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 arrive, throwing and catching a spinning piece of plastic while making things as hard on themselves as possible? No? Then Cross Country Diabolo mustn't 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. However, it now belongs to the juggler skill-set. The diabolo is a gyroscopic device, a kind of 'detached yo-yo' consisting of two discs or bells 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 flexible plastic, with a metal axle joining both halves together. The diabolo player (or diabolist) spins the diabolo by means of a string attached to two handsticks. This 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 at once on the same string. If your own skill pales in comparison and you don't have the time or inclination to work at becoming that good, there are other ways you can have fun, based on the easiest trick: throwing the diabolo up it the air and catching it.

The word 'diabolo' derives 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 they are, the better, as it will speed up gameplay considerably 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. On an easy course, however, the extra people will just be standing 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 to carry extra equipment and snacks, take pictures and scout ahead. Call them your coach and they won't mind being used as a pack mule.

The Equipment

Each player should bring his or her own handsticks, preferably with a string that isn't too long - unless you're planning a few string tricks to impress passers-by. Only one diabolo is required. It should be fairly heavy and made of an unbreakable rubber or plastic, as it will fall down a lot. Glow-in-the-dark diabolos can be fun at night², although reports of UFO sightings may rise dramatically...

Finally, wear comfortable clothing that's 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 when 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 in shading your eyes when playing in the sun. Truly dedicated players may decide to wear matching shirts with the Cross Country Diabolo logo on them as a warning to innocent bystanders.

The Course

When looking for a course, or, more accurately, the Area, choose 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 there aren't too many people around who could get hit by a stray diabolo, and that there isn't a steep gradient leading to a bramble thicket/swamp/beehive/Rottweiler kennel/pool of lava. This will make it difficult toretrieve the diabolo after missed shots.

Medieval/Renaissance fairs 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 it 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.

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 need be, and then pass it on to the next player, throwing from the exact place where they caught it. However, a pivot³ in place is allowed to make it easier to continue, as is stopping the diabolo and restarting it in a different direction, although 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 the diabolo roll down inclines, or catch it while swinging on a swing. Be creative!

Competitive Play

This is theoretically possible. Have two teams compete at going through a set course as fast as possible, deducting points for drops⁵ or awarding points for the most creative combination of manoeuvres⁶ 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, or 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. It may cause you to neglect other areas of your life, 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 than risk it hitting traffic, or to find a different way to pass 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. It makes you feel like the Evel Knievel of the juggling world. Be warned, however, that horses spook easily when things fly over their head, 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 woman with a small, fierce dog, who will berate you for endangering the star on her Mercedes parked two streets away. She may call the police, who'll 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 aren't asking for money, endangering or obstructing people or traffic, breaking things or trespassing, you're almost certainly not doing anything illegal - just something unusual. However, if the police ask you to move on, do. It's better to find a new place to play¹² than waste game time and energy arguing.

Your Mission

Try it out, have fun, and spread the word! This entry will not self-destruct, so you can show it to anyone who wonders what you're doing.