The holidays are upon us again! We at Swing State firmly believe in the idea of gifting experiences to your loved ones - things they will carry with them much longer than any stuff you could buy! 

New silks series are starting right after the new year, and we are happy to help you make a gift of classes. In addition to registering your favorite person, we can create gift certificates and help you get a water bottle, sweatshirt or tank top on our Spreadshirt Shop, so your gift is as fun to open as it is to use.  

If your favorite person is already a Swing State Student, we can create a gift certificate for class or practice credit, or help you figure out what at-home equipment or goodies might be great for your student, as well! 

As always, we do not recommend purchasing silks or trying to rig in your home for a student who is below intermediate level, or if you haven't consulted a rigger and/or engineer to make sure you can rig safely. For more information, take a look at our Gifting Dos and Don'ts. 

Don't forget that classes are also a great way to fulfill many New Year's resolutions! They do fill up fast, so if you're going to resolve to get fit or get a sweet new hobby or join a new community this year, sign up now! 

Thank you for all your support this year, and have a happy holiday season! 

Aerial silks is a beautiful, exciting art, and we get lots of questions around the holidays about how to gift silks. Here are some dos and don'ts! 

Don't: Purchase silks for very-new beginners. Beginning students should always work with instruction and supervision, and no one should ever work on silks alone. 

Don't:  Attempt to rig from your apartment, house, garage, or porch ceiling, or a swingset without a professional rigger (and sometimes a structural engineer or architect) assessing the safety and feasibility of the rig. Silks can put thousands of pounds of pressure on a point, and can produce a lot of movement that regular construction is not built to withstand. Generally, rigging in your home will take construction upgrades!

Don't: Attempt to rig a silk from items that you buy from your local hardware or home improvement store. These items are NOT RATED TO LIFT HUMANS SAFELY. 

Don't: Buy random fabric at a store or website. Fabrics for aerial are specifically tested and rated and sold for aerial use. 

Do: If you're really committed to having a rig point at home, research rated, freestanding aerial rigs. They are the safest way to get a rig point quickly and easily, and they come in a variety of styles and heights (including ones that will fit indoors!)

Do: Always purchase a crash mat!

Do: Purchase locking carabiners, swivels, and rescue-8s from reputable climbing supply resources that are rated at 22kN or above. 

Do: Consult with your instructor about what kind of equipment might be right for you or your giftee, or if a class pack would make a better gift. 

Do: Consider purchasing a class series or private lesson pack instead! It's always safer to work with an instructor with inspected, professionally rigged equipment. Swing State Aerial classes or punch cards make perfect gifts!!