Time to pass the torch

On September 28, 2019, Ellen and I produced our sixth and final NCPP.  Life is taking us in different directions.  Ellen with her nutrition empire and me buying a house and moving to the outskirts of the Bay Area.  I am so proud of what this event has become.  When Amy Bond brought the idea to me years ago, I thought it was a great idea, but just couldn't launch it by myself.  When Ellen came on board, that changed everything.  Every year presented new challenges, but the end result was the same:  people felt safe to participate in our event and express themselves in ways they may not have felt comfortable to do otherwise.  That is the reason we showed up every year.  

Initially, when I first mentioned to Ellen that I might be done (surgeries ending my love of pole and a plan to return to school), there was no thought we could find a way to let it live on without us.  However, we realized there are probably other polers with event experience and/or time and passion to carry this event into the future.  So, we started our search after the show was over.  After speaking to several people, we found what we believe will be the perfect people to carry on the love and acceptance that I believe defines NCPP.

On January 17, we made the announcement:

NCPP LIVES ON!

Lori and Ellen are thrilled to announce that, under brand new ownership, NCPP will continue! It has been an absolute joy and privilege to provide this space for dancers in NorCal over the last 6 years. Despite our busy lives pulling us away from this, we wanted nothing more than to see NCPP continue to grow and thrive.

Announcing the new owners: Morgan Castillo and Kimmy Fitzpatrick!

"When we heard the news that Ellen and Lori were looking for someone to take over NCPP we were both so excited at the opportunity! Morgan, a Bay Area pole dancer, who has successfully competed and performed for the last few years, has had nothing but positive experiences when participating in NCPP events. With her incredible history of event planning including starting her own event company in 2011, and successfully selling it to what is now Live Nation, she’s had the itch to get back into the event industry. Being able to combine her love for pole and her love for events is just icing on the cake. Kimmy has also been in the Bay Area pole scene since 2010 and has competed and performed all over the United States. She is a 4x Nationals Runner up, and is the founder of By KimB and Endless By KimB, where she keeps us all outfitted in sparkly accessories and affordable pole gear. We are both incredibly grateful to Ellen and Lori who have paved the way for this event, and created something that continues to unite our community year after year. We hope to continue this legacy and keep this space available for all of us in the community to enjoy for years to come."

We know NCPP couldn't be in better hands! Thank you again to everyone who has supported and encouraged us, our vendors and judges over the years, and to all the beautiful dancers who have graced our stage: we truly could not have done this without you. Keep your eyes peeled for news and updates about NCPP 2020!

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I am so excited that NCPP is in the capable hands of Kimmy and Morgan.  I want to thank everyone who has supported us over the years.  I also want to thank Ellen.  Our partnership was always so effortless and I couldn't have done this without her.  I am so proud to have been part of this small piece of pole history.  I can't wait to see what the future holds!

That's a wrap!