if you want. The six-bladed version lets you move freely between two different three-bladed paths and three different infinity paths. What if you connect a few propellers at the edges or by straight lines or curves? What if you make random shapes and follow your own path(s)? A lot experimenting happened at this gathering.
ORIGINS:
In 2021 I was running and dancing in random curves and loops on the flat tidal sand of small beach, and enjoying the sight of the looping path of my footprints. Then I started running in a small circle; then some tangent circles; then a figure "8" with two circles. This led to making and running on an infinity sign. And then the shape of the beach propeller popped into my body/mind.
It felt very natural to run this shape, accelerating in the straighter sections, and then slowing down and leaning into the sharper curves at the tips. My feet created "banked turns", carving into the sand.
I decided to call this shape a beach propeller to describe the shape and also evoke the feeling of propulsion that comes when you move on one.
What would other shapes feel like to move on, alone or along with others? What about using a beach bicycle or unicycle, a beach wheelchair, or another mobility device ? What about walking, crawling, scooting, or rolling in the sand, or just being still? What about other shapes? The "peace sign" version lets you switch from the three-blade path to the vertical "infinity path," and after you do that, you can chose one of two ways to go back into the three-blade path, and end up orbiting in a different direction if you want. The six-bladed version lets you move freely between two different three-bladed paths and three different infinity paths. What if you connect a few propellers at the edges or by straight lines or curves? What if you make random shapes and follow your own path(s)? A lot experimenting happened at this gathering.
ORIGINS:
In 2021 I was running and dancing in random curves and loops on the flat tidal sand of small beach, and enjoying the sight of the looping path of my footprints. Then I started running in a small circle; then some tangent circles; then a figure "8" with two circles. This led to making and running on an infinity sign. And then the shape of the beach propeller popped into my body/mind.
It felt very natural to run this shape, accelerating in the straighter sections, and then slowing down and leaning into the sharper curves at the tips. My feet created "banked turns", carving into the sand.
I decided to call this shape a beach propeller to describe the shape and also evoke the feeling of propulsion that comes when you move on one.
Share your pics and videos by email, or use the tag #beachpropellers on Instagram.
You can also join my email list to stay in touch.
You can also join my email list to stay in touch.