Getting ready for competition?  Here is a quick guide to help with your gymnast’s Aspire competition hair!

You will need:

• 1 large elastic
• 4 small elastics
• 1 medium elastic
• 1 x 70cm piece of White (Delta Brisbane & Barron Valley) or Red (Delta Gold Coast/Southport) plain satin ribbon
  (can be purchased from the Delta Pro Shop at Kedron)
• 1 x small piece of White (Delta Brisbane & Barron Valley) or Red (Delta Gold Coast) sparkly organza ribbon
• Very strong hair gel, hairspray and glitter spray

Step 1:

• Start by wetting hair and applying gel liberally through to ends.
• Collect hair in a high ponytail placed centrally and in line with top of head.
• Use the large hairband for this.

Step 2:

• Divide the ponytail into two halves and comb each half out sidewards – this allows a distribution of long and short ponytail hair for each of the 4 plaits. *
• Divide each section into half again and reapply some gel to each section as you are ready to commence plaiting.
• Try to plait down as far as possible and as close to the end of each section of hair.

Step 3:

• After you have finished all plaits arrange them so that that are sitting neatly side by side.

Step 4:

• Gather the four plaits together and using the medium sized elastic start to wind it around the plaits to hold them together.
• Before the last couple of turns, fold the bottom feathery ends of the plaits up and under so that you form a loop and keep twisting this elastic to anchor the loop.

Step 5:

• Using the pointy end of a comb, push the short piece of plain white (Delta Brisbane) or plain red (Delta Gold Coast/Southport) satin ribbon through the loop of hair that you made at the bottom of the plaits.

Step 6:

• Pull the plaits up and under.
• Take one end of the white/red ribbon and feed it through the large elastic holding the ponytail.
• Tie ribbon with a double knot and cut off any excess.

Step 7:

• Tie a bow with the white (Delta Brisbane/Barron Valley) or red (Delta Gold Coast/Souhtport) sparkly organza ribbon.

Step 8:

• Finish with a good strong hairspray and some glitter spray!

* Please note – if your daughter has finer/thicker hair, please adjust number of plaits accordingly (i.e. 3 or 6 plaits may be preferable).

Great Job – you did it!