Pep flags
Encyclopedia
Pep Flags, also known as flaggies, short flags, small flags, or twirl flags is the performing art of twirling one or two flag(s) as part of a choreographed routine. In recent years, some schools have implemented a third and even fourth flag in routines. This performing art is mainly prominent in Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...

 high schools in various school districts. It is not only limited to high schools however, as they do exist in elementary, middle school and college/university levels - though seldom. Although pep flags has been around for many decades (and has evolved much since then), it has been gaining more and more popularity. This particular style of pep flags has spanned out to other areas in Northern California
Northern California
Northern California is the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. The San Francisco Bay Area , and Sacramento as well as its metropolitan area are the main population centers...

 and Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...

 and has been known to have similar styles in Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...

, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...

, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...

, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...

, Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...

, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...

, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...

, South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...

 and Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...

. Twirling has also reached other countries such as Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

, South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...

, St. Kitts and the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

.

Depending on the U.S. region or part of the world, pep flags may be classified with baton (flag baton), majorettes
Majorettes
Baton twirling is an activity involving the manipulation of a metal rod and the human body to a coordinated routine and is similar to rhythmic gymnastics or color guard . Twirling combines dance and gymnastics while manipulating a single baton or multiple batons. It is primarily performed with the...

 or precision/prop. Usually, pep flags is often associated with cheerleading
Cheerleading
Cheerleading is a physical activity, sometimes a competitive sport, based on organized routines, usually ranging from one to three minutes, which contain the components of tumbling, dance, jumps, cheers, and stunting to direct spectators of events to cheer on sports teams at games or to participate...

, as it is one of the main subdivisions of the spirit world: cheerleading, songleading/pom pom, mascots and pep flags). Not to be confused with auxiliary or colorguard, pep flags is a separate discipline. However, much like other auxiliary and spirit teams, Pep Flags takes much hand and eye coordination, athleticism, showmanship and overall teamwork and good sportsmanship. Many flag routines involve choreography to music, dance
Dance
Dance is an art form that generally refers to movement of the body, usually rhythmic and to music, used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or performance setting....

/cheer elements (such as kicklines, pyramid mounts, etc.), numerous combinations of twirls, flag tricks, and flag tosses (also known as exchanges).

Many schools that have a Pep Flag squad can generally be seen performing at school pep rallies, football games (pre-game, half-time or even along the sideline with the cheerleaders), and cheering at other sporting events during the fall. Some may be seen marching with their school's band during parade season. In the spring, teams compete in several indoor competitions against other schools. Some of the main competitions that occur are: United Spirit Association (USA) Regionals and Nationals, Miss Dance Drill/Team USA, Sharp competitions as well as smaller school-sponsored competitions throughout the Southern California area. Generally, these competitions have two separate divisions for one flag and two flag routines. In addition, they may also include solo, duet, and trio divisions as well.

Schools

  • Adolfo Camarillo High School
    Adolfo Camarillo High School
    Adolfo Camarillo High School is a high school located at 4660 Mission Oaks Boulevard in Camarillo, California. It was recognized as a California Distinguished School in 1996 and in 2009 and a National Blue Ribbon School in 1998. It is part of the Oxnard Union High School District. The land was...

  • Arapahoe High School
    Arapahoe High School (Centennial, Colorado)
    Arapahoe High School is a public high school in Centennial, Colorado, United States. Located in a suburb of Denver, it is the flagship of the Littleton Public Schools District as the largest of three high schools with an enrollment of 2,229 students...

  • Arcadia High School
    Arcadia High School (Arcadia, California)
    Arcadia High School is a part of the Arcadia Unified School District and is a four-year comprehensive secondary school located on a site in Arcadia, California. Their motto is"Our Caring Makes a Difference."...

  • Bell High School
    Bell High School (Bell, California)
    Bell High School is a public high school in Bell, California, United States.The school, which serves grades 9 through 12, is a part of District 6 of the Los Angeles Unified School District....

  • Bishop Montgomery High School
    Bishop Montgomery High School
    Bishop Montgomery High School is a Catholic high school serving twenty-five parishes in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles. BMHS was founded in 1957, and staffed by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, Conventual Franciscans, and lay faculty...

     earned the Two Flag Championship title at Miss Dance/Drill Team USA in 1986 and the championship title at Miss Dance/Drill Team International in 1986 and 1990. Bishop Montgomery also won USA Nationals in 1997. Bishop Montgomery was also one of the first schools to have a male compete at USA Regionals 2006.
  • Cabrillo High School
    Cabrillo High School (Long Beach, California)
    Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo High School is one of the latest schools to be built in Long Beach, California. The school is a part of the Long Beach Unified School District.-History:...

  • California Academy of Math and Science (CAMS)
  • Carnegie Middle School is the first and only actively competing middle school pep flags program in competition (as of 2010). Although its existence has been sporadic over the years, their competition history can be traced back to the early 1980s, making them the original junior high school competition pep flags squad. Carnegie has enjoyed a recent revival, which began in 2008. They also inspired other spin-off pep flag programs and in the 1990s were referenced in a touring show of a Japanese touring acting troup.
  • Carson High School
    Carson High School (Carson, California)
    Carson High School is a four-year public high school in Carson, California, United States. It is a part of the Los Angeles Unified School District. Carson High was ranked 974 on Newsweek's 1300 Top U.S. High Schools. Carson High is located on the corner of 223rd Street and Main Street...

     is the second school to "three-peat" at USA Nationals (2004, 2005, 2006) and are also the originators of twirling three flags. Carson is also known for their "show-off" line. They earned back-to-back wins at USA Nationals in both 1 and 2 Flag divisions in 2005 and 2006. Carson did not compete at USA Nationals in 2007 and 2011. They also brought much publicity to pep flags when they were featured in Gwen Stefani
    Gwen Stefani
    Gwen Renée Stefani is an American singer-songwriter and fashion designer. Stefani is the lead vocalist for the rock and ska band No Doubt. Stefani recorded her first solo album Love. Angel. Music. Baby. in 2004. The album was inspired by music of the 1980s, and was a success with sales of over...

    's "Hollaback Girl
    Hollaback Girl
    "Hollaback Girl" is a song by American recording artist Gwen Stefani from her debut solo album, Love. Angel. Music. Baby. . As part of Stefani's vision of creating "a silly dance record", the song is influenced by 1980s dance and pop music...

    " video in 2005.
  • Channel Islands High School
    Channel Islands High School
    Channel Islands High School , is a secondary school located in Oxnard, California. It is known as the "Home of the Raiders". The school colors are powder blue and gold. CIHS is under the jurisdiction of the Oxnard Union High School District. It had a student population of 2,608 during the 2006-2007...

     is the first school to "three-peat" three times at USA Nationals (1986, 1987, 1988 and in 2001, 2002, 2003 and again 2009, 2010, 2011). Channel Islands did not compete at USA Nationals in 1997. They have also earned the championship titles at Miss Dance/Drill Team International in 1985, 1987, 2001 and 2003, as well as most decorated pep flags team in the history of Miss Dance Drill Team USA. The team has also implemented changing their flags in a "flag-change," much like what is seen in a colorguard or winterguard routines. In existence since the late 1970s, it has been suggested that their snappy style and projected facials is the original pep flags template, a standard that has since inspired other teams throughout the years.
  • Chaparral High School
  • Crenshaw High School
    Crenshaw High School
    Crenshaw High School is a secondary school located in South Los Angeles, California.The school first opened in 1968 and currently enrolls an average of 2,600 students. Its address is 5010 11th Avenue, near the corner of 50th Street. The school colors are blue and gold, and its mascot is the...

  • Crescenta Valley High School
    Crescenta Valley High School
    Crescenta Valley High School is a secondary school located at 2900 Community Avenue in La Crescenta-Montrose, an unincorporated community in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The school is a part of the Glendale Unified School District....

  • Glendora High School
    Glendora High School
    Glendora High School is located in Glendora, Los Angeles County, California, United States.-History:The high school was built in 1958 on the land owned by Clarks Gordan, an orange grower. The land contained oak trees which still grow on the school ground. The first graduating class of GHS was in...

  • Kyoei Gakuen High School (Japan) is the 2006 and 2008 Miss Dance Drill Team International Championship team. Their 2008 performance as been coined as one of the all-time memorable performances in the pageant's history.
  • Herbert Hoover High School
    Herbert Hoover High School (Glendale)
    Herbert Hoover High School is a public high school in Glendale, California. The school's colors are purple and white.Hoover High School, named after Herbert Hoover, the 31st president of the United States, is located on in Glendale...

  • International Polytechnic High School
    International Polytechnic High School
    International Polytechnic High School, commonly abbreviated merely as iPoly, is a public college preparatory high school located on the California State Polytechnic University, Pomona campus and operated by the Los Angeles County Office of Education in conjunction with the College of Education...

  • La Canada High School
    La Cañada High School
    La Cañada High School is a high school located in La Cañada Flintridge, California. It sits at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains, below the Angeles National Forest, in the City of La Cañada Flintridge...

  • Leuzinger High School
    Leuzinger High School
    Leuzinger High School is a public high school in Lawndale, California. It opened on January 27, 1931, with an enrollment of 268. It was named after Adolph Leuzinger in recognition of his 25 years of service on the Board of Trustees of the Inglewood Union High School District...

  • Long Beach Poly High School earned their first USA Nationals Championship in both the 1 flag and 2 flag divisions in 2008. They are also the first school to have a male on their squad to win a USA Nationals Championship that same year.
  • Mira Costa High School
    Mira Costa High School
    Mira Costa High School is a four-year public high school located in Manhattan Beach, California, United States that first began operating in 1950. It is the only high school in the Manhattan Beach Unified School District...

  • Monte Vista High School
    Monte Vista High School (Danville, California)
    Monte Vista High School is a comprehensive, National Blue Ribbon of the Blue Ribbon Schools Program, as well as a California Distinguished School and fully WASC-accredited 9-12 public school of more than 2000 students. The school is located in the Town of Danville, CA in the San Ramon Valley,...

  • Morse High School
    Morse High School
    Morse High School is the name of several high schools:* Samuel F. B. Morse High School San Diego, California* Morse High School Bath, Maine...

     earned their first USA National Championship in the 1 flag division in 2010. Morse was the second School to have a male win a USA National Championship.
  • Mount Diablo High School
    Mount Diablo High School
    Mount Diablo High School is a public high school located in Concord, California. It is the oldest school in the Mount Diablo Unified School District, founded in 1900...

  • Narbonne High School
    Narbonne High School
    Nathaniel Narbonne High School is a school located at 24300 South Western Avenue, in the Harbor City area of Los Angeles, California.Narbonne serves grades 9 through 12 and is a part of the Los Angeles Unified School District. Narbonne serves the Harbor City area and the city of Lomita.Narbonne...

     has won the Miss Dance/Drill Team USA championships from 1991-1998, and 2008. They also earned the championship title at Miss Dance/Drill Team International in 1989 and 1995. Narbonne did not compete in the 2005 and 2006 seasons. They have also won the USA National Champion titles in 1992, 1993, 1995, 1996 and 1999.
  • Norwalk High School
    Norwalk High School (California)
    Norwalk High School is a high school in Norwalk, California. It is a member school of the Norwalk-La Mirada Unified School District. It was established in 1956. The school used to have a swimming pool until 1994.-External links:*...

  • Novato High School
    Novato High School
    Novato High School is a high school located in Novato, California, in Marin County.-History:Built in 1955 and founded in 1957, it is one of two comprehensive high schools in the , the other being San Marin High School.-Demographics:...

  • Oxnard High School
    Oxnard High School
    Oxnard High School, or OHS as it is commonly referred to, is a public four-year high school serving grades 9–12 in Oxnard, Ventura County, California, United States...

     was one of the first schools to have a male that competed at USA Nationals in 2006 (placing fourth) and the first school to have two males to compete on a team at USA Nationals 2007 competition (placing sixth).
  • Pittsburg High School
    Pittsburg High School (California)
    Pittsburg High School in Pittsburg, Contra Costa County, California is a suburban school serving all of Pittsburg. It has been in operation since 1924. Over 2,200 students attend the school, which used to be divided into three campuses: East Campus, Main Campus, and North Campus, but since the...

  • Redondo Union High School
    Redondo Union High School
    Redondo Union High School is a public high school in Redondo Beach, California.Redondo Union High School is a part of the Redondo Beach Unified School District....

  • San Gabriel High School
    San Gabriel High School
    San Gabriel High School is a secondary school in the Alhambra Unified School District. The school is located at 801 S Ramona St, San Gabriel, CA 91776....

  • San Pedro High School
    San Pedro High School
    San Pedro High School is a public high school in the Los Angeles Unified School District and is located in the San Pedro portion of the city of Los Angeles, California. In 2003, the school celebrated its 100th Anniversary....

  • San Ramon Valley High School
    San Ramon Valley High School
    San Ramon Valley High School is a four-year public high school located in the East Bay neighborhood of Danville, California, USA. San Ramon Valley High School is one of the schools in the San Ramon Valley Unified School District. It is a National Blue Ribbon school from the Blue Ribbon Schools...

  • Santee High School
  • South Gate High School
    South Gate High School
    South Gate High School is located on Firestone Boulevard, South Gate, California, United States. The school, which serves grades 9 through 12, is part of the Los Angeles Unified School District...

  • South Pasadena High School
    South Pasadena High School
    South Pasadena High School is a public high school serving grades 9-12 located in the city of South Pasadena, California.The school is one of five schools in the South Pasadena Unified School District....

  • South Torrance High School
  • St. Patrick - St. Vincent High School
    St. Patrick-St. Vincent High School
    St. Patrick-St. Vincent High School is a private, Roman Catholic high school in Vallejo, California. It is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sacramento.-Background:...

  • Temple City High School
    Temple City High School
    Temple City High School is a four-year public high school located in Temple City, California, in the West San Gabriel Valley.-History:...

  • Torrance High School
    Torrance High School
    Torrance High School is a high school located in Torrance, California. Founded in 1917, it is one of the oldest high schools in continuous use in California and is the oldest of the four high schools in the Torrance Unified School District. Four of its buildings are listed on the U.S...

  • University of California San Diego
  • University of California Davis
  • Upland High School
    Upland High School
    Upland High School is a public four-year secondary school located in the city of Upland, California. The school was established in 1955 as part of the Chaffey Joint Union High School District, and since 1991 it has been a member of the Upland Unified School District.-History:Just prior to the City...

  • Washington Preparatory High School
    Washington Preparatory High School
    George Washington Preparatory High School is a secondary school in the Westmont section of unincorporated Los Angeles County, California, United States that is part of the Los Angeles Unified School District, .It was founded in 1926...

  • West Covina High School
    West Covina High School
    West Covina High School is a four year comprehensive secondary school located in West Covina, California.-History:West Covina High School first opened its campus in 1956 on the old Covina High School campus on Citrus Ave. and Puente Ave. as the Spartans. In 1957, the school moved to its new...

  • Westchester High School
    Westchester High School (Los Angeles)
    Westchester High School is a public high school in the Los Angeles Unified School District, Local District 3.It is located in Westchester , USA, a suburban neighborhood adjacent to Los Angeles International Airport and bordered by Playa Vista to the north, Inglewood to the east, El Segundo to the...

  • Whittier High School

Pep Flags in media

Pep flags, or the use of pep flags, can be seen in:

Musicals
  • Legally Blonde
    Legally Blonde (musical)
    Legally Blonde is a musical with music and lyrics by Laurence O'Keefe and Nell Benjamin and book by Heather Hach. The story is based on the novel Legally Blonde by Amanda Brown and the 2001 film of the same name. It tells the story of Elle Woods, a sorority girl who enrolls at Harvard Law School to...

     (2007) - "What You Want"


Music videos
  • Gwen Stefani
    Gwen Stefani
    Gwen Renée Stefani is an American singer-songwriter and fashion designer. Stefani is the lead vocalist for the rock and ska band No Doubt. Stefani recorded her first solo album Love. Angel. Music. Baby. in 2004. The album was inspired by music of the 1980s, and was a success with sales of over...

     - "Hollaback Girl
    Hollaback Girl
    "Hollaback Girl" is a song by American recording artist Gwen Stefani from her debut solo album, Love. Angel. Music. Baby. . As part of Stefani's vision of creating "a silly dance record", the song is influenced by 1980s dance and pop music...

    " (2005)
  • Panic! at the Disco
    Panic! at the Disco
    Panic! at the Disco is an American alternative rock duo, formed in Las Vegas, Nevada in 2005. Since its split, the band's line-up includes Brendon Urie and Spencer Smith . Former members Ryan Ross and Jon Walker left the group in 2009...

     - "I Write Sins Not Tragedies
    I Write Sins Not Tragedies
    "I Write Sins Not Tragedies" is a song by American rock band Panic! at the Disco, and is the lead single from their debut studio album, A Fever You Can't Sweat Out . It was released on April 27, 2006 on both compact disc and 7 inch vinyl. The song was written by guitarist Ryan Ross. The song...

    " (2006)


Television
  • Ninja Warrior
    Sasuke (TV series)
    Sasuke is a Japanese sports entertainment television special in which 100 competitors attempt to complete a four stage obstacle course. An edited version, renamed Ninja Warrior, is screened in at least 18 other countries....

  • Legally Blonde The Musical: The Search for Elle Woods
  • Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
    Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
    The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, often shortened to Macy's Day Parade, is an annual parade presented by Macy's. The tradition started in 1924, tying it for the second-oldest Thanksgiving parade in the United States along with America's Thanksgiving Parade in Detroit, and four years younger than...

     2009


Movies
  • Bring It On: All or Nothing
    Bring It On: All or Nothing
    Bring It On: All or Nothing is the third installment in the Bring it On series of films that revolves around high school cheerleading. Directed by Steve Rash, the movie was released direct-to-DVD on August 8, 2006 by Universal Pictures....


Competition history

Year USA National Champions
(Two Flag Division)
USA National Champions
(One Flag Division)
2012 COMING SOON MARCH 2012 COMING SOON MARCH 2012
2011 Channel Islands High School Channel Islands High School
2010 Channel Islands High School Morse High School
2009 Channel Islands High School Channel Islands High School
2008 Long Beach Polytechnic High School Long Beach Polytechnic High School
2007 Channel Islands High School Channel Islands High School
2006 Carson High School Carson High School
2005 Carson High School Carson High School (One flag division was reinstated in 2005)
2004 Carson High School
2003 Channel Islands High School
2002 Channel Islands High School
2001 Channel Islands High School
2000 Carson High School
1999 Narbonne High School
1998 Channel Islands High School
1997 Bishop Montgomery High School
1996 Narbonne High School
1995 Narbonne High School
1994 Arapahoe High School
1993 Narbonne High School
1992 Narbonne High School
1991 Channel Islands High School
1990 Narbonne High School
1989 Carson High School
1988 Channel Islands High School Carson High School
1987 Channel Islands High School Channel Islands High School

Year Miss Dance/Drill Team USA Champions
(Two Flag Division)
Miss Dance/Drill Team USA Champions
(One Flag Division)
Miss Dance/Drill Team International Champions
2012 COMING SOON--MARCH 2012 COMING SOON--MARCH 2012 COMING SOON--MARCH 2012
2011 Channel Islands High School Channel Islands High School Kyoei Gakuen High School (Japan)
2010 Channel Islands High School Channel Islands High School Channel Islands High School
2009 Channel Islands High School Channel Islands High School
2008 Narbonne High School Channel Islands High School Kyoei Gakuen High School (Japan)
2007 Channel Islands High School Channel Islands High School
2006 Channel Islands High School Channel Islands High School Kyoei Gakuen High School (Japan)
2005 Channel Islands High School (One and Two flag divisions have been combined up to 2006)
2004 Channel Islands High School
2003 Channel Islands High School Channel Islands High School
2002 Channel Islands High School
2001 Channel Islands High School Channel Islands High School
2000 Channel Islands High School
1999 Channel Islands High School
1998 Narbonne High School
1997 Narbonne High School
1996 Narbonne High School
1995 Narbonne High School Narbonne High School
1994 Narbonne High School
1993 Narbonne High School
1992 Narbonne High School
1991 Narbonne High School
1990 Channel Islands High School (One and Two flag divisions were combined this year) Bishop Montgomery High School
1989 Channel Islands High School Channel Islands High School Narbonne High School
1988 Channel Islands High School Channel Islands High School
1987 Channel Islands High School Channel Islands High School Channel Islands High School
1986 Bishop Montgomery High School Channel Islands High School Bishop Montgomery High School
1985 Westchester High School Channel Islands High School Channel Islands High School

External links

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