SEMINOLE -- Shelia Patterson drew her 3-year-old son close to her side Friday and watched the small group of people gesturing wildly in the clearing across the road. Every few seconds, there was a loud 'crrrrack' from the group, as if they were tossing firecrackers at each other.

"Are those people doing what I think they're doing?" she asked. "Are those . . .?"

Some people shoot darts. Some play tennis or pinochle. And some people -- not many, but a determined and growing band -- crack whips.

But that's like saying a golfer hits a golf ball. Whip enthusiasts, or whippists, do far more than simply crack a whip. They aim at targets, both moving and fixed, they go through complicated maneuvers with whips in both hands, and use a variety of different cracks, from the overhead and sidearm, to the Quick Sixer and Hungarian Pig Drover.

Every third Sunday, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the open field across from the playground at Lake Seminole Park, the 30 or so members of the Tampa Bay Whip Enthusiasts (www.TBWE.net) gather to practice their techniques, take a little target practice, and generally commune with other whip enthusiasts.

And this weekend is special. Whip Weekend Florida is their Woodstock (or Whipstock), a three-day festival of fellowship, competition and all things braided. The group expects close to 100 people at the Boys and Girls Club in Pinellas Park on Saturday (10 a.m. to 9 p.m.), and back at Lake Seminole Park on Sunday (10 a.m. to 5 p.m.).

These are normal people who lead normal lives. They are computer programmers, Web designers, firefighters and retired cops.

Jerry Comeau spent two days driving 1,200 miles from his home in Toronto to be here this weekend. He's 46, drives a truck for a living, and never picked up a whip until two years ago. He just showed up at the park Friday and said, "I'm Jerry from Toronto and I'm here to crack whips." He was accepted immediately, and within minutes, had a dozen new friends.

"One of the things I love about this," he said, "is that it's an oddball thing to do. There are millions of golfers, but only a few thousand recreational whip crackers."

Comeau and the others know all too well the stigma attached to whips. Pick any Indiana Jones movie. Or any version of Mutiny on the Bounty. Whips are something dangerous. Or kinky. Or both.

"The whips we use are never used as punishment," said Duncan, 43. "Once you get good at cracking a whip, then you want to see how good you are at hitting targets. You become obsessed.

"We'd love to see this as an Olympic sport. If they can have rhythmic gymnastics . . ."

After just a few minutes of wielding a whip in each hand, Duncan's shirt was drenched.

"It comes under the heading of extreme sports," he added. "It's a great upper body workout and it's exhilarating. When you crack a whip, you break the sound barrier. It takes the government $40-million and 10,000 gallons of jet fuel to so something we do all the time."

Safety is important -- no one uses a whip without wearing a billed cap and protective glasses, and although everyone says they've been nicked, rarely has it been serious enough to draw blood.

And when your hobby is cracking whips, it helps to have a sense of humor. Club member Bill Cotney, a Clearwater Web designer, causes a chorus of groans when he announces that everyone in the club is addicted to crack.

"Hey," he added, "I used to live across from (a church noted for sending its members door to door), and the only time I could practice was Sunday in my front yard. I always waited until I thought the people had gone, but some of them saw me. Strangely enough, they never knocked on my door.

"I can't understand why."

History of whips and their uses

Many believe the term "Florida Cracker" came from the whips Florida cowboys used to herd cattle. The term also was used to describe poor white Southern farmers who "cracked" or pounded corn for food.

Whips have been around since at least the time of the ancient Egyptians, when versions were used mostly for punishment. Some scientists believe the first whip may have belonged to the apatosaurus (or brontosaurus), an immense dinosaur that had a 3,200-pound, 40-foot tail. If an apatosaurus could "crack" its tail, the sound would have been about 2,000 times louder than a modern bullwhip.

Cowboys and coachmen rarely struck their animals with their whips. The sharp crack of the whip overhead was usually motivation enough for most cattle, mules and horses.

A good nylon starter whip costs $50 to $75 and should be no longer than 6 feet. The average price is about $10 per foot. Some of the most expensive whips cost close to $800. With proper care, a good whip can easily outlive its owner. Anyone using a whip, from beginners to experts, should wear a billed hat and protective glasses.

Kangaroo leather makes the best whips, but many prefer well-treated cow leather.

Source: The Bullwhip Book

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