CARRBORO - Midriffs bare and hips moving, Carrboro's hoopers may seduce with their spirited Sunday ritual. But don't call them a cult.

Hoopers of all ages dance on sunny Sundays outside Weaver Street Market where live musicians play. Subtle gyrations send the hoops climbing up and down torsos, arms and legs, adding color and movement to one of Orange County's most popular weekly events.

This past weekend, Carrboro police say someone posted about 20 fliers around the market. The fliers feature a devil figure modeled on local hooping teacher Jon Baxter but with horns and a pointed tail. He's holding a hula hoop with a pentagram inside. "Hoop Path: A Path to the Darkside," the poster read. "It's a cult."

Baxter teaches regular "Hoop Path" courses in Carrboro and Raleigh and travels the United States giving hula workshops. Baxter has said hooping helps him fight depression. Carrboro's hoopers say the activity offers a spirituality of relaxation, visualization and simple play.

Baxter's partner and fellow hooper told police the "cult" posters conveyed a "hateful message."

But the hoopers are spinning a quick comeback. On The Hoop Path blog on Tribe.net this week, among jokes about sacrificing goats and such, they entertained ideas for a counterattack, including turning the posters into T-shirts and thong panties to wear with pride.

As for who posted the fliers, Carrboro Police Capt. J.G. Booker said his department didn't have the resources to pursue the case. "I don't think it's any real threat to the community," he said.

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