Frequently Asked Questions to Broomriding

What's broomriding exactly? How does it work, what's the principle, what regulations and restrictions are to consider? Read the questions and answers below, follow the links to the information all over the site to get a decent overall knowledge to the subject.

If you have another question - don't hesitate to post it to the webmaster with the link in the footer. Maybe it's been answered on the site's next update.

How do I start broomriding?

I'd like to start broomriding, but I've no clue how it is done.

Answer: Riding a broom is basically focussing one's psychic energy to move, that's what people call aeromagic. Really, it's so simple. Start a broomriding class and you will see: what you learn in your first classes is to WANT to fly, to WANT to stay in the air and to WANT to keep straight on your broom. Without the desire and ability to focus, you'll never be able to ride a broom on your own. All the rest is extra, and most of it is optional.

Of course it is important to have a decent broom, to be wrapped in warm, thick clothes and to know the right techniques to deal with the winds. But without your own focus and concentration, you'll never be able to ride a broom. Go to Grades to get a rough overview to the most common broomriding techniques which are all offered in our school.

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Can I ride any broom?

Are the broomsticks you fly on enchanted, or can I use any broom in a pinch?

Answer: No, you can't use just any broom. The brooms are enchanted. They are warmed up, made more aerodynamic and invisible to non riders, etc.

"Broom purists" swear by fully hand-enchanted brooms and place every single spell on their brooms themselves. For more information, go to Charms.

All other broomriders buy enchanted brooms (go to the Equipment Shop and look for broom models) and eventually repair or improve them with own spells.

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At what speed do broomriders fly?

How fast will I be able to go?

Answer: As far as speed is concerned, broomriding is like riding a bycicle or a motorbyke. Most people do well at speeds of about 40 to 55 mph. Some, however, may eventually increase their speeds to 70 mph or more, especially if they ride certain more aerodynamic broom models. It depends on your broom, your broomriding abilities, your hunger for speed and not least on your own additional bewitchment.

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Doesn't it hurt...?

Doesn't it hurt to sit for a long time on a broom handle?

Answer: No, it doesn't. One of the main spells on a broom bewitched to fly is a set of comfortable padding charms. The padding charms form a sort of saddle which can be accustomed to your proper body. As it's magically made, it has much more conveniences, such as additional stirrups to hold your feet or an extra child padding.

A good broomriding teacher will teach you a couple of useful and need-to-know Charms, among them padding charms, so that you can at least customize a new or repair a defective padding.

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Isn't it cold...?

Isn't it cold to ride in the wind and weather?

Answer: Of course it is and the freezing temperature is one of the most serious problems you deal with after a while above ground!

Broomriders since ancient times help themselfs with warm garments as well as with carefully selected, and well aimed charms. Warming Up Charms are one of the main projects in recent broom developments since the amazing discoveries of Angelus Aegean's Aerodynamic Shell. Go to Experimental Development and read more about it!

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What about the equipment?

How and where do I buy my equipment?

Answer: You don't have to bring any equipment to the classes, as you can borrow or buy everything you need at the school's shop. How would you know which broom model and which wood fits you best before you even know how to mount a broom? Try the school models and you'll very soon discover on which you fly best. Come to the broomriding evenings with good, warm clothes and decent footwear. If you've already started broomflying, you're invited to the Equipment Shop.

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Do I have to be a witch or a wizard in order to ride a broom?

I'm neither a witch nor a wizard. Is it possible for me to join a broomriding class all the same?

Answer: Yes, it is. Rinaku Broomstick's vision is to bring broomriding to the attention of a vaste and non-religious public. Religion-free Broomriding or Broomriding for Health, as he likes to call it, broomriding in all its sporting dimensions.

You will soon see that some basic basic knowledge in charms and spells are very useful to broomriders. However, even this performing basic magic has nothing to do with wizardry and nobody asks you to change your religionand to invent your own goddess, just because you'd like to ride a broom.

If ever you discover a need to learn more about Wikkan religion while advancing in broomriding skills, go to Wikkan Broomriding, where you are guided to basic wikkan web sites.

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What if people see me?

I don't want to be seen by my neighbours. What do I have to do to avoid being spotted?

Answer: Since the big witch burnings in the fourteenth century, witches and wizards have concentrated hard not to be seen. One of the main secrets of broomriding is to perform this sport, religious act or means of transport but yet remain unseen. There are not only suitable invisibility clothes, pills and ointments, but also different Charms you may learn during your classes. Take them VERY seriously. Once you've been spotted by a witchcraft-hating person while above ground, your life may become difficult indeed.

Please consider: when meeting other broomriders and chatting with them, keep broomrider's secrecy in every case. Broomriders are not interested in which members of the family and which friends are familiar with witchcraft and which one calls spellcast or broomcraft rubbish. It's the business of everyone to organize his or her private live on his or her own.

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Are starting and landing permitted everywhere?

Can I start and land everywhere, or do I need permission to use a site?

Answer: No, permissions aren't necessary, with the exception of commercial- or frequently used locations, teaching sites, and non-wizards' private properties.

But you have to learn the different techniques. Well-trained broom-riders can start and land everywhere. Beginners use sloping hills, huntsmen's eyries, ventillation openings, magical hairdryers or Instantaneous Magical Fires to get an initial kick-off - and cushions, mats, chimneys, swimming pools, and similar helps to land softly, depending on the flying height and the season.

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How often should I practice?

Is there a recommended periodicy of exercises?

Answer: Beginners start with a lesson a week and are advised to practice at least one additional hour between the lessons.

Having passed the broomriding class, you may take more than one lesson and practice more than once a week - or once a week during a whole year - depending on how much spare time you have. Professionals do their daily exercises several hours a day.

But not everybody has to go as far as becoming a professional broomrider. Some Wikkan broomriders fly only at festivities.

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What about broomriding and health?

Is it healthy to ride a broom?

Answer: undoubtedly, it is, and this is Rinaku Broomstick's personal credo. Learn more at Broomriding and Health and see some examples to the healthy effect of a regular broomride in the cold and windy airs.

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What is broomdancing?

If a group of people dance together on brooms: is that broomdancing?

Answer: yes, broomdancing is basically a group of people dancing together on brooms. As you see more detailled at Grades, there are a couple of broomdancing techniques:

• First, there's partner dancing, where you coordinate your movements with your partner and find a common rhythm.
• Then there is formation gliding, where the movement of a single person is a part of the overall group figure.
• Next, there's circle dancing were a group of people, lined up in a circle or in rows, dance old and new choreographies. Here, the movement of the group counts as well as the movement (and fun) of the single dancer.
• At the broom festivals (solistice and equinox nights), there's always a big dance in the warm air above the fire. People change instantly from solo broomriding to formation gliding to partner dancing and back.
• Last but not least, don't forget broom ballet, the art of perfect movements on brooms accompanied by classical music.

You see - plenty of opportunities to base broomdancing on old traditions. Learn more about it at Grades.

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How can I attend International Broomdancers Meetings?

Where's the International Broomdancers Meeting going to be held? How can I find out where it takes place? Can I just drop by? Or do I have to get my membership form first?

Answer: No membership is required. There are lots of times and places to celebrate. The only thing you have to do is find out where and when they are. We can help you establish your first contact and you can also buy a magical map in our Equipment Shop. On this map, the Wikkan festivities, as well as non-religious and purely sporting broomriding events taking place in the next 24 hours all over the world are marked by icons of burning fires. On better maps, there's also the option to see the number of expected participants and possibilities to spend the night as well as broomriding halls nearby.

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What can I carry with me on my broom?

Is it possible to take pets or objects such as bags or suitcases on my broom? Can I bring my pet to the doctor, for instance?

Answer: Yes, you can. Most pet animals are transportable - some even seem to LOVE it (birds, cats, most amphibians), especially if they possess magical abilities. However, be careful with dogs, horses, cows or donkeys. Barking dogs or shrieking donkeys are often the reason that broomriders have been spotted by witchcraft-hating humans in spite of every invisibility spell, potion or garment.

Some broom models are developed especially for people who have to transport objects or kids. Go to the Equipment Shop to see which ones.

Transporting objects and pets has also importance in the young broomriding sports Broom Fighting. Go to Broomriding Games and Sports to learn more about it.

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BTW: in certain cities, the first broomriding COWS have been spotted

Are any exams or permits required?

I'm so sick of exams. Do I have to pass an exam in order to fly on a broom for my personal joy?

Answer: Nope. No exams at all.

Do I need a Broomriding Permit?

Answer: No again, unless you are a broomriding teacher. There are permits for broomriding teachers protected professional titles, which require you to know more about spellwork and first aid than about broomriding itself. And, of course, there is another permit tor commercial broomriding, i.e. transporting persons or goods tor money. This permit however is more a registration for the tax department. School busses or similar person transport for free are non commercial, even if tied brooms are used, are permit free.

Do I need to get a starting and landing permit? Where do I get one?

Answer: You don't need any starting and landing permission as long as you don't start and land frequently (i.e. several times every day) at the same spot. Frequent use, especially in combination with starting and landing on foreign property or for commercial purposes, requires a registration at the International Broomriding Association (iBa) or at the Association International du Dévelopment du Balay Volant (AIDBV).

Are there traffic regulation rules for broomriders?

Answer: No, there aren't. Remember: you do your best to be invisible while broomriding - at least invisible to non broomriders. As the air space is big and the number of broomriders will always be small, there's not much traffic. You learn the most important courtesy rules during the lessons. In fact, courtesy and peace are the most important traffic regulation rules for broomriders.

It's in your own best interest that nobody notices your presence in the air, so it's up to you to take care in avoiding collisions, especially with non-magical, visible objects.

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Can I ride any house-cleaning object?

Can I ride a mop? Or what about a Riding Sweeper?

Answer: no, mops aren't rideable for aerodynamic reasons. However - never say never - recent experiments show that it might be possible one day to ride any object or none at all. Both however, is only a matter for well trained broomriders at the moment.

Riding Sweepers as flying objects belong to the category of Hoover riding. Proceed to the next question for more information.

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Is there something like Hoover riding?

If it's possible to ride a broom - can I ride a Hoover as well?

Answer: Of course. There are lots of vacuum cleaner or riding sweeper amateurs all over the world, and they have their own organisations. We can introduce you to people from the Vacuum Riders or from the Hoover Amateurs in your neighbourhood. In Rinaku Broomstick's Broomriding School, nevertheless, no Hoover-riding is taught, nor is hoover riding allowed on the school's ground.

As it is for broomriding, the principle of Hoover riding is very easy. Broomriding basics, focusing on the movement and concentrating on wanting to fly, hold for Hoover riding as well. There's also the principle of sucking in air in front of the rider and blowing it out behind. In fact, the Hoover creates a vacuum in front and an over inflation in the back. This difference of pressure causes the rider to be sucked forward.

The direction of the movement is controlled by the hose. Control of broom Hoovers is maintained by movements of the rider's own back and bottom. Carriage Hoovers (canister models) are better suited to riding than broom Hoovers (upright models), as there's plenty of space to sit on and the hose is flexible. Hoover riding competitions have always the two classes, carriage and broom. Riding Sweepers compete with carriage hoovers.

Unlike a broom, a hoover needs an external source of energy. This may be electricity, nuclear power or condensed super magic - or an unloading of natural electromagnetic fields expressed by a lightning. Since Ethlynn Balor's discovery of 1937, most Hoovers change their function from cleaning instruments to means of transport by being struck by lightning. A single strike, properly used, can power the Hoover for up to a year. Most Hoovers don't last much longer than this.

Some broomriding amateurs however follow thunderstorms regularly, where they produce a special atmosphere to increase the probability of lightning, and they manage to prolong the life cycle of a Hoover for years. Others swear nowardays by the long cable up to half a mile long, that their Hoovers drag behind like tails. This cable catches differences of tension between the air masses and transposes them into a permanent base current.

Caution: Letting your Hoover be struck by a lightning while riding it is no children's game! The rational broomrider will stay away from thunderstorms, with their uncontrollable electromagnetic forces and winds, whenever possible. Accident insurance will cover thunderstorm accidents only in exceptional cases, even if the rider has supplemental "risky sports" coverage.

Hoover riders fly at top speed up to 75 to 100 mph with an average speed around 50mph. They fly considerably higher in the atmosphere than broomriders, not only because of their greater speed, but also because they have the opportunity to place an oxygen tank in their vehicle. However, as high as Hoover riders ever fly, they never surpass mid troposphere. Flying over the Mt Everest is an adventure not every Hoover rider is able to undertake.

What's this flying object?

Flying objects of a completely new kind like the one beside have been spotted in European high mountains recently. Warming up and speed seems to be made by a fire spiting engine, but that's all we can guess at the moment. We or one of the hoover riding schools keep you informed as soon as we know more.