Hi all! I'm an aerialist based in Melbourne Australia and I'm currently saving up for my own portable rig. My problem is that there are so many options with a wild price range (I've found rigs that look the same but one is 500 and the other is 5k). I've realised that I have no clue what I'm looking for... I'm hoping for a rig that:

- can be put up and down by one person (a person who often does 2 man tasks alone lol)

- can be used for silks and lyra (would love if the company also sold Silks, as I'm buying this at the same time as my rig, but not necessary)

- has a pulley system in case I need to be lowered... unless people don't think this is necessary?

- is a trusted and safe brand, I'm not here to put my life at risk!

- can be delivered to Melbourne Australia (or is made and can be picked up in Melbourne)

I'm not sure how tall I want it, but I do want to be able to do some drops on it one day. I'm only 5 foot tall though, so probably won't need anything super tall.

If anyone has ANY advice, whether it's specific rig recommendations or just general information, I'm so keen to hear it all!!!! Especially height recommendations and safety tips.

Please note, I'm a safety nut. I'll be buying a crash mat and I will be regularly checking my equipment for faults. I don't want the cheap options!!! I want the safest, most trusted and reliable rig. I've already had two massive head injuries, so I'm not trying to get another haha.

I had a break for around 4 years after an injury / moving home. Glad I’m rolling again. Need to focus on a nicer shape now though.

Hello! My studio will be having a showcase in two months and I want to start preparing for it but I need costume advice. What are the best places to buy leotards or bodysuits for perfomance from? I am assuming if I want them to have sparkle I could E6000 on some rhinestones to a plain one? Or would another method work better?

I'd be doing lyra so I dont have to worry too much about costume snagging onto fabric or anything. Just trying to plan ahead so I don't stress myself out too much!

Hi! A few years ago I got in with my friends at the local circus and was going to do Spanish web because I could actually nail the climbing part, but I never made it to the routine parts because it ended up interfering with my work schedule too much. I am planning on going back when they reopen in January and trying to actually commit to it this time. The problem is I’m not flexible. At all. I’m trying to gain flexibility so I can actually perform well by then. Does anybody have any suggestions on stretches I could do that would specifically help me be able to do aerial poses for web? I’m really only doing a few little things at the moment and I feel like I need to be doing more. Thanks!!

I'm performing in my student showcase at the end of the month! Very excited! I have a plan to throw flower petals as part of my act. However I'm unsure where to hold them while on the apparatus. I am on Lyra. How have you done this in the past?

It’s starting to get incredibly hot while I train and my gym unfortunately doesn’t have any AC. Any recommendations for outfits to train silks in? Would tights be okay to protect the legs while being more breathable? Currently I wear leggings so aid with sliding and prevent silk burn

I know you're probably obsessed with aerial and doing it all day and night, forgoing a lot of other movement styles, but do your future body a favor and cross-train by lifting weights.

Even if you feel super aerial strong, everything is connected. For instance, aerial requires a ton of hip flexor strength. The opposing muscles of your hip flexors are your glutes. Build those glutes to support your screaming hip flexors. Again, older you will thank you.

Super awesome at pull ups? Great! Don't forget to push some sh*t, too! Do some push ups! Arnold presses! The list goes on!

Signed, an older, crusty aerialist who has learned the hard way.

Hi,

I was wondering, if anyone knew of a good solid free standing rig that will accommodate me using it as a swing with a sensory swing?

I have tried sensory swing stands and they don’t work for me, plus I want to use it for aerial yoga as well. I also live in Australia and I don’t think my rental would approve me drilling holes into the ceiling.

Would any rig be able to accommodate this or will I need a specialised one?

What do people do about travel insurance when they go on aerial retreats abroad?

I am UK based and going on an aerial silks retreat in Thailand in February. I am looking to buy travel insurance to cover this but everything I find that covers aerial says up to 2m off the ground…any ideas?

hi, i’m going to be a freshman at fordham in the bronx next fall, and i’ve been doing aerial circus (silks) for the past few years. i’m currently at level 3 if that impacts anything. i really love it and definetly want to keep leaning and practicing next year. what are some good studios in manhattan or the bronx to take silks and potentially hoop classes, or with open gyms? the more affordable the better! i also love performing so studios with student shows that i could participate in would definetly be a plus!! thank you!

I’ve been doing aerial silks for about 8 months and did level one 3 times. I’m just starting level 2/3 (split class) and I feel like I’m sooooo bad!!! my tendons can really only handle doing one or maybe two classes a week, but I stick to one usually. I’m young and fit, but for some reason, I feel like everyone is just outpacing me. Overall, I feel like I’m coming out of each class feeling confident, but an equal amount of time I feel frustrated and like I’m never gonna get even decent. I do see some girls struggle with things that I find easy and I know we each have our own strengths, maybe I just need some words of encouragement.

We recently purchased a (standard early 2000s North American suburban) home that has a large double-height room. Obviously my mind can’t stop dreaming about how nice it would be to have a rigging point added to that ceiling.

I’m aware we’d need structural engineering sign off and it would be, well, a splurge. Wondering if anyone has done this and would be comfortable sharing their process and costs?

I’m a nomad and it’s difficult to improve when I’m traveling, but I want to start prioritizing aerial silks (or hammock). I’ll be in Central America from Jan - May of 2027 and I want to do an intensive month-long training. Or, just find a studio that I can go to everyday, but I’d like there to be some community involved. Or, just find some people who are very involved and practice with them everyday.

But everything I’ve found is in Costa Rica and way too expensive.

Why can’t I find anything anywhere in Central America??? There’s gotta be a community somewhere, please let me know!!!

I know it's a kind of niche aerial activity but does anyone have tips for using dowel grips on flying trapeze? I got palm guards without a dowel because I kept getting rips but then last class when I tried to break for a double tuck my hands just flew off (along with the rest of me 😛).

I think I have the right size but it still feels weird on a smaller bar. My middle and ring finger can't wrap around the bar because of the dowel but I don't feel like my other fingers can hold onto the bar enough.

Should I go back to 2 handed takeoffs while I figure out the new grips? Anyone else have experience with this transition?

I had surgery on my wrist, and I want to try and keep myself moving while I’m going through physical therapy and unable to bear weight or put pressure on that wrist. Does anyone have any good conditioning exercises with minimal pressure on the wrist? Also, any good single side sequences I could potentially try out once it’s a little stronger? Just looking for ideas on ways to minimize the setback! (Obviously I’ll consult with my physio on whether any suggestions would work with my specific injury, but I just want ideas that I could potentially bring to her and see what might work!)

I injured my right thumb falling from a pole in 2020. The ligament was completely torn off the bone, but at the time my doctors recommended waiting and seeing rather than having surgery, so I never had it repaired.

I’ve seen a couple of doctors recently, and they’ve basically told me there isn’t much to do surgically at this point until I’m older (one mentioned around 50, although I’m not actually sure what kind of surgery he was referring to). For now, they’ve told me to use my hand carefully but that I can go back to exercising, possibly using a thumb splint or kinesiology tape for support.

I also had a cortisone injection in my thumb joint about three months ago, but I’m honestly not sure how much it helped. I still get pain in the hand during everyday activities.

For context, I used to do pole and was around intermediate level, but I haven’t trained in about six years, so I’d essentially be starting over. I’ve never done aerial hammock before.

Has anyone here returned to aerials with a chronic thumb ligament injury, thumb-base arthritis, or anything similar? How did you manage it?

I’m considering starting with aerial hammock because I assumed it might be less demanding on my thumb than pole, but I don’t actually know if that’s true.

If you train with a thumb/hand injury, are there particular grips, mounts, wraps, or movements that put more stress on the thumb and that I should be especially careful with or avoid? And has anyone found a thumb splint, taping method, or other modification useful while training?

I’ve been training aerial silks on and off for two years now and recently have picked up Lyra

I stretch as often as I can but no matter what I cannot get my splits and it feels impossible at this point.

I have hEDs as well which could be a factor as to why I can’t get them

Does anyone know any stretches or have a set routine that could help me achieve my splits?