Have you ever been walking through the park, minding your own business, when a group of rather determined-looking people with sticks in their hands arrives, throwing and catching a spinning piece of plastic while making things as hard on themselves as possible? No? Then Cross Country Diabolo must not have reached your part of the world yet. Perhaps this entry can change that...

What Is It?

The art of diabolo originated in China and was once very popular as a game all over Europe, but is now belongs to the juggler's skillset. The diabolo is a gyroscopic device, a kind of 'detached yo-yo' consisting of two discs or bells, which are connected by a central axis. The original 'Chinese yo-yo' was made entirely of bamboo, but the modern juggling prop is usually made of rubber or a flexible plastic, with a metal axle joining the halves. The diabolo player or diabolist spins the diabolo by means of a string attached to two handsticks, which stabilises and balances the diabolo through the conservation of angular momentum.

Some jugglers can do amazing tricks with the diabolo, ranging from spinning it on their necktie to manipulating three of them at once on the same string. If your own skill pales in comparison and you don't have the time or inclination to work on becoming that good, there are other ways you can have fun with a diabolo, based on the easiest trick - throwing it up and catching it.

The word 'diabolo' is derived from the Greek words 'dia' and 'bolo' and means 'object to throw across' - this has been taken literally by the inventors of diabolo tennis, which is played in teams on a tennis court. Cross Country Diabolo takes this one step further in a game based loosely on the principles of urban golf and Frisbee.

Requirements

The Players

You'll need at least two, preferably three diabolists - the more experienced, the better, as it will considerably speed up gameplay if everyone can catch and throw accurately. In difficult terrain, four players may be used to allow the ones further down the line time to get into position, but in an easy course, the extra people will just stand around getting bored. Being able to catch and accelerate the diabolo with both hands¹ is a definite advantage, but not a requirement.

A pleasant luxury is a non-player who tags along anyway to carry extra equipment and snacks, take pictures, and scout ahead. Call him your coach, and he'll not mind being used as a pack mule.

The Equipment

Each player should bring his or her handsticks, preferably with a string that is not too long, unless you're planning to put in a few string tricks to impress passers-by. Only one diabolo is required, which should be fairly heavy and made of an unbreakable rubber or plastic, as it will fall down often. Glow-in-the-dark² diabolos can be fun at night, though reports of UFO sightings may rise dramatically...

Finally, wear comfortable clothing suitable for climbing and getting dirty, with sleeves that aren't too loose at the wrist, and shoes with a good grip. Skirts may get in the way of climbing up things, which sooner or later, you'll want to do. Wearing a helmet shows a lack of trust in your fellow players, but a hat may be advantageous for shading your eyes if playing in the sun. Truly dedicated players may decide to wear matching shirts with the Cross Country Diabolo logo on it as a warning to innocent bystanders.

The Course

Or, more accurately, the Area. Look for a location with a good selection of obstacles. Trees, tents, open windows, staircases, fountains, narrow passages, fences, whatever strikes your fancy. Children's playgrounds are often ideal, but don't get in the way of the people they're meant for! Also make sure that there aren't too many people around who could get hit by a stray diabolo, and that there isn't a steep grade leading to a bramble thicket/swamp/beehive/Rottweiler kennel/pool of lava, as this will make retrieval of missed shots difficult.

Medieval/Renaissances faires make good playing areas, with lots of obstacles, plenty of people to impress, and often enough jugglers to start a spontaneous game - that's how the game was invented. If you can convince the organisers, you may even be paid for this, under the guise of entertainment. However, games have been known to end with players having to pass the diabolo among themselves while caught in the stocks. You have been warned...

An urban variant is also a lot of fun, if only because it will confuse all who witness it. Be sure to pick an area without a lot of traffic or expensive, fragile things, though.

Gameplay

The Basics

The rules of the game are very simple and as few as possible. The player in possession throws the diabolo to the next player, who must accelerate it, if needed, and then pass it on to the next player, throwing from the exact place where he caught it, though a pivot³ in place is allowed, to make it easier to continue, as is stopping the diabolo and restarting it in a different direction, though this lacks elegance. For the sake of faster gameplay, the string touching the diabolo counts as a catch, even if it doesn't stay on. If a throw is proving too difficult, the catcher may move to a different place, or a third player can be put in between for a stopover on long throws.

The aim of the game is to proceed through the chosen location while playing over, under, and through as many interesting obstacles as possible. Stand on things. Climb things. Shoot the diabolo through narrow openings or over high walls that make aiming difficult. Stand back-to-back, or in a pond⁴. Let it roll down inclines or catch while swinging on a swing. Be creative!

Competitive Play

Theoretically, this is possible. Have two teams compete at going through a set course as fast as possible, deducting points for drops⁵ or award points for the most creative combination of manoeuvres⁶ used in a set area and time. But must everything be a contest?

So, What's The Point If You Can't Win?

What's the point of juggling or dancing? Have fun, meet new people⁷, impress, bewilder, and charm children and gain favour in the eyes of people of whichever sex you're attracted to, practise your diabolo skills, and win fame⁸ and fortune⁹! Most of all, it's fun, and it'll keep you out in the fresh air, off the streets¹⁰ and doing something more or less sensible.

A Few Warnings

Cross Country Diabolo may be addictive, and may cause other areas of your life to be neglected, up to and including h2g2! Please remember to be sensible - don't overdo it, don't do anything too dangerous, and above all, use your head.¹¹ Rules are only rules, and can be broken if needed. It's better, for example, to stop the diabolo and carry it over a busy street rather than risk it hitting traffic, or to find a different way of passing it on in a crowd. Good sportsmanship also means pausing the game or continuing it elsewhere if you're stealing someone's show; don't distract another performer's audience.

Immense satisfaction can be derived from throwing the diabolo over a line of mounted knights, making you feel like the Evel Knievel of the juggling world. Be warned, however, that horses spook easily when things fly over their heads, and may decide to spontaneously rid themselves of their riders, who will be

• armed
• cross
• probably bigger than you

so when attempting manoeuvres of this kind, or any tricks involving animals, first talk to the owners/handlers to be sure that this can be done safely.

When playing in the city, you may be assaulted by a large, fierce lady with a small, fierce dog, who will berate you for endangering the star on her Mercedes, which is parked two streets away. She may call the police, who will then probably arrive and tell you "Oh, what a cool sport!". Just in case that's not the way it goes, be aware that if you are not asking for money, are not endangering or obstructing people or traffic, are not breaking things, and are not trespassing, you are almost certainly not doing anything illegal - just something unusual. However, if the police ask you to move on, do - better to find a new place to play¹² than to waste your game time and energy arguing.

Your Mission