video transcript

Hundreds of people twisted en masse at Thailand's first hula hoop contest. The event was organized by the Public Health Ministry to promote exercise. And one of the competition requirements was that every team has at least three members with a waistline of no less than 80 centimeters or around 31 inches. SOUNDBITE: Pornchita Phromana, competitor from Nakorn Srithammarat, saying (Thai): "We need to have good teamwork when working as a big team because we're all from different backgrounds. Some get regular workouts and some have never had exercise before." Competitors had to keep the hoops between their shoulders and hips for 30 minutes. And the winning team walked - or shimmied - away with more than $1,000 U.S. dollars.